Medicare is effiecent? Please

If I have to read or hear anymore idiotic arguments that Medicare is an example of a successful government run healthcare program that has demonstrated its efficiency at keeping costs low I think I'll puke. If I wanted to keep my electric bill low, I could do it just like Medicare does with health care -- pay 10% of the bill. Of course, the power company would soon shut of my power. And that is what happens with Medicare as an increasing number of providers refuse to accept Medicare patients. The only alternative is to bill their non-Medicare patients for the difference or close their practice.

This wouldn't have to happen if Medicare paid the same as everyone else. While costs would go up for Medicare, they would go down for everyone else. But this is somewhat of a false savings. If Medicare pays more, it is doubtful the government will charge higher premiums to Medicare recipients, so the rest of us will have to pay higher taxes to cover it. Oh well, we can use what we save on health care premiums.

But cover the entire population with a program run like Medicare? How many health care providers do you think would continue to accept patients whose health plan doesn't pay? What is the solution to that? Pass a law forcing them to accept the heavily reduced payments? And after that a law forcing a percentage of high school graduates to study and practice medicine? That wouldn't require a new program, just authorize the Selective Service to draft them.