|
Post by lakhota on May 23, 2011 21:00:04 GMT -5
Mitch McConnell: Republican plan to end Medicare would 'empower grandma' to buy her own insuranceMitch McConnell describes the GOP's plan to end Medicare as we know it on Fox News Sunday: CHRIS WALLACE: What do you think of the Ryan plan on Medicare? MITCH McCONNELL: Well, what Paul has done here is implement a premium support proposal at the end of the period, which is a very sensible way to go to try to save Medicare. ... What Paul Ryan would do is to empower grandma in the private market, to shop and get the best possible deal. I'm sure that's exactly what grandma wants. She's going to be is absolutely thrilled that the GOP plan to save Medicare means getting rid of Medicare. And she's going to love that if Republicans have their way, she'll get vouchers to cover part of the cost of the overpriced plans private insurers are going to end up offering to seniors. Even McConnell seems to understand that this is a turd of a message —he called the idea sensible, but danced around whether he really supports it and he won't encourage his GOP colleagues in the Senate to back it. But he still can't bring himself to admit the fundamental difference between Democrats and Republicans on Medicare. Both parties agree that over the long-term, Medicare represents a fiscal problem. The difference is that Democrats believe the solution is to address the cost of health care on a systemic level. Ultimately that means things like the public option and not covering health-related services that don't improve the health care outcomes, but maintaining Medicare as a provider of health coverage. Republicans believe that the problem with Medicare is that over time it will end up costing the government too much money. Their solution is to shift the burden of that cost from the federal government to individuals. We'd still have overpriced health care, except now it would be up to individuals to figure out how to deal with it. Basically, it's free market fundamentalism vs. the New Deal. And if the fundamentalists win, that won't good news for grandma, no matter what Mitch McConnell says. www.dailykos.com/story/2011/05/23/978485/-Mitch-McConnell:-Republican-plan-to-end-Medicare-would-empower-grandma-to-buy-her-own-insurance
|
|
|
Post by lakhota on May 23, 2011 21:00:45 GMT -5
Good luck, Grandma...
|
|
|
Post by lakhota on May 23, 2011 21:09:11 GMT -5
Bend over, Grandma, the Republicans are coming.
|
|
|
Post by lakhota on May 23, 2011 21:12:09 GMT -5
Deleted due to duplicate post.
|
|
|
Post by lakhota on May 23, 2011 21:13:03 GMT -5
Paul Ryan, the budget genius behind "Empowering Grandma"... Ryan attended Joseph A. Craig High School in Janesville and was sixteen years old when his father died of a heart attack at age 55. Ryan began collecting his Social Security survivor's benefits until age eighteen, which he saved for college tuition and expenses.[8] Ryan briefly worked during college for the Oscar Meyer meat and cold cut production company as a Wienermobile driver.[9] He went on to graduate from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio with a B.A. in economics and political science in 1992. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_RyanSooo, this Republican clown only has a 4-year degree in economics and political science (no CPA), and he thinks he's qualified to "empower grandma"? Get real.
|
|
humok
Established Member
Joined: Dec 25, 2010 9:33:39 GMT -5
Posts: 265
|
Post by humok on May 23, 2011 21:13:38 GMT -5
Hmmmmm and
|
|
humok
Established Member
Joined: Dec 25, 2010 9:33:39 GMT -5
Posts: 265
|
Post by humok on May 23, 2011 21:15:10 GMT -5
hMMMM...and I thought it was going broke due to the democrats giving coverage to the illegals through the emergency room visits...what do I know.
|
|
|
Post by lakhota on May 23, 2011 21:36:21 GMT -5
Sooo, Ryan was a "Wienermobile" driver. It's all starting to make sense now...
|
|
deziloooooo
Senior Associate
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 16:22:04 GMT -5
Posts: 10,723
|
Post by deziloooooo on May 23, 2011 21:51:49 GMT -5
Realistically a person will turn say 67/8/9...remember, age will most likely be going up in the next few years for SS full time and medicare I believe starts at 65 when I qualified not early retirement of 62.
Grand ma has to understand all this with the shopping. Now does Grandma have to explain preconditions , or if has High Blood Pressure, a smoker, Diabetes, and some poor circulation, is that also have to be told to the companies she is shopping with??
Once your with a company are the companies allowed to raise the rates due to experience as they usually can know...and if some opt out of the business, losing money, re shop at a older age now, does a company still not get to know a prior condition, and does grandma know have to pay the higher rate , she is say know 78, not 67/8/9 as when she first enrolled.
Just a few thoughts, got a million more, wanna hear? ;D
|
|
|
Post by lakhota on May 23, 2011 21:59:35 GMT -5
My understanding is that Grandma will be screwed when handed Republican vouchers to shop for her own insurance in the private sector.
|
|
pappyjohn99
Familiar Member
The driveway needs a little work.
Joined: Dec 21, 2010 1:01:13 GMT -5
Posts: 928
|
Post by pappyjohn99 on May 23, 2011 22:33:16 GMT -5
My understanding is that Grandma will be screwed when no doctor will take her as a patient because they no longer take Medicare insurance.
|
|
|
Post by lakhota on May 23, 2011 22:40:30 GMT -5
My understanding is that Grandma will be screwed when no doctor will take her as a patient because they no longer take Medicare insurance. Really...? Do you have any credible facts to support your claim? While it may be true that "some" doctors and hospitals may not accept only what Medicare pays, many Medicare recipients already have supplemental insurance (ones who can afford it) because they know Medicare rarely covers the entire bill.
|
|
|
Post by lakhota on May 23, 2011 22:44:57 GMT -5
Think about it: Republicans want to repeal ObamaCare - and then, they also want to give Grandma Medicare vouchers to purchase her own health insurance, individually, in the private sector. Grandma would not be part of a large pool - she would be on her own and totally at the mercy of private profiteers.
|
|
handyman2
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 29, 2010 23:56:33 GMT -5
Posts: 3,087
|
Post by handyman2 on May 23, 2011 22:54:20 GMT -5
Lakhota what the politicians are tellg us is that they don't know what to do. On either side of the isle.
|
|
pappyjohn99
Familiar Member
The driveway needs a little work.
Joined: Dec 21, 2010 1:01:13 GMT -5
Posts: 928
|
Post by pappyjohn99 on May 23, 2011 22:56:37 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by lakhota on May 23, 2011 23:03:59 GMT -5
Then what's the point of supplemental Medicare insurance. AARP and others are selling lots of it.
|
|
pappyjohn99
Familiar Member
The driveway needs a little work.
Joined: Dec 21, 2010 1:01:13 GMT -5
Posts: 928
|
Post by pappyjohn99 on May 23, 2011 23:07:03 GMT -5
I have no idea Sir, I just turned fifty. But the doctors must have an issue if they are refusing new patients.
|
|
|
Post by lakhota on May 23, 2011 23:10:32 GMT -5
Single Payer is the only logical solution!
|
|
pappyjohn99
Familiar Member
The driveway needs a little work.
Joined: Dec 21, 2010 1:01:13 GMT -5
Posts: 928
|
Post by pappyjohn99 on May 23, 2011 23:13:24 GMT -5
Yes, I agree. But this is not the golden fleece. Expect rationing and waiting periods.
|
|
|
Post by lakhota on May 23, 2011 23:14:56 GMT -5
|
|
pappyjohn99
Familiar Member
The driveway needs a little work.
Joined: Dec 21, 2010 1:01:13 GMT -5
Posts: 928
|
Post by pappyjohn99 on May 23, 2011 23:27:41 GMT -5
From your article-
Congress has been blocking scheduled physician payment cuts since a reduction of almost 5 percent in 2002, according to CRS. At the end of 2010, Congress again passed legislation, which President Barack Obama signed into law, putting off a scheduled 25 percent cut in physician payments until January 2012. His proposed fiscal year 2012 budget would further delay scheduled cuts until the year 2014. "Looking beyond that, we are determined to work together to put in place a long-term plan to reform physician payment rates in a fiscally responsible way," the budget stated. CMS has said that doctors would face a nearly 30 percent cut in 2012 if Congress fails to act again.
Typical band aid solutions to serious issues. Baby boomers are just beginning to retire and collect benefits. There is a wall coming not to far down the road and we are gonna run smack into it at some point. Federal spending is unsustainable and no amount of finger pointing is going to change it. We can begin to address these things like adults now or wait until the system collapses completely. Either way the situation will be solved. One way is hard and the other way is harder. I think all the cowards in Washington will put it off until the system breaks and then bail on the populace. Ryan is trying to begin a dialog but no one else has the guts to stand with him. IMO
|
|
deziloooooo
Senior Associate
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 16:22:04 GMT -5
Posts: 10,723
|
Post by deziloooooo on May 23, 2011 23:28:13 GMT -5
My understanding is that Grandma will be screwed when no doctor will take her as a patient because they no longer take Medicare insurance. Really...? Do you have any credible facts to support your claim? While it may be true that "some" doctors and hospitals may not accept only what Medicare pays, many Medicare recipients already have supplemental insurance (ones who can afford it) because they know Medicare rarely covers the entire bill. Those Doctors, most here in Florida, so far, do accept Medicare, and by being in that program, the Doctors had agreed to accept the payments for procedures, office visits That Medicare has deemed acceptable priced or what they will pay for the procedures. They can't charge more for those procedures, tests. 20% of the bill, that is the responsibility of the patient, out of pocket. To cover that, the patient pays out of pocket or in some cases they purchase a Gap insurance, which covers the difference. It is not inexpensive but it enables some one to go to any doctor, have no reason to get a test if RX's by the doctor, no pre approval and not have to get approved to see a specialist, gives a lot of freedom. The other way to cover the difference, the 20% is some kind of HMO. There a few kinds, some less restrictive then others. here you usually have to use network doctors, many times get pre approval for tests, also the same to see specialist and again use net work doctor's and if go out side the net work there will not be 100 % coverage by the HMO. However, it is cheaper in that a supplement policy isn't needed and as I said , supplements are expensive, about $3000 per year, give or take, depending on what age you took them out. Bottom line is Medicaid and many doctors do not accept Medicaid patients or if so limit how many, also many doctors will not take HMO patients either unless one of the preferred plans, and even there, many won't take them.
|
|
|
Post by lakhota on May 23, 2011 23:46:39 GMT -5
pappyjohn99, I enjoy conversing with you. Sometimes it's hard for me to pull my punches on this board - until I realize I'm communicating with a civil human being - which you appear to be.
As for Paul Ryan, he is NOT the one to lead this fight in my opinion. It is no secret that Republicans have been wanting to kill Social Security and Medicare for decades; so no matter how they try to cloak it - that's their end game.
|
|
deziloooooo
Senior Associate
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 16:22:04 GMT -5
Posts: 10,723
|
Post by deziloooooo on May 23, 2011 23:59:16 GMT -5
To blame all the costs increases on the Doctors is unfair in my estimation.
A very close friend of mines daughter just graduated From Trinity College in Dublin in Ireland, five years. Her debt for education , all schooling stands now at $450,000. She will do a three year internship now in Ohio at some medical school, don't know which one, in Pediatrics and will want to do a one year fellowship in a specialty after that. She now will get paid, this year it will be $50,000 per , but out of that she has to pay living expenses in a city, food, all the costs of living, had to buy a car, has a payment yadda, yada. Possible her Salary will go up each year of her internship, I would guess but at 31 now, she will be 35 when finally finished and at that time she has to start paying off her considerable debt, so hope fully will find a opening some where that will pay to renumerate her enough and also to earn a above average income, to me people like this should be well paid. If want to open theirn own office, doubt that would be done right away, to costly, and to build a practice.
If they keep cutting Medicare $paid to the Doctors, most run efficient offices already. One of mine has gone all electronic, record keeping and such, another is going through that, very expensive. Their office expense keep going up, rent , utilities, insurance , salary for personnel, and a cut of say 20 % in payments by Medicare, I don't believe there is a 20% overage in any Doctors practices, so possible some might have to limit their practice on Medicare patients, IF they can fill enough with normal paying patients but so many of those may not have insurance till 2014 when Obamacare as it seems to be being called comes on line, and are they too going to cut back on payments to the Doctors as they are suggesting Medicare does too?
Naturally if not a senior the average person might see a doctor say once a year , twice, less tests, unless chronic illnesses, but when I was younger, meaning, thirty's , forty's , fifty's, once a year for a flu shot, a physical, a exray..that was it unless came down with something.
Now two Doctors , see each 4 times a year, have some issues, so far not serious but have to be monitored, tests etc...kind of normal for Seniors, you will get there my young friends, I promise you, no matter what you think, and sorry to say, it will come up on you faster then you realized.
I wonder if you will hacve as good a coverage as I had , I doubt it.
I know my son just told me he is paying for the two boys and himself $2500 per year out of pocket, works for one of the largest Insurence Compnies in the country, heath related and has a program of after a certain amount paid he picks up the difference till they reach a certain level , so running to the doctor for every sniffle they don't do.
|
|
pappyjohn99
Familiar Member
The driveway needs a little work.
Joined: Dec 21, 2010 1:01:13 GMT -5
Posts: 928
|
Post by pappyjohn99 on May 24, 2011 1:02:53 GMT -5
Thank you Lakhota. I enjoy a civil discussion also. As a nation, we need to begin to speak to one another as though we all wish to solve the problems we face. I don't want to push Grandma over the cliff, but I don't think we can spend a million dollars a day to give the old gal another week. I want our environment to be safe and clean, but can't get behind carbon dioxide as a pollutant. I agree that murder is wrong, but that guy is not any more dead because he got called a name first. (Hate crime.) I think that there is a need for a hand up for people in need, but I despise people that play the system and want to cut them off for life. I respect that people want to come to this country, I am the son of a European immigrant. If you are here you must join our culture, not reaping the benefits while spitting on our flag. Our problems are in no way insurmountable, but we must end the "us vs. them" mentality that seems to be promoted by so many different factions.
All our ancestors were pioneers, brave in the face of the unknown. We can endure the pain where we must, and celebrate our triumphs when they are achieved. People such as you and I, with opposing political philosophies, can have a reasonable conversation. We must demand that our leaders do the same, or this great idea that is America may be lost forever.
|
|
|
Post by lakhota on May 24, 2011 1:24:11 GMT -5
Yes, pappyjohn99, we disagree on several political points, but the civility makes up for most of it with me. It's seem obvious that we both care about the outcome, but differ somewhat on the path to get there.
Why do Republicans want to kill social programs, bust unions, and roll back various regulations (environment, financial, etc.)? Why do they rabidly deny global warming?
|
|
pappyjohn99
Familiar Member
The driveway needs a little work.
Joined: Dec 21, 2010 1:01:13 GMT -5
Posts: 928
|
Post by pappyjohn99 on May 24, 2011 2:13:38 GMT -5
lol. I give your questions a shot, but I can't claim to speak for all Republicans. Kill social programs- It's the abuses. Nobody wants to be tripping over the sick and homeless in the streets, we all know how much that sucks. But how long, and how many generations should people be allowed to live off other people who work for what they have? Should a girl be able to start dropping babies at 13 and keep it up for 30 years so she can suck 10 million dollars out of the system? Unions- Most Republicans I know do not take much issue with private sector unions. But the public sector is another thing. Do you really think that our government is so tyrannical that the workers need to be protected? In the private sector something like 12% of the people are unionized. Laws now on the books protect workers. Unions have become parasites on the taxpayers. Some interesting reading- www.martinarmstrong.org/files/What%20Destroyed%20Rome%2005-18-2011.pdfAnd regulations- Sir, our tax code alone is over sixty thousand pages with four thousand forms. Or, have you ever checked your local building codes? Or the TSA? Looking at your children with scanners, or feeling them up? All those little petty officials with a bloated sense of importance telling you how to live or what to do. Lakhota, global warming? Please. Don't you remember the seventies? Back then it was a hole in the ozone and we were going to have a new ice age.
|
|
|
Post by lakhota on May 24, 2011 2:22:57 GMT -5
Well, pappyjohn99, you're too far out there for me. So, let me share a cute little thing I just heard on the Comedy Channel.
A black comedian on David Chappelle's Show said Arsenio Hall will he hosting a new show called Good Morning Black America. It will be airing at Noon.
|
|
pappyjohn99
Familiar Member
The driveway needs a little work.
Joined: Dec 21, 2010 1:01:13 GMT -5
Posts: 928
|
Post by pappyjohn99 on May 24, 2011 2:41:59 GMT -5
Hmmmm. I think you may be testing me.
Before the housing bust I nearly started a side business with a couple of my buddies. I mentioned that I am of European decent. One of the guys would never be mistaken for anything but African-American, and the other was Latino. We would have called ourselves " Integrated Builders".
I hope that this will set you at ease. I am no closet racist.
|
|
|
Post by lakhota on May 24, 2011 2:59:27 GMT -5
Delete double post.
|
|