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"Call For Solutions"

The National Bipartisan Commission on the
Future of Medicare Wants Your Ideas

The 17-member National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare is calling on all professional and volunteer organizations and citizens to submit their ideas and plans about how Medicare can be improved for future generations. The Commission will invite organizations and individuals to share their ideas in brief oral testimony at the Commission's September 8 meeting in Washington, D.C.

Your recommendations can help the Commission. Put your ideas in writing about how to fix Medicare (please include an executive summary up to two pages) and

mail by August 24 to:
"Call For Solutions"
c/o The National Medicare Commission
101 Independence Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C., 20540-1998

or

e-mail by August 24 to:
solutions@medicare.commission.gov

Please note:
1. All plans and suggestions should answer the questions found on the next page.
2. Be sure to include a phone number or e-mail address so you can be contacted.
3. All recommendations should be submitted in writing by August 24 to be considered for oral presentation.
4. All ideas count! Because of time limitations, not all ideas will be presented orally, but all ideas will be entered into the record for the Commission's consideration.

Sample Questions

"Call For Solutions"

All ideas and plans should be submitted in writing by August 24, 1998, to be considered for oral presentation at the Commission's September 8 meeting in Washington, D.C. All proposals should address the following main questions:

Main Questions: (these questions should be answered in your response)

1) How would this proposal finance Medicare?
Would additional sources of revenue be required? How would the proposal make
Medicare more fiscally viable?

2) How would this idea create incentives for a more efficient system? How would this proposal contain costs while ensuring quality care?

3) How would the proposal impact out-of-pocket spending for beneficiaries?

4) How would this proposal address services not currently covered (e.g. prescription drugs, long-term care, etc.)?

Other questions: (examples of other questions that might be answered in your plan)

1) How would this proposal address technological changes and the evolving health care needs of the elderly?

2) How would this proposal interact with private supplemental insurance, employer- provided retiree benefits, Medicaid and other programs?

3) How would this affect Medicare's non-elderly beneficiaries, such as persons with disabilities?

4) How would this structure the oversight roles for government and private entities?

5) How would this proposal counter waste, fraud and abuse in the system?

6) How would the proposal handle functions such as Disproportionate Share payments (DSH), Graduate Medical Education (GME), and other social programs currently under the auspices of Medicare?