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Where is the Tea Party? Medicaid in Jeopardy

Posted: Apr 29, 2011

Two years ago during the healthcare debate, the Tea Party was passionate in their insistence that government should keep their hands off Medicaid (never mind the fact that Medicaid is government run, socialized healthcare). Now that the Ryan plan has proposed phasing out Medicaid as we now know it for those who are 54 years old and younger, where is the Tea Party?

I would think they would feel betrayed by the Republicans who ran in 2010 and promised to "protect" Medicaid.

;

Medicare in Jeopardy - RadMT

[ In Reply To ..]
Correction - Should be Medicare, not Medicaid. I have no idea what the Ryan plan proposes for Medicaid.

Obama already assaulted Medicare for - Obamacare...cuts to

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Medicare are helping pay for it.

Here is how Obama "assaulted" Medicare - RadMT

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One of the major reasons people opted for the Medical Advantage program was the pharmaceutical benefit â�� and with good reason. The gap in Part D drug coverage can present a senior with a serious problem when it comes to paying for badly needed medicines.

But that was pre-Obamacare.

Now, the donut hole will be gradually reduced until it is completely closed in 2020. In the meantime, the government is giving back money to seniors to help them through this issue until it is fully resolved. A check for $250.00 has already been issued to most Medicare qualified seniors to assist with this problem.

Strike two against Medicare Advantage: Two of the key benefits seniors pay extra for in these programs are now offered â�� or soon to be offered â�� as a basic benefit of Medicare Parts A, B and D.

As for the dental and vision, these are important benefits that seniors might wish to purchase. And they can. If the value of these services is worth it, a senior can still buy a Medicare Advantage program that offers this to them.

As for the health clubs â�� sorry, but I donâ��t feel good about subsidizing these memberships with my tax dollars.

So, by doing away with the subsidies, the taxpayers save billions â�� money that will be used to reduce the annual costs to the government and extend the life of the Medicare program. Medicare Advantage participants may lose their health club memberships, and possibly, their vision and dental, all of which they will still have the opportunity to buy if they are willing to pay an additional premium.

These savings, folks, are the savings contemplated in Obamacare â�� nothing less and nothing more.

Now, the big, surprise finish.

Many legislators and policy experts have assumed that the health care reform legislation would result in a dramatic rise in Medicare Advantage premium charges. In 2009, the rates went up 15% as the insurance companies offering Medicare Advantage programs sought to teach Congress a lesson by providing a glimpse of what could be expected should health care reform become law. As a result, upon passage, the expectation was these rates would continue to dramatically increase.

After all, without the billions in government subsidies, Medicare Advantage programs would have to dramatically raise the premium costs to their customers if they were to stay in business.

At least, thatâ��s what they told us would have to happen.

Yet, somehow, it was announced this week that the 11.3 million beneficiaries who participate in Medicare Advantage programs will experience a premium rate drop of 1% this year.

Medicare officials said the reform law gave them a stronger stance in negotiations with participating insurers.

Forbes analysis - I should provide link - RadMT

[ In Reply To ..]
Much of my above post was taken from a Forbes article, so here is the link for those who would like to verify or read the entire article.

http://blogs.forbes.com/rickungar/2010/09/25/does-obamacare-really-cut-medicare-benefits-to-senior-citizens/

You qouted the Forbes blog...here is - opposing point of view...

[ In Reply To ..]
http://blog.heritage.org/2009/07/29/obamacare-does-cut-your-medicare-benefits/

You do know that Medicare cuts are what - is helping pay for

[ In Reply To ..]
Obamacare, right?? Medicare as we know it on the way out? Where where the Dems for the seniors? Using your logic, I would think THEY would feel betrayed by Obama and the Dems.

What Republicans ran in 2010 and promised to protect Medicaid?

The point is to reduce the deficit. Something has to give. Both Medicare and Medicaid NEED to be overhauled. They are not sustainable. If the country goes broke, all aid of ANY kind STOPS. Don't you think Medicaid in some form, even if not "as we know it" is preferable to that?

Instead of blasting Ryan, why don't the Dems come up with a meaningful way to address the deficit? Other than it is easier to take potshots at the other guy than to come up with a credible solution??

Medicaid - dmz

[ In Reply To ..]
Medicaid has become a way of life for many people - so they can get bennies and not work for them. It also is very helpful to the illegal aliens in this country - doesn't anyone in our Congress find it reprehensible that we provide food stamps, health care, housing for people here illegally, while those of us who are legal citizens can't afford the very same items? Just sayin.

Good point. - nm

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

Yeah! I wish my lazy BIL (with 3 heart attacks) - would get back to work!

[ In Reply To ..]

No, but perhaps your 3 cousins swilling - beer in front of the TV

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with their fictitious back pain should.

Wow! You must by psychic! - nm

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Hey...sign them up at 10 cents a post.... - I know they could

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do it and save you the time.

Something else to consider - no1joe

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I'm not going to get into your views on undocumented immigrants; however, do I agree with you that there is an element of Medicaid fraud secondary to laziness? Sure. However, 100% of the problem cannot be blamed on laziness.

There are a number of very large companies making gigantic profits who pay their full-time workers so little that they are eligible for Medicaid, WIC, food stamps, etc., at the taxpayers' expense. They actually direct them on how to enroll for these programs too. I'm not going to name specific companies because the last time I did, you would have thought I kicked someone's puppy judging by the posts rushing to the company's defense. They're not hard to find though.

Also, keep in mind that there are employees of small businesses who work full time, and their companies cannot afford to offer healthcare benefits because of the astronomical cost.

IMO, although laziness is definitely a factor, people need to take greed on behalf of some companies as well as the insurance biz into consideration as well. I happen to find the latter more infurating.

These Replicans, for starters - RadMT

[ In Reply To ..]
Check it out for yourself:

Dan Benishek (MI-01)
Rick Berg (ND-AL)
Mary Bono Mack (CA-45)
Larry Bucshon (IN-08)
Ann Marie Buerkle (NY-25)
Steve Chabot (OH-01)
Rick Crawford (AR-01)
Renee Ellmers (NC-02)
Blake Farenthold (TX-27)
Bob Gibbs (OH-18)
Chris Gibson (NY-20)
Tim Griffin (AR-02)
Frank Guinta (NH-01)
Joe Heck (NV-03)
Mike Kelly (PA-03)
Adam Kinzinger (IL-11)
Pat Meehan (PA-07)
Mick Mulvaney (SC-05)
Kristi Noem (SD-AL)
Alan Nunnelee (MS-01)
Martha Roby (AL-02)
Bobby Schilling (IL-17)
Steve Southerland (FL-02)
Cliff Stearns (FL-06)
Scott Tipton (CO-3)

When did I blast Ryan? I stated his plan would end Medicare "as we know it", which it does, right? Maybe they agree with his plan. I just haven't heard what is their position on his plan.

Ryanâ��s plan has $40 trillion in spending over the next 10 years compared to $34.9 trillion in revenues. Obama would spend $46 trillion in the coming decade while bringing in $38.8 trillion in revenues. So Ryan's plan would still result in the government spending $5.1 trillion more over the next decade than it brings in, but thatâ��s less than the $7.2 trillion in deficit spending that Obama has proposed.

So both the Ryan proposal and the Obama proposal would lead to deficit spending 10 years from now (Obama about $2 trillion more than Ryan). Under Obama's plan, however, Medicare/Medicaid remain intact.

Bottom line...Obamacare or Ryan's plan - end Medicare as we know

[ In Reply To ..]
it. With all the waivers and changes that have been made to Obamacare, it is now going to cost way more than they promised when they passed it. I would like to see revised figures on that.

Whose figures are those you quoted at the bottom of the post, please and thanks? If those are the true projections, by the time you add the cost of Obamacare with all the waivers et al, those deficit figures for Obama will be much, MUCH higher.

and therein lies the problem (deficits) - Backwards Typist

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I doubt there's any program they can come up with that would not have a deficit in a certain amount of years.

The way around this is to reform both programs, weed out fraud and waste, and try to work with insurance companies (legal thieves as DH calls them) and hospitals because there's no way an aspirin should cost $1 a piece.

They are waiting for their marching orders - from Karl Rove and the Koch boys-nm

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Just like Obama waits for Soros. - and by the way....

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the Dems in MA who led the charge in "stripping" collective bargaining rights from public workers...they were waiting to hear from Karl Rove and the Koch boys? ROFL. Don't chink so.

So when our country goes broke - Trigger Happy

[ In Reply To ..]
because we are spending too much on entitlement programs, who will take care of these folks then? Seems to me like both parties will have to end up cutting Medicare and Medicaid somewhere and when either party puts out a plan, the other party will scream and raise holy he11 that the other party wants to kill old people and poor people. lol

I don't know the best solution to this. I do know that there are those who are abusing the system. I also know there are those who truly need the assistance and it would be a shame for them to lose it. However, something has to be done one way or another.

Better to cut and give some assistance... - and prioritize...than

[ In Reply To ..]
be able to do nothing for anybody. It is a time for tough decisions. Tough decisions have been put off for too long, and that is the fault of both parties. We are at an empasse, and we can back away from the edge of the cliff or jump on over.

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