MARK TAPSCOTT: Why not just fix Medicare first? “President Obama’s Council of Economic Advisors issued a report earlier this month estimating that as much as 30 percent of Medicare spending is unnecessary for improving health outcomes. Given such opportunities for easy savings within government, and Medicare’s weighty influence in the broader system (many private insurers set payments by adding a percentage to Medicare’s rates), it would make sense to reform Medicare first, see what works and what doesn’t, and then apply the lessons of that process later to any system-wide fix. Unfortunately, Obama and Democratic congressional leaders are hell bent on turning the system upside down with radical reforms that are sure to have vast and unexpected consequences.” I’m pretty sure that the drive for a national healthcare program doesn’t have much to do with saving money or improving health.