Obama shifts to offense on Medicare

[maddezmom]

Source: LATimes

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- President Obama plans to argue Wednesday that his administration has strengthened Medicare without cutting benefits, as the campaign for the White House shifts to a fight over which candidate is better for seniors.

Obama has saved seniors hundreds of dollars on their prescription drugs, an aide to the president said in previewing his message in Iowa.

Obama hasn't affected benefits "by even a dime," campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.

¬snip¬

The president plans to lay out the choice between his plan and the Romney-Ryan plan to "end Medicare as we know it, leaving new retirees with nothing but a voucher in place of the guaranteed benefits they rely on today," Psaki said.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-obama-medicare-offensive-20120815,0,6528426.story

[Auggie]

1. I hope his campaign underscores the crackdown on Medicare fraud as well

From almost a year ago (September 8, 2011):

The Obama administration escalated its crackdown on health care fraud Wednesday, announcing charges against 91 people in eight cities who are accused of bilking the Medicare system out of nearly $300 million and victimizing the elderly and disabled people who rely on the federal insurance program.

Among those charged in the coordinated series of arrests was a doctor in Detroit who allegedly billed Medicare for services provided to dead people and claimed that he performed psychotherapy treatments more than 24 hours a day.

LINK: http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/91-people-charged-in-crackdown-on-Medicare-fraud-2310492.php

[DallasNE]

2. Romney Is Doubly Wrong On Medicare

Romney has said he would "restore the funding" for Medicare. For starters, the Affordable Care Act does not touch funding. It does put in place some cost controls which actually extend by several years the solvency of the Medicare trust fund. In other words, it shores up the funding and makes it stronger while not touching benefits.

A single payer, fee for service program like the Medicare we know provides the certainty that seniors need going forward. A voucher system like Romney/Ryan favor takes away that certainty while not keeping pace with medical costs as they rise faster than inflation. Sick people would die because insurance companies would drop them in a heartbeat. And don't be fooled, there will be spill-over effects for those currently on Medicare that could be potentially quite expensive. The Romney/Ryan Medicare plan is nothing more than a boondoggle for the insurance industry at the expense of the consumer.

Romney/Ryan reminds me of a carnival barker selling his snake oil to a gullible crowd.

[freshwest]

4. +1,000

[xtraxritical]

7. That, and I hear that Bain has already been caught with it's finger in the Medicare till.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

3. Go get 'em, Obama

R $ R need to be called out. They are the destroyers of Medicare and Medicaid.

[jsr]

5. Put some HCA execs in jail

The public needs to know more about the profiteering and unnecessary patient deaths that have been going on in HCA hospitals. The NYT article is a good start.

[riverbendviewgal]

6. I am happy to hear is is going to try to stop fraud

He really needs to explain in detail all of what will be done...what is cut, why and where the money will go after the cut.

Americans want to be told.....ROmney says TRUST ME....which is BS...

[Skraxx]

8. Seniors Know For A Fact Coverage Is Better Now

So Romney's claims only make him even MORE untrustworthy.