Three Ways to Save Medicare

Here are three ways to save Medicare, none of which are being considered by Paul Ryan and his corporate bosses.

1. Allow Medicare to use its bulk purchasing power to negotiate with the pharmaceutical companies for lower prices. This wouldn’t cost a dime; and wouldn’t add a single faceless government bureaucrat to the process. This is strictly prohibited under G.W. Bush’s multi-billion-dollar giveaway to the drug industry. Eliminating this rule would save $156 billion.

2. Allow prescription drugs to be imported from Canada (among other countries). Again — strictly prohibited. Where are all those “Limited Government!” shouters when we need them? Eliminating this rule would save $80 billion.

3. Allow Medicare recipients to use their insurance outside of the United States. This would be a win-win for Medicare recipients, our overburdened doctors and hospitals, and taxpayers who would save $40 billion a year. Can’t blame Bush for this one: Obama recently dismissed this exact idea at a town hall meeting.

Unfortunately the Medical-Industrial Complex will never permit their well-paid prostitutes — i.e. Congress — to make any of these changes.