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1ProudAtheist

(346 posts)
21. Medicare: Some Facts And Truths
Thu Dec 6, 2012, 07:13 PM
Dec 2012

1-Raising the elgibilty age will actually weaken the viability of the program.

2-Raising the eligibility age is just a ruse that will be another step towards elimination of Medicare by the Pukes.

3-The economic impact of raising the eligibilty age would be catastrphic because it would create 2 more years of everyone being forced to buy private health insurance at a minimum of 20% higher cost than Medicare.

4-Because of the way that Medicare is funded (through payroll taxes, premiums, and benefit taxes) and the existance of a Trust Fund, it would only affect our deficit amd our National Debt when that Trust Fund is completely exhauseted. (2024) Up until then, all savings from any cuts would have to be put into that Trust Fund and not used for deficit cuts or Debt reduction.

5-IF.........and that is a huge IF.......politicians are genuinely interested in saving Medicare and making it viable for a longer period of time, then the actual action to take is to LOWER the eligibilty age and charge early recipients a buy-in fee on top of premiums. The influx of capital along with the inclusion of millions of healthier individuals would naturally create a larger Trust Fund, and extend the viability of the program.

6-My personal beliefs on this are that politicians....all of them, want to access the medicare and Social Security Trust Fund monies and use them to for their partisan purposes, leaving the programs broke and expendable.

Yes, but it would hurt people BeyondGeography Dec 2012 #1
65 and 66 year old Americans don't cost Medicare a lot of money Kolesar Dec 2012 #2
According to Lawrence O'Donnell last night, 65 and 66 year olds save us all money... onehandle Dec 2012 #11
Increase the number of younger people, lower the Medicare age. Maineman Dec 2012 #3
Yes, IMO the age should be lowered to birth. dotymed Dec 2012 #14
"Of course there is no legislation or agreement with these insurance companies that guarantee lower xtraxritical Dec 2012 #16
Exactly! freshwest Dec 2012 #25
I totally agree decayincl Dec 2012 #15
Bingo!!! And Welcome to DU! peacebird Dec 2012 #19
Heck everybody that ends up on a federal health exchange csziggy Dec 2012 #23
Bad start. They should have proposed making it 60 Doctor_J Dec 2012 #4
Dems will not betray the people on this one. It would repudiate all we stand for. Coyotl Dec 2012 #5
I would not bet on it. I saw them turn on a dime making sure the ACA would not have a public option still_one Dec 2012 #7
You better not backtrack on that Nancy, but to be frank I don't trust you or a lot of other Dems to still_one Dec 2012 #6
Neither do I. Steny Hoyer wouldn't give a straight answer on it last night on Ed's show either. forestpath Dec 2012 #8
Two years ago he was clear. 1983 was when the SS age was raised... spedtr90 Dec 2012 #9
When does it stop? Fence rider Dec 2012 #10
Sorry, the President isn't about to give you more gifts MannyGoldstein Dec 2012 #13
My husband wants to retire but he has to work for insurance csziggy Dec 2012 #24
This is the line in the sand. raouldukelives Dec 2012 #12
NO! LaPera Dec 2012 #17
lower the eligibility age They_Live Dec 2012 #18
Absolutely. We should be LOWERING the age, not raising it. ~nt 99th_Monkey Dec 2012 #20
Medicare: Some Facts And Truths 1ProudAtheist Dec 2012 #21
I recognize the impact that increased longevity has on the solvency of both Medicare and SS..... Swede Atlanta Dec 2012 #22
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