Paul Ryan put a new twist on the old Medicare lie yesterday, asking the audience to ignore the details of their plan for Medicare and just trust their judgement. To repeat once again, Medicare BENEFITS HAVE NOT AND WILL NOT BE CUT under the Affordable Care Act. Jonathan Alter joins Ed to talk about it. Watch it.
Great points Harold3225..........great info on means testing..........
Harold3225
8/23/2012 4:51:37 PM
Don't forget “Means Testing”. That is another one of their tricks to break up Medicare and Medicaid. Means Testing is supposed to be a way to save Mcare by increasing premiums on those who can afford to pay a little more. If you are in one of the high income groups (probably $500 and up per year), you will have to pay “a little” more in Medicare premiums and copays but at least you are still guaranteed to be covered. That doesn’t sound too bad, but wait. It gets worse. Think how easily it could jump from charging people “a little” more to be covered to simply denying eligibility to participate because you make too much money. It won’t go straight to that end. It will go there in stages. If you and your spouse live in a high cost area like D.C. or California and your house is paid for, you might be ok at first. But suppose some tragedy and you are raising your grandchildren, maybe you still have a mortgage, and some health problems. That higher premium and copay is now cutting into bone.
The rule in politics is “You can NEVER crack a door.” It is either wide open or slammed shut. Once Means Testing is allowed, the line that divides the poor, middle, affluent, and rich will move closer and closer to where you live and Mcare and Mcaid will be no more. The programs depend on everyone paying into them in order to gain the “economies of scale” needed to acquire and maintain the market power that keeps costs contained. The Pubes plan is designed to divide and conquer. That is what they do best. They have turned “Divide and Conquer” into absolute maliciousness. You can see how it will cause greater friction and divide us. The people asked to pay more will complain and their numbers will grow because the line is arbitrary and each Pub administration will move it closer to the middle. They will scare people in their working years to vote against paying into the program fearing they will receive no benefit and you can see the light dimming in the tunnel as they roll the boulder in front of the opening.
Mr. Fargo
8/23/2012 3:12:19 PM
What happens if you get cancer just before you are eligible for Ryan/Romney Voucherized Medicare? Will your voucher be any good or will you be denied coverage by the Private Insurance Company? Could you get kicked off? They say they will repeal the Affordable Health Care Act on day one. Ryan/Romney need to be asked these questions by the media.
Mr. Fargo
8/23/2012 3:09:05 PM
Ryan/Romney need to be asked how will an elderly person with some or all of these common pre-existing medical conditions "as we age" be able to purchase affordable heatlh care insurance or any insurance at all if they appeal Obama Care and End Medicare as we know it? How much out of pocket will it cost someone on the VOUCHER program? Is there a guarantee for coverage? They say they will repeal that. What about a guarantee to not be kicked off the policy for the over 55 crowd when say they turn 80....they want to repeal the end to lifetime cap too......
Heart conditions (hypertension, vascular disease, congestive heart failure, high blood pressure and coronary artery disease)
A slowed reaction time, which is especially important when judging if a person can drive.
Thinner skin, which can lead to breakdowns and wounds that don't heal quickly
A weakened immune system, which can make fighting off viruses, bacteria and diseases difficult
Diminished sense of taste or smell, especially for smokers, which can lead to diminished appetite and dehydration
Mr. Fargo
8/23/2012 1:59:27 PM
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF LIES.........of Ryan/Romney are lying to seniors.........they represent the REPUBLICAN PARTY OF LIES............not jut the PARTY OF NO..........the GOP also deserve to be known as The PARTY OF LIES
Mr. Fargo
8/23/2012 1:56:23 PM
Romney/Ryan are the BILL COLLECTORS
I agree SlawDogg.......we need to hammer home the fact that Premium means An Insurance Bill..........and Support means VOUCHER that only PARTIALLY pays the BILL for the un-guaranteed insurance policy...................who likes getting more bills in the mail?.......who likes having to write all those extras checks every month?..........we also need to hammer home all the extra out of pocket expenses under the Ryan/Romney End to Medicare as we know it & the extra out of pocket expenses with the repeal of Obama Care............we need to hammer home the fact that Ryan/Romney's Master Plan it to Bankrupt Medicare & end the program all together................the Romney/Ryan Budget it just step one towards completing the goal to END MEDICARE, END SOCIAL SECURITY, END MEDICARE.........that is the prize & ultimate goal for the GOP.......to end the Big 3 forever............
Romney/Ryan represent the REPUBLICAN PARTY OF LIES!!!!!!!
SlawDogg
8/23/2012 1:28:33 PM
Republican word salad!
Two definitions for Premium support -
Premium support - (what Romney hopes you will belive) better than average support.
Premium support - (what he really means) You as a senior citizen will pay MORE for the same coverage... and NOT be guranteed coverage. Your donut hole gets bigger.... and you may go bankrupt!
Please tell every one you know that "Premium support" is code word for "Voucher" ... DO NOT vote for any one who promises "premium support" or nothing will change for anyone OVER 55.
Believe me, if any thing is taken away from Medicare for the UNDER 55 crowd it will destroy the rest of Medicaid within 4 years.
BTW the other Romney promise? To raise the age of eligibility to 67 for medicare. What if you are 64 right now? I guess if you vote for Romney you are so screwed.
Mr. Fargo
8/23/2012 1:28:33 PM
It is expensive enough having the Government dig into your wallet.......now Romney/Ryan want the Insurance Company dig into your wallet too...........just one more hand digging into your wallet under the Ryan/Romney budget..........sorry Romney/Ryan my wallet can't afford a BIG Insurance Executive digging into my wallet during my senior years............Tell Romney/Ryan to KEEP YOUR HANDS OF MY MEDICARE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!KEEP YOUR HANDS OUT OF MY WALLET!!!!!........How Dare you Take Away My MEDICARE!!!!....I already paid!
Mr. Fargo
8/23/2012 1:22:36 PM
Premium = your shiny new Bill from the Insurance company...........The Support = that coupon voucher to help pay for some, not all of the insurance premium...................your wallet = empty after paying the rest of the premium out of pocket & the rest of the out of pocket expenses Ryan/Romney expect you to pay for...........but we already paid into Medicare????now we have to pay again under a Ryan/Romney Administration.
You said it perfectly Rob........it is the rich eating our middle class lunches.......now they want to steal our Milk Money too.........the Ryan/Romney Medicare Plan is a handout to the Insurance companies.........it is a way for the GOP to funnel our tax dollars & give away what we already paid into Medicare to the Private Insurance Sector.............when you add the private insurance company into the mix commons sense tells us it will cost the consumer more because you have one more hand in your wallet......the more hands digging into your wallet = less money in the Wallet...........
Rob, Oregon
8/23/2012 12:52:02 PM
Of the wealthjy tax breaks, by the wealthy tax breaks, and for the wealthy tax breaks...there is the Ryan "plan" in a nutshell. According to the non partisian tax policy center, his cuts (party favors for the rich) would cost 4.3 TRILLION in revenue loss over the next decade. This type of policy of the rich eating the middle classes lunch is exactly what helped tank the economy under Bush. He claims the cuts would be offset by base broadening. IE, eliminating tax deductions to make up for lost revenue. Lie. He refuses to say what deductions of course, but you can bank on one thing.....the old "we" need to tighten "our" belts Ronnie Reagan talk.The top will be buying bigger belts for all the fine dining they will be doing off the backs of seniors.
