Medicare

Just was reading about Obama's first budget. I like this paragraph, from the Washington Post:

Administration officials also are debating whether to permit people as young as 55 to purchase coverage through Medicare. That age group is particularly vulnerable in today's weakened economy, as many have lost jobs or seen insurance premiums rise rapidly. The cost would depend on whether recipients were offered a discount or required to pay the full price of coverage.

That's not much to go on but I like the general idea. Insurance premiums are crazy, beyond crazy. It would be so much better to have some expansion of Medicare to help pool costs or whatever. When you're old you're a slave to the insurance companies and their whims. It's ridiculous. Just because time passes doesn't mean premiums should naturally go up and benefits go down.