Medicare X could cost hospitals $800 billion over 10 years and disrupt health insurance market, study says

The proposed Medicare-X Choice Act could cost hospitals $800 billion over 10 years and significantly disrupt the health insurance exchanges, according to a study done on behalf of the American Hospital Association and the Federation of American Hospitals. The Medicare-X Choice Act would build on the Medicare framework to establish a public insurance plan offered on the individual and small business health exchanges, allowing consumers to choose an existing private insurance or a government-run health plan. It would use Medicare's network of doctors, require similar reimbursement rates, and guarantee the essential health benefits established in the Affordable Care Act.  It would also ensure access to prescription drugs by offering prices negotiated in conjunction with the Medicare Part D program.