posted by RetinoidReceptor
All the world has problems: [the US has]
1) The expenditures on the military
2) There is a problem with Medicaid.
The first problem can be solved by reducing expenditures on administration and spending this money on the military. The latter problem can be solved
by rising retirement age, which will be done. [Edited by Don W]
We have problems with social security. Our government's lavish spending. Dollar weaknesses. Huge trade deficit. An incompetent and corrupt
government. Yes, even here in the US we have problems. But so does EVERY OTHER COUNTRY. [Edited by Don W]
The looming Medicare problem will be first for the US to face. Presently
Medicare Part A (hospital only) is financed by a 1.45% tax on wages,
matched by employers or 2.9% on self employeds. Workers pay premiums all their working life, when they retire, they have a paid up hospital policy.
It is a 100% pay policy. Part A is in surplus.
Medicare Part B (doctors, outpatient, etc) is paid 25% by recipient and 75% from the General Fund. The 2006 Part B premium paid by individuals
is $88 a month; to rise to $98 in 2007. It is an 80/20 pay plan which means there is a thriving supplemental insurance industry not found in foreign
countries. I pay $150 a month for one, for example.
Medicare Part D (medicines) is new and it is not certain how much it will cost. Individuals pay part of it, the Treasury the rest. It is so
screwed up the Dems will have it on top of their “to fix” list if they gain control of Congress this November 7.
Since the early 1990s, general inflation has been 2%-4% a year, but health care inflation runs 8%-10% a year. If Congress won’t address this issue,
perhaps we need a commission to study the phenomenon to see if there is any way we can control it, lest it drive us into bankruptcy. The US spends
about 15%-`18% of GDP on health care, yet our health care is ranked no better than about 10th in the world. Germany spends #2, about 11% and ranks
near the top of the list. Most other countries are in single digits. The important factor is that in bidding on projects or jobs outside the US, our
companies are handicapped 8%-10% going in because of our higher health care costs compared to all other countries.
Medicaid is for poor people, a sort of last resort health care system. It is paid entirely out of the General Fund and has nothing to do with
Medicare or Social Security. Medicaid was never popular with doctors or hospitals but the funds have been severely cut the last few years so that it
is now very difficult to get treatment in a private hospital and many doctors will no longer accept Medicaid. This very much life and death issue for
America's poor seems to be of much more concern to Blue State types than it is to Red State types.
Military spending can be solved by us resigning from the Last Super Power Policeman of The World Dominator position we inherited in 1991. We
should bargain with the 4 other veto powers on the Security Council, to end the veto power and we would then "re-join" the United Nations. The
Russian’s have adopted a rational and proper military budget. Pro peace. The Russian Federation is to be praised for that. I’d like to see our pro
WAR budget cut to about $150 Billion. Still far too much, but we’d never get it lower what with all the pro-war attitudes in the Red States and the
influence the rich defense - antonym - industry lavishes on Congress.
For Ref See:
www.washingtonpost.com...
[edit on 9/12/2006 by donwhite]
Hopefully the MODS took down his IP and will be watchng for it. We don't need another El
Tiante-ElTiante(that was a little to obvious).