It's supposed to lower payment levels.
Even at existing payment levels, there are obvious funding problems.
A public plan, however, with provider payment levels tied to Medicare would make such a plan competitive.
Other people, she adds, may be put off by low payment levels.
They pointed to a federal study that said, "California stands out because of its very low Medicaid payment levels".
In fact, Medicare spending fell so much that Congress increased payment levels to hospitals and other providers in 1999 and 2000.
Medicare works, the traditionalists argue, because everyone contributes, everyone shares the risk, and everyone gets the same benefits -- with government administering the program and regulating payment levels.
Current payment levels for the retirement funds were established by a 2006 law just before mail volume started plummeting and the work force began shrinking.
The search for new financing means, however, that United will need to renegotiate some of its aircraft leases, even though it had reached agreement in principle on new payment levels with many lease holders.
The agreement, which is being finessed by lawyers, increases payments for programmes sold online, sets payment levels for content streamed online and allows web-based programmes to be unionised.
He also noted DECC officials have a "heavy workload" ahead if they are to complete the tariff reviews announced earlier this year, get to grips with the degression mechanism that automatically adjusts payment levels, and work though the new reviews.
