House Republicans Overwhelmingly Vote To Phase Out Medicare

IMO they just lost the 2012 election with that vote. At least the HOUSE election...

BREAKING: House Republicans Overwhelmingly Vote To Phase Out Medicare

This afternoon, House Republicans overwhelming endorsed his plan to eliminate Medicare, slash education, and jack up the middle class’ taxes. 235 Republicans supported the Medicare elimination bill, with just 4 GOPers casting a vote to leave Medicare unmolested

The centerpiece of the House Republicans’ plan is a proposal that repeals traditional Medicare and replaces it with a health insurance voucher that loses its value over time. Because the value of the Republicans’ privatized Medicare replacement does not keep up with the cost of health care, their plan will gradually eliminate Medicare because its increasingly worthless vouchers will eventually only cover a very tiny fraction of the cost of a health insurance plan.

Seniors will feel the effect of the GOP’s draconian plan long before it succeeds in phasing out Medicare. According to the CBO, total health care expenditures for a typical 65-year-old “would be almost 40 percent higher with private coverage under the GOP plan than they would be with a continuation of traditional Medicare” in the very first year that the GOP plan goes into effect

Now in reality, it doesn't ``really matter``... since there was no money for medicare/medicaid in the FIRST PLACE... That will just crush people sooner than it would have... And it shows how ``republicans`` don't care about the people... but they do care about tax cuts to the elite and the military budget.

Republican plan : people get raped now with the programs still bankrupting the country.
Democrat plan : people get raped later with the programs bankrupting the country.

THERE'S JUST NO MONEY. Simple as that. Never was, never will.

And really... does it matter since the chances of it passing the senate is pretty low, not to mention Obama would probably veto it.

And... this plan still doesn't REALLY cut the deficit.

My grandfather is already having a hard enough time with handling his health care with Medicare as-is, taking more away from him would destroy any chances of getting him to see the doctor.

We need cuts, major cuts, but how can we justify hitting seniors first without touching the military? They all need to be cut and actually I would like to see Medicare/Medicaid handed down to the states to manage rather than the Feds. I would love to see it eliminated at some point but as of now there is no viable alternative because our health care system is so screwed up, either the government manages your health care or big corporations do. How about neither?!

I love the way progressives make a big deal about a vote that will be vetoed.
It's a token vote that will never make it passed the Presidents desk.

I think you both ( and a third ) hit the nail on the head and am frustrated few threads on the subject are given the attention they deserve.

reply to post by Misoir


I will soon be 64 years of age. In my lifetime, I have never seen the Republican Party attack the middle class, the poor and the elderly in such the way they are attempting to do now. I don't even recognize the Republican Party any more. President Eisenhower wouldn't even recognize his own party today. I don't know what has happened to them. They will, if they succeed, destroy America.

reply to post by aero56


I have unfortunately not had the privilege of knowing the GOP before the Bush era because I am too young to have understood politics before that time. So what I know of the Republican Party is off of my studying history, the words of my grandfather, and the events I see today. When comparing the words of Pres. Eisenhower and even Pres. Coolidge, Mr. Liassez-faire, you get a sense of deep respect and understanding of the Middle Class, their aspirations, and the philosophical pursuit for their benefit.

Big difference though is that even for Mr. Liassez-faire, Coolidge, he was an activist governor of Massachusetts during his tenure there. I consider it a big difference between what he did during the Boston Police Strike and what they are doing in Wisconsin is literally a war against them because there is no philosophical undertone or a true desire to correct the state budget. They just do not care about the working class of this country anymore, hell Democrats don’t either.

I respect your opinion more than most on here because of your seniority. You have experienced all the changes in our country and within our politics, so when you say the party has turned against the working class I believe you wholeheartedly. Since I presume you are an Eisenhower fan, you are a Northern Republican (Northeast/Great Lakes)? Or at least was a Northern Republican?

Budget = spending and revenue. They control the narrative when things like raising revenue (taxes) and cutting from places that matter aren't even on the table.

Originally posted by aero56
reply to post by Misoir

 

I will soon be 64 years of age. In my lifetime, I have never seen the Republican Party attack the middle class, the poor and the elderly in such the way they are attempting to do now. I don't even recognize the Republican Party any more. President Eisenhower wouldn't even recognize his own party today. I don't know what has happened to them. They will, if they succeed, destroy America.

I'm called all kinds of names these days. I'm a leftie now, apparently, though if you rewind a generation or two I'd be a moderate surely. Anyhow, even I would proudly vote for Eisenhower.

More and more, it's a one party system though. We need to implement some serious reforms in the political process to make it more representative, and then we need to start voting almost exclusively for the little guy.

I am on SSDI and thus have medicare premiums taken out of my benefit. Since my wife works, we both have private health insurance and medicare doesn't have to pay out anything on my health care. Every once in a while I'll get a check for a few pennies (always under $5) because I've overpaid my copay with my private insurance or some other such nonsense. Several of my specialists simply DO NOT TAKE MEDICARE, period. With private insurance AND Medicare my out of pocket health care costs are a quarter to a third of my total SSDI benefit. If you factor in what the wife pays for our health insurance it would be another 30% of my total disability benefit. Since I am disabled rather than "old enough to collect Social Security" there is no Medicare supplement insurance available and I don't have to worry about donut holes in my Medicare coverage like seniors - I simply don't get ANY coverage. My case isn't by any means typical - most folks have to rely solely on Medicare and supplemental insurance and can't afford an $800 per month private health insurance policy.

For those who rely on Medicare, a $15,000 per year voucher system basically means early termination (death). When the pensioner's voucher money runs out, emergency room are going to fill up and real health care costs are going to escalate. "Death Panels" won't be necessary when Seniors will be faced with spending their Social Security benefits (most of which are far smaller than mine) on food or medicine, never mind housing and transportation.

ganjoa

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reply to post by Vitchilo

House Republicans Overwhelmingly Vote To Phase Out Medicare

From the outside looking in, one could get the impression that the GOP had a death wish. It is political suicide to mess with either Social Security or Medicare. But at the same time, this kind of parlor game has been played before to create the perception of action when in fact, they knew full well that the effort would die a quiet death before ever getting close to a president's desk.

The problem is not the aforementioned Social Security and Medicare. They are not, in either fact or truth, entitlement programs. People pay into these systems their entire working lives. It is not at all unlike your average group health insurance plan... except that in this case, it is also a political play toy.

There is no real difference between the Republicans and Democrats. Neither side wants to mess with the balance created by the status quo. Neither side has any intention of working for those who elected them when so many special interests are out there to fill their pockets with silver and gold.

Our government is corrupt from stem to stern... and unless we someday grow the stones to unelect every single incumbent regardless of party affiliation, it won't ever change.

Personally, if I had my way, I'd do away with political parties and special interests altogether... and make the individual candidate reliant on his own elbow grease to get elected and his own work ethic to stay elected.

reply to post by Vitchilo


If the goal is universal healthcare... then putting everybody under the same umbrella is gonna be more cost effective. I see them getting rid of many things that are either outdated and/or redundant in healthcare.

reply to post by Misoir


Thank you so much for the kind compliment. I am not a Republican, nor Democrat. I used to be one of each at one time or another!!! Neither party represents what I think American should be.

reply to post by ganjoa


I totally hear what you are saying. Let's not forget medicaid either. Who will pay for nursing home care when there is no more medicaid?

I will sound cold-hearted for saying this but... it's not the government's job to take care of you when you are old, young, middle aged, homeless, rich, broke, white, black, single parent, etc. What did old people do before the govt took care of them? How in the world did they survive? Yet somehow they did.

Originally posted by jjkenobi
I will sound cold-hearted for saying this but... it's not the government's job to take care of you when you are old,

then why the F' did they take money out of my
wages for my entire life for it then ???
That was an agreement and a law.
We pay in, we get back.
Now, they are breaking the contract.

What's to be concerned about? These programs dont exist anyway. Not in any real stable solvent form. Theyve been winging it ever since inception.

They want to cut phantoms.

I guarantee that if these "programs" (if you can call them that) were wiped from the slate this afternoon not one person would notice any hiccup in what they perceive as being a benefit from these "programs."

reply to post by boondock-saint


Now you know how the natives feel.

The US cant keep a contract. Besides, it's not like you actually chose to sign on. They forced you at gunpoint.

They aren't the Republicans and Democrats anymore. They are they Corporaticans and Corporatorats now. And I am speaking of the corporaticians in office, not the citizens. Citizens who think one or the other is working in their best interest have been duped into acting against their best interests for the interests of the corporate profiteers. They want every last shred of any dollar earned and paid to be privatized profits. Gotta destroy the not for profit programs first.

Originally posted by thisguyrighthereI guarantee that if these "programs" (if you can call them that) were wiped from the slate this afternoon not one person would notice any hiccup in what they perceive as being a benefit from these "programs."

What an outrageous statement. lol I do believe thousands of homeless elderly wandering and dying on the streets would be quite noticeable.

The problem is not Medicare or Medicaid. It's the affordability of health care and medicines in general. You have to have insurance in order to afford and that is wrong. The medical industry is price gouging and no one cares.