liberal group outlines $385B in medicare cuts

[xchrom]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_FISCAL_CLIFF_HEALTH_CARE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2012-11-14-02-55-45

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Hoping to head off wider health care cuts in upcoming budget talks, a think tank close to the White House is unveiling a plan for how to save $385 billion, mostly from Medicare.

Medicaid and the new health care law are largely spared from cuts in the blueprint being released Wednesday by the liberal-leaning Center for American Progress. Instead, it targets Medicare service providers, from the pharmaceutical industry to hospitals and nursing homes. And higher-income Medicare recipients would face increased monthly premiums for outpatient and prescription coverage.

After taxes, health care costs are probably the thorniest issue facing policymakers looking for a way to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff, an economically toxic combination of tax increases and spending cuts looming Jan. 1 if compromise fails.

Rising health care costs are the most stubborn element of the nation's long-term budget woes. At the same time, a recent report for the government estimated that the U.S. health care system squanders $750 billion a year, about 30 cents of every medical dollar.

[Sekhmets Daughter]

1. Something needs to be done to end the abuses....

My late honey drove a new Infinity but every year he took the free pair of shoes Medicare pays for if you're a diabetic. It drove me nuts.

[democrattotheend]

2. Agreed

My mom had a friend whose parents had given all their money to her and her sister so they would be eligible for Medicaid during retirement. People who do that ruin it for the people who really need it.

[Bluenorthwest]

4. That makes no sense. In retirement, people get Medicare which has no means test

of any kind. Those who rid themselves of assests usually do so because Medicare has no long term care benefit, ie nursing homes, but Medicaid does. Even people with fairly secure finances can often not afford the thousands of dollars monthly for years and years of long term care.
If those folks had much money to give away, they must have worked and thus qualified for Medicare like everyone else. They most likely gave it away to avoid taxes. Many people do that. But why would a person who can get Medicare want Medicaid? Makes no sense at all.

[xchrom]

6. indeed. that's been the case in my family -- when people did NOT rid themselves of assets in that

case -- bad things followed for both them selves and family members.

[democrattotheend]

7. I think for the long-term care that Medicare doesn't cover

And, like you said, to avoid taxes. I don't really know the details of it, but I think they wanted to give their money to their children rather than spending it on long term care.

[xchrom]

3. Wall Street Uses "Liberal" Front Group to Lead Its Assault on Social Security

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/11/14-1



Third Way, lobbyists for and from Wall Street who are leading the effort to enrich Wall Street by privatizing Social Security, was created by Wall Street to fool some of the people all of the time. I have written previously here and here to expose their fictional claims to be a moderate or liberal Democratic group.

Eric Lautner documented Wall Street’s effort to become even wealthier by privatizing Social Security in articles and his recent book (“The People’s Pension: The Struggle to Defend Social Security Since Reagan (AK Press)).

I showed that Third Way makes itself useful by providing a faux “liberal” or “moderate” “Democratic” quote machine that can be used to discredit Democrats and Democratic policies such as the safety net. I gave examples of how Third Way gave aid and comfort to the effort to defeat Elizabeth Warren and the effort to unravel the safety net. Third Way continues to prove that you can fool some of the people all of the time.

[crazylikafox]

5. Let Medicare negotiate drug prices with the pharmaceutical companies.

Medicare part D has been corporate welfare from the get-go. Why don't they fix this? How much would the savings be to the taxpayer? A significant amount, I would think.

[xchrom]

8. Kick