Quote:
Originally Posted by Villages Kahuna
The recent back-and-forth on medicare versus private health insurance in recent posts on this forum is kind of entertaining. Laughable really. All the conversation completely avoids the question of whether Medicare-eligible posters would gladly, willingly, enthusiastically...give up their Medicare entitlement and opt for private insurance alone. How many posting here would enthusiastically embrace the Paul Ryan/Tea party plan for Medicare? Basically, that plan eliminates Medicare within ten years.
My guess is that very, very few of us would make that decision. Heck, even an overwhelming majority of Tea Party members have indicated they like their Medicare in recent polls. So I guess they say one thing while on TV, but say what they really believe when participating in a series of poll questions?
What's not funny about this situation is that Medicare does have to be changed, and in a very big way, if this country is to make any progress towards fiscal responsibility. I don't know what the changes will be, but it wouldn't surprise me if the entitlement was aggressively "means tested", the premiums increased dramatically, copays elevated to cause people to think a lot before just running off to the doctor, rules tightened substantially to limit unnecessary tests and treatments (rationing), and tight controls on end-of-life expenditures (death panels or "killing grandma").
Are any of the most conservative members of Congress saying any of this? Even the Tea Party members other than Paul Ryan? No. Are any of the people, including posters on this forum, admitting that these types of things will be necessary? No.
So all this empty bantering calls for the biggest question: is anyone really serious about healthcare reform other than in a "soundbite" way ("kill Obama care", etc.)? Other than Paul Ryan and maybe a few others who have a vote...no, not that I can see.
How many of you embrace the Ryan/Tea Party Plan for healthcare reform? That calls for a simple yes or no answer, not a lot of weaseling around with new conditions on what you feel. Just a simple yes or no. Yes means kill Medicare within ten years. No means keep Medicare.
I'm voting NO.
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The answer is simple and like cancer treatment, miserable but necessary. The spending must be reduced and capped because if not, the problem gets worse and the country will be financially broke and collapse. Do you want to stop the madness now and HOPE it is not too late.. 14.3 trillion (interest on the debt right now is the fastest growing part of the budget going up), or do you want to stay on the present course of spending and putting out phoney plans that only delay the collapse. Those hundreds of billions we spend each year to service the debt could be used to pay for programs or reduce taxes.. and soon it will be so large, we cannot pay the interest or the debt. I am disgusted with anyone who says the debt or deficit do not matter.
The budget (we spend too much) needs to be capped immediately and reduced. Across the board cuts every year for 6 years until it is balanced and the debt is gradually paid off.
Medicare and medicaid (we spend too much) .. limited health care coverage; (no medicare medicaid transplants or expensive procedures. if you want more, you buy insurance to cover that or you or your family pay for it.
Social security (we spend too much): You get back gradually what you paid in with interest, like an annuity. You can pay into SS more than required just like and IRA. Raise retirement age very gradually. If you die before you collect your investment back, it is paid to your estate.
Prescription Drug benefit: Cancel. Bush created this budget buster with no funding.