Republicans have pressed for premium support since Mr. Ryan first included it in a budget blueprint in 2011. The traditional fee-for-service Medicare program would compete directly with plans offered by private insurers like Humana, UnitedHealth Group and Blue Cross Blue Shield. The impact of premium support on Medicare beneficiaries depends on details of the plan to be specified by Congress. But in some large urban areas with many competing private plans, those are less expensive than traditional Medicare. Sometimes, she said, people switch from private plans to traditional Medicare when they develop serious illnesses and want a broader array of doctors.

Source: New York Times November 24, 2016 23:29 UTC