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So much of Medicare is just plain wasted. I would estimate 50%. IMO, it’s not the seniors who are getting excessive benefits, it’s the providers who are enriching themselves at everyone’s expense.

Don't knock the "providers", as a group. Sure, there are some who abuse the system -- but it's not the ordinary doctors, hospitals or services. It's a venal few -- I'd wager that 90% of the fraud is traceable to 2% of the providers.

That said, have you ever tried to reconcile a Medicare statement?

What you'll find is absolute chaos -- a total disconnect between real costs and arbitrary payments. The system defies rational accounting procedures; instead, it is an incoherent fabrication that nobody truly understands. Including those who are in charge of administering it -- either on the professional side or the government bureaucracy.

Like most government programs, it's a structure tailor-made for stealing.

Under the Ryan plan, with government vouchers available for the purchase of private health insurance, thus placing insurance companies in charge of administering the program, I would expect Medicare fraud to immediately drop by 90%.