Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search
 

Motown_Johnny

(22,308 posts)
Sun Aug 19, 2012, 12:11 PM Aug 2012

I think see an even larger political advantage in the Medicare debate.

President Obama's changes extend solvency through 2024. Romney says he would repeal those changes, which would end Medicare's solvency around 2016, our next Presidential election year.


We should be pushing the fact that if Rmoney's plan goes into effect then there is no turning back. Medicare's money will be spent before we can possibly inaugurate another President.

I think that President Obama's surrogates should start saying "We need to be absolutely certain about this vote because if Romney gets his way there won't be any way to turn back". People don't like to make those type of absolute choices and will tend to either vote for the choice which drags things out or to not vote at all.



This would also help to bring up the fact that Rmoney would not make any changes until 2023 but that he would spend all the money by 2016. Just WTF is supposed to happen between 2016 and 2023? I'm pretty sure they don't have an answer for that because the only possible answers are to run up the deficit or increase revenues (or some combination of the two). Unless of course they just end Medicare altogether, for everyone.





http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/wp/2012/08/16/medicare-trustees-repealing-obamacare-cuts-would-hasten-insolvency/

^snip^


A bit of background here: Obama’s Affordable Care Act Medicare cuts reduce how much the program pays hospitals, private insurers and other providers. The $716 billion in savings helped free up funds to pay for other health programs, like the expansion of insurance to 32 million Americans.

That was the primary purpose, at least. There was also a really important side effect: The health care law extended the solvency of Medicare’s Trust Fund. If the program pays hospitals less, each dollar stretches a little bit further. Earlier this year, the independent Medicare Board of Trustees estimated that with these cuts the trust fund would remain solvent through 2024.

Without those cuts, however, the budget gets a little tighter. Medicare keeps paying providers at the same rates it does now, but each dollar buys less. And that means, according to these trustees, that the trust fund would no longer be able to cover Medicare’s costs as soon as 2016.

“Simply undoing the cuts would restore higher payments to those service providers,” Alonso-Zalidvar writes. “And that would cause Medicare to spend money faster.”


4 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
I think see an even larger political advantage in the Medicare debate. (Original Post) Motown_Johnny Aug 2012 OP
There are so many questions that will be brought up during the debates. toddwv Aug 2012 #1
I think O should come out for Medicare for all wordpix Aug 2012 #2
I'd love to see that. Scuba Aug 2012 #3
good points, /w a Romney President, Americans in their 50s today- will see their future Medicare, Sunlei Aug 2012 #4

toddwv

(2,830 posts)
1. There are so many questions that will be brought up during the debates.
Sun Aug 19, 2012, 01:45 PM
Aug 2012

This is why Romney only wants hand-picked moderators.

His "plan" for America is to pick up in 2006 where the last Republican administration left off.

The complete dismantling of over 100 years of progress.

wordpix

(18,652 posts)
2. I think O should come out for Medicare for all
Sun Aug 19, 2012, 09:45 PM
Aug 2012

O should explain how it works: everyone pays in to the system via taxes and a reasonable premium, which is how it works now. The only difference is, you don't have to wait until age 65 to get the benefits.

Let Rmoney explain after that how his plan is better

Sunlei

(22,651 posts)
4. good points, /w a Romney President, Americans in their 50s today- will see their future Medicare,
Mon Aug 20, 2012, 08:31 AM
Aug 2012

evaporate before their eyes.

Latest Discussions»Retired Forums»2016 Postmortem»I think see an even large...