Editorial: Entitlement Changes, Misplaced Fear

The next time you hear someone say that Mitt Romney wants to “end Medicare as we know it,” consider what New Hampshire has done with Medicaid.
Last week, the federal government gave New Hampshire the final OK to switch to what is being called Medicaid managed care. The state has hired three companies to manage the coverage provided to the state’s Medicaid recipients. (Medicare is the subsidized government insurance program for seniors; Medicaid is for low-income and disabled individuals.)
With Washington’s approval last week, New Hampshire officially has ended Medicaid as we know it. The new managed care plan will end the state Medicaid program’s old fee-for-service model (in which patients go to the doctor and Medicaid pays for services individually) with a managed care plan in which the three contracted companies work with patients to more effectively spend health care dollars and provide better care.