PARTICIPANTS
Avik Roy, Scott Atlas, Michael Boskin, Lanhee Chen, John Cochrane, John Cogan, Paul Gregory, Eric Hanushek, Tim Kane, Stephen Langlois, David Mauler, George Shultz, John Taylor

ISSUES DISCUSSED
Avik Roy, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and the Opinion Editor at Forbes, discussed his recent book Transcending Obamacare: A Patient Centered Plan for Near–Universal Coverage and Permanent Fiscal Solvency.

Roy outlined his book’s proposal for permanent entitlement reform in four steps (listed below). He then explained how implementing his proposal for health care would not only expand coverage beyond ACA levels but also reduce the federal and state deficits and allow Medicare to remain permanently solvent. Roy contended that his proposal is politically feasible.

Step 1: Deregulate the ACA exchanges - repeal the ACA individual mandate and restore the primacy of state-based exchanges and state-based insurance regulation

Step 2: Raise the eligibility age for Medicare - raise the Medicare eligibility age by four months each year, preserving Medicare for current retirees and maintaining future retirees on their previous plan during early retirement

Step 3: Integrate Medicaid enrollees - migrate the Medicaid acute care population onto the state-based exchanges (with 100% federal funding and state oversight) in return for the states assuming full financial responsibility for the Medicaid long-term care population

Step 4: Other reforms - address hospital monopolies, malpractice litigation in federal programs, and the pace of medical innovation through a reform of the FDA

Listed below is a link to a summary of Roy’s book:
http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/mpr_17.htm#.VXYA5VxVikp