Obama has declared that too much money is being paid to insurers for offering Medicare products, and that part of his proposed health care reform plan will involve cutting out the middle man and reducing government spending in the program. Medicare can be purchased directly at a much lower cost, but billions of dollars are being paid to insurance companies who sell the products to consumers. Unfortunately, this means that tax payers are spending lots of money on a program that is essentially getting more expensive, but not offering any greater quality. Medicare Advantage plans seem to be at the heart of the debate because they cost the government more money than the direct Medicare plans. These Advantage plans were originally designed to make plans more widely available and encourage competition among insurers. But many believe that they just end up costing more in the long run without offering any real advantage, in spite of their name. What are your thoughts on the present and future of Medicare?