216k views
0 votes
The Medicare fee-for-service plan, referred to by Medicare as the ________, allows the beneficiary to choose any licensed physician certified by Medicare.

1. Open Access Plan
2. Flexible Choice Plan
3. Original Medicare Plan
4. Physician Freedom Option

1 Answer

6 votes

Final answer:

The correct answer is the Original Medicare Plan, which offers a fee-for-service health financing system, potentially leading to moral hazard. It allows beneficiaries to choose licensed Medicare-certified physicians and contrasts with Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act that aim to address health insurance market concerns.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Medicare fee-for-service plan, referred to by Medicare as the Original Medicare Plan, allows the beneficiary to choose any licensed physician certified by Medicare. This fee-for-service arrangement means that medical care providers receive reimbursement according to the cost of services they provide. However, it is worth noting that this may lead to issues such as moral hazard, where beneficiaries may demand more healthcare services because they do not directly bear the full costs of those services.

Adverse selection also arises in this context, as insurance buyers might have more information about their health risks than the insurance company, leading to potential imbalances where high-risk individuals are more likely to use the insurance coverage extensively. The Medicare system is contrasted with Medicaid and the provisions set by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA or Obamacare), which aim to address various health insurance market concerns, including coverage and cost.

User Duttasankha
by
7.6k points