Medicare Goes Broke, Bush Must Fix Problem

Doooh!

It looks like a "trigger" has been tripped that requires El Presidente Bush to fix the issue of excess Medicare costs.

So, he's now got to provide a legislated plan (post budget) to achieve Medicare savings.

HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt:

"...Leavitt suggested that the proposal would be in line with the administration's beliefs that health care should be a "private market where consumers choose, where insurance plans compete and where innovation drives the quality of health care up and may drive the cost down." He added that the competing vision of health care is a "Washington-run, government-owned plan, where government makes the choices, sets the prices and [then] taxes people to pay the bill." Leavitt said Bush likely would have the proposal to Congress before Feb. 21..."

Hint for dumb-ass:  Health care doesn't function as a private market right now, and consumers don't really choose (and if they were to really choose, they don't have the information needed to make the educated purchasing decisions essential for healthy markets).

Leavitt suggests an either-or approach.  What about a new choice...a blend between private and government-run?