title: Sugar daddy. Most Americans know Medicare as the health insurance program for the elderly, but to providers, it's a jobs program, a capital financier and a safety net.
abstract: Most Americans know Medicare as the health insurance program that covers the elderly. But to providers it's much more that. The program pays for medical education, finances capital projects and subsidizes care for the indigent. Should Medicare continue making those add-on payments? Is that the program's mission? The debate is intensifying.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hallam
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gardner
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002017:Budgets / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D014487:Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S.; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate; D005379:Financing, Construction; D005102:Health Expenditures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007349:Insurance, Health, Reimbursement; D006278:Medicare / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D020406:Medicare Payment Advisory Commission; D017664:Uncompensated Care; D014481:United States