The following article summarizes the original event which is listed below the summary.
Medicare for all? For some? For none?
Medicare reform is on the agenda of most candidates running for office this fall, 2020. In UMRA’s June webinar, Jon Christianson, PhD, discussed characteristics of the existing program, point out differences in proposals on the table, and assess their implications. The federal health insurance program for people 65 and older accounts for 15 percent of the federal budget and, although it is politically polarizing, it is popular with 84 percent of Americans, regardless of political affiliation.
Medicare for all? For some? For none?
Tue, June 16 2020, 12am
Campus Club 4th Floor, West Wing Dining Room
Medicare reform is on the agenda of most candidates running for election this fall as well as that of the incumbent president. In UMRA’s March forum presentation, Jon Christianson, PhD, will discuss some of the unique characteristics of the existing Medicare program, point out differences in proposals now on the table, and assess their implications. He will argue that addressing the large number of problems in existing Medicare should be a critical component in any effort to expand the program.
Christianson is a professor in the University of Minnesota School of Public Health Division of Health Policy and Management, and has held the James A. Hamilton Chair in Health Management since 1998. He received his bachelor’s degree in mathematics and economics at St. Olaf College and his master’s degree and PhD, both in economics, from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
He is widely recognized for his experience in conducting large evaluations, particularly projects that combine qualitative and quantitative data, and evaluation and analysis at the community systems level.
The author of 10 books and more than 200 journal articles and book chapters, Christianson served from 1998 to 2000 on the Institute of Medicine committee that produced the report, To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System.
Expertise in health care markets
Christianson’s expertise is in aging, chronic diseases, management and economics, competitive health care markets, health insurance, and financial incentives in health care.
His current research interests include the public reporting of provider performance, employer strategies for purchasing health care, implementation of evidence-based treatment processes in health care organizations, and tracking change in health care markets.
Christianson regularly teaches graduate courses on health and health systems and private purchasers of health care. He is a holder of major National Institutes of Health grants and serves as a community member on the University of Minnesota Physicians (M Physicians) Board of Directors. He has also served as a member and vice chairman of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, or MedPAC, which advises Congress on Medicare issues.
Join us for what promises to be a timely presentation on a subject that is of vital importance to all of us, and to our country as a whole.
—Frank Cerra, president-elect and chair, Program Committee
Upcoming Events
We are fortunate to have UMRA member and former Minnesota Landscape Arboretum director Peter Moe to lead this approximately 3.7-mile hike at the Arboretum on Monday, May 6. Plan to have lunch together after the hike at the Eatery café inside the Oswald Visitor Center.
This session will continue the discussion begun in the May 8, 2023 session. See that article for details.
If you currently live in your own home or apartment, have you looked ahead to when you might want to consider a senior living option? Do you have any idea what those options might be? How much they cost? What they provide? UMRA’s May 14 workshop will provide an overview of the world of senior living and the basic information you need.
You’re invited to join the final Family History Interest Group meeting for 2023–24. This will be an opportunity to ask questions related to family history, share insights, talk about recent projects, and suggest topics for next year.
Stephanie Daily will lead the discussion of Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by best-selling author Mary Roach when the UMRA Book Club meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 17.
The May 20 hike will start at the Historic Lift Bridge in Stillwater and go along the river to the new bridge, cross over and then back on the Wisconsin side, a total of approximately 5 miles. Most of the route is paved. We will eat lunch after at Brian's Bar and Grill in Stillwater. Car pooling will be available.
Climatologist and meteorologist Mark Seeley joined the U of M faculty in 1978 and has been a weekly commentator on Minnesota Public Radio since 1992. We are honored to welcome him as our guest speaker for UMRA’s May Luncheon Forum and 2024 Annual Meeting. He is always entertaining and informative.
UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club welcomes back, for the second time, author Julie Schumacher, U of M Regents professor of creative writing and English, for a conversation about her novel The Shakespeare Requirement.
We are in for a treat on June 3! Lynn Anderson, will lead us on trails at two parks near her Monticello home. Bring a bag lunch and we will gather in Lynn's yard along the Mississippi River for eating and socializing after the hike.
Get out to the ballpark with fellow UMRA members for the annual U of M Day at Target Field as the Minnesota Twins take on the Oakland Athletics on June 14 at 7:10 p.m.
Please join us at 9:30 on June 17, 2024 for a walk around Lake Como in St. Paul before attending the UMRA Summer Social and Picnic starting at 11 at the Como Pavilion. A perfect opportunity to get in a walk before we gather to celebrate summer.
Picnic under the covered, open-air Como pavilion, gaze at the water, spy some birds, catch up with friends and former colleagues, and meet new members. We’ll have lunch with plenty of time for visiting and then compete in teams as we are challenged by our Quiz master(s)!
Healthy aging, mindfulness, fighting ageism, and more will be the focus of the third annual Age-Friendly University Day to be held on the U of M Twin Cities campus.