Don't you think Medicare will eventually be privatized completely?

Question

Larry Dalton · Accepted Answer

This is a considerable debate among Medicare beneficiaries and our government.  The possibility of prioritizing Medicare is happening through the Medicare Part C Advantage plans, known as managed care under the supervision of major insurance companies.  However, it is in the individual's choice to choose which direction they're going with Medicare.  As Medicare Advantage plans continue to improve their services and networks of managed care, we will see more and more individuals moving in that direction.  

Suppose traditional Medicare Part A and Part B, with a Medigap plan, offered similar services like dental, hearing, and vision coverage to Medicare Part C advantage plans. In that case, they may not be as attractive.  Traditional Medicare does not have in-network services, so you can use your benefits anywhere that they will take Medicare.

Anthony Castelluccio · Answer

I don't think Medicare will go fully privatized. Over the past few years more and more people are moving to the Medicare Advantage plans, which are through private insurance companies. Every year the plans will change some and I feel the changes are related to how much the government will subsidize these plans.

Answered by Anthony Castelluccio on April 14, 2025

Agent Licensed in PA, DE, MD, NJ & VA

Answered by Anthony Castelluccio Medicare Insurance Agent

Timothy Brown · Answer

I have no idea and I'd rather not speculates on a subject of which I have no direct involvement. We will just have to wait and see.

Gary Henderson · Answer

There has been no known discussion as far as I know about Medicare, but with the current administration changing everything, only time will tell so we'll watch for that

Wild Bill Anderson · Answer

I think Medicare will continue to have changes.  Preventative choices to disease will be rewarded and peoples health will increase due to wise choices and better practices.  It may seem simplistic but choices make the difference in most outcomes.
I hope the govt will get smarter but they will always be part of the equation.

Barbara Barnes, CMIP® · Answer

Yes. I do. But I hope that does not happen in my lifetime.

When I, started my career almost 30 years ago,Medicare was the lesser option. Employees who were leaving their group insurance programs were often disappointed by the coverage provided under Medicare. Almost 30 years later, that has changed. Most of the clients I meet with are pleased to see the lower deductibles and lower risk associated with original Medicare and a Medicare supplement. Especially for those individuals who have chronic conditions, original Medicare with a supplement limits their risk to less than $300 per year and allows them to go to the doctor without worrying about how much it’s going to cost. The problem is that someone is still paying the bill, and that someone is the US government through Medicare. Perhaps if the Medicare program had not been cannibalized over the years to pay for other projects, we would not be in this position. At this point, however, given the increase in healthcare inflation, and overall healthcare expenses, privatizing Medicare, and shifting the risk from the US government to private health. Insurance companies is looking more and more attractive to the US government. This shift, however, does not only shift the cost of healthcare from the US government to private health insurance companies, but also chefs that cost over to the patients receiving care, with copayments for every service they receive.

Ross Landon · Answer

No I don’t think so. About 35% of 20 million Medicare beneficiaries are on private Medicare advantage plans. The idea of those plans was to provide better care at lower cost than traditional Medicare.  The center For Medicare advocacy feels that promise has not been met.  
A couple of reasons have been suggested for that, such as the Medicare modernization act of 2003 led to increased program costs, and also risk adjustment practices that resulted in annual overpayments in billions of dollars to MA plans have been blamed.

Samuel Deter · Answer

I personally don't think Medicare will ever be completely privatized but also don't think it matters at this point. Each person currently has the ability to review the Medicare options each year and make a change if there is a better option for them. That freedom re-evaluate and make a choice every year is what is most important. Unfortunately, a lot of people to don't take advantage of their freedom to review the options and fail to make a change when a better option is available.

Answered by Samuel Deter on April 10, 2025

Broker Licensed in MO, AR, GA, KS, SD & TX

Answered by Samuel Deter Medicare Insurance Agent

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Don't you think Medicare will eventually be privatized completely?

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