Medical groups balk at Medicare 'buy-in'

USA Today reports:

Hospital and doctor groups that have generally supported the effort to revamp the nation's health care system pushed back Wednesday against a new idea proposed by Democratic leaders to let younger Americans buy into Medicare.

The proposal, which would allow people 55 to 64 to enroll in the seniors health program, has emerged as a central part of an agreement struck between centrist and liberal Democrats sparring over the creation of a government-run insurance program.

Though the idea gained traction on Capitol Hill — and got a boost from President Obama — the outcry from the medical groups underscored the difficulty lawmakers are facing as they look for compromises that can win broad support for the Senate's bill, which would cost $848 billion in the first 10 years.

"Bringing more people into a system that doesn't work very well is not a good answer," said Jeffrey Korsmo, executive director of the Mayo Clinic Health Policy Center. "The current Medicare program is not sustainable."

The struggles of Medicare.