Healthcare CEOs want raised Medicare eligibility age to curb costs

As part of a four-prong plan to save $410 billion during the next 10 years, a group of healthcare CEOs is asking the Congressional supercommitte to raise the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 67.

In the Healthcare Leadership Council's (HLC) proposal, it urged the bipartisan committee tasked with trimming at least $1.22 trillion from the national budget over the next decade to gradually increase the Medicare eligibility age by two months each year, until it reaches 67, reports Bloomberg.

By doing so, people in their mid-60s who would have been covered by Medicare could buy health insurance through new exchanges created under health reform.

According to HLC President Mary R. Grealy, "the shrinking ratio of active workers to Medicare beneficiaries" makes it necessary to raise the Medicare eligibility age.

The American Hospital Association already has endorsed bumping the eligibility age up to 67 and has advised its more than 5,000 members to do so as well, notes Bloomberg.

In addition to the Medicare age increase, healthcare CEOs also recommend the supercommittee reform cost-sharing, implement medical liability reform, and set up state-level insurance exchanges to curb Medicare spending and sustain the program in the long term.

For more:
- read the Bloomberg article
- check out the Council recommendations

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