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In reply to the discussion: OK, thanks to DUers I think I'm seeing a "Shock Doctrine" pattern here........ [View all]bvar22
(39,909 posts)84. Where do you think the money for the "subsidies" comes from?
By LAW, the ACA most remain "Budget Neutral".
The funds for the subsidies to the private Health Insurance Corporations must come from somewhere. The much vaunted Subsidies for The Poor don't really go to "The Poor". It goes directly to the Private Insurance Corporations.
The majority of the funding for the "Subsidies" that will now flow to Private Health Insurance Corporations comes from cuts to Medicare.
Romneys right: Obamacare cuts Medicare by $716 billion. Heres how.
<snip>
The Medicare Advantage cut gets the most attention, but it only accounts for about a third of the Affordable Care Act's spending reduction. Another big chunk comes from the hospitals. The health law changed how Medicare calculates what they get reimbursed for various services, slightly lowering their rates over time. Hospitals agreed to these cuts because they knew, at the same time, they would likely see an influx of paying patients with the Affordable Care Act's insurance expansion.
The rest of the Affordable Care Act's Medicare cuts are a lot smaller. Reductions to Medicare's Disproportionate Share Payments extra funds doled out the hospitals that see more uninsured patients account for 5 percent in savings. Lower payments to home health providers make up another 8.8 percent. About a dozen cuts of this magnitude make up the green section above.
It's worth noting that there's one area these cuts don't touch: Medicare benefits. The Affordable Care Act rolls back payment rates for hospitals and insurers. It does not, however, change the basket of benefits that patients have access to. And, as Ezra pointed out earlier today, the Ryan budget would keep these cuts in place.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/08/14/romneys-right-obamacare-cuts-medicare-by-716-billion-heres-how/
<snip>
The Medicare Advantage cut gets the most attention, but it only accounts for about a third of the Affordable Care Act's spending reduction. Another big chunk comes from the hospitals. The health law changed how Medicare calculates what they get reimbursed for various services, slightly lowering their rates over time. Hospitals agreed to these cuts because they knew, at the same time, they would likely see an influx of paying patients with the Affordable Care Act's insurance expansion.
The rest of the Affordable Care Act's Medicare cuts are a lot smaller. Reductions to Medicare's Disproportionate Share Payments extra funds doled out the hospitals that see more uninsured patients account for 5 percent in savings. Lower payments to home health providers make up another 8.8 percent. About a dozen cuts of this magnitude make up the green section above.
It's worth noting that there's one area these cuts don't touch: Medicare benefits. The Affordable Care Act rolls back payment rates for hospitals and insurers. It does not, however, change the basket of benefits that patients have access to. And, as Ezra pointed out earlier today, the Ryan budget would keep these cuts in place.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/08/14/romneys-right-obamacare-cuts-medicare-by-716-billion-heres-how/
While I applaud the defunding of the wasteful Medicare Advantage,
and the measures to eliminate inefficiency, it is yet to be determined HOW the cuts to
Home Care Providers and Hospitals are going to affect those on Medicare,
but it can't be good.
[font size=3]Medicare certainly has a lot of waste, but it is hard to believe that these Hundreds of BILLIONS transferred from Medicare to the Health Insurance Industry are NOT going to have a negative effect on Medicare.[/font]
At any rate, the precedent of diverting funding from Medicare (FICA Deductions) to finance the subsidies going to the private Health Insurance Industry is not something I am comfortable with. The "Private" Corporations & Wall Street have been trying for DECADES to divert the money from the SS Trust Fund (FICA Deductions) to their private pockets.
We will see.
You will know them by their [font size=3]WORKS.[/font]
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OK, thanks to DUers I think I'm seeing a "Shock Doctrine" pattern here........ [View all]
socialist_n_TN
Oct 2013
OP
You sound as if you're assuming the majority of the Dems are reluctant to play along.
Jackpine Radical
Oct 2013
#2
Agreed. It's like I said below to the poster who said it didn't seem "mysterious"......
socialist_n_TN
Oct 2013
#101
You think it's a possibility we'll be "gutting Medicare and the Social Security system"...
ConservativeDemocrat
Oct 2013
#100
That's argument by assertion. State your reasoning/Cite your sources. N/T
ConservativeDemocrat
Oct 2013
#128
"Obama sees inflicting the “Grand Bargain” on the Nation as his means of achieving his legacy"
cui bono
Oct 2013
#113
If this is the case, we will KNOW the current "crisis" is nothing but a setup
duffyduff
Oct 2013
#18
both parties get to throw a temper tantrum to please their base, and the Grand Bargain will make
liberal_at_heart
Oct 2013
#21
The last few days jitters about Debt Ceiling aside, Wall St. loves the Sequester and The Deal
leveymg
Oct 2013
#27
Precisely what I have been thinking. Get ready for Obama's "Chained CPI" and the GOP's increase
NorthCarolina
Oct 2013
#33
And possibly the gutting of all the positive reforms in the ACA, leaving only the mandate.
grahamhgreen
Oct 2013
#34
You might be right but I hope you are wrong! (I HATE it when I am right about such things.)
joanbarnes
Oct 2013
#42
Our govt. was gonna get shut down and a deal was devised that hurt both parties, but it kept the gov
busterbrown
Oct 2013
#117
If Obama uses the 14th Amendment, it will go a long way to establishing rule by Presidential Decree
FarCenter
Oct 2013
#53
Don't fool yourself: Obama got exactly what he wanted in Syria - Syria is now neutralized
leveymg
Oct 2013
#67
There is no Logic in the reasoning being used, just a bunch whose political party gets little
Ikonoklast
Oct 2013
#76
bvar didn't say the insurance is worthless, he said that the industry is useless.
cui bono
Oct 2013
#115
Classic Shock Doctrine/Disaster Capitalism for which ACA obstructionism was a SMOKECREEN to obscure
Faryn Balyncd
Oct 2013
#87
Yeah, see that the thing. Your links show some of the trails of my thinking......
socialist_n_TN
Oct 2013
#97
Pretty close. TSD I think usually refers to the aftermath of some complete disaster
Doctor_J
Oct 2013
#105
I fear you are correct. And I got sucked into this game they're playing as well.
cui bono
Oct 2013
#116
They are ready for the people to rise up. This will only end after they kill a lot of people. \/
L0oniX
Oct 2013
#120
good to see you posting socialist_n_TN. With all the centrist democrats on this site, we need some
liberal_at_heart
Oct 2013
#133
If they are thinking about trying it, they will get run out of town with pitchforks. The people are
silvershadow
Oct 2013
#151