General Discussion

lumberjack_jeff

(33,224 posts)

20. It's insurance. It is absolutely not welfare.

Sat Oct 12, 2013, 05:53 PM

Oct 2013

"Medicare is our countrys health insurance program for people age 65 or older"

It is an "earned entitlement" exactly the same way the benefit of your life insurance is an earned entitlement. You are entitled to it if you experience the loss for which you are indemnified.

The fact that not everyone pays the same total of premiums (unequal inputs) is immaterial as is the fact that not everyone gets the same total of benefits (unequal outputs); it's still insurance.

In fact unequal inputs and unequal outputs are intrinsically what insurance is about. You don't know how much benefit you'll need. If you did, there would be no need for insurance.

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Help Me Debunk This Argument : Medicare Is Not An Earned Entitlement, It Is Welfare Program [View all] Joel thakkar Oct 2013 OP

Are National Parks a Welfare Program? DontTreadOnMe Oct 2013 #1

I'm not sure what the problem is. arcane1 Oct 2013 #2

I'm on traditional Medicare and I paid into part A all my working life as Cleita Oct 2013 #3

My take is that your friend believes your health care status should be judged by SomethingFishy Oct 2013 #4

Have them explain their pay stub to you. Pretty simple. We all pay for it. IllinoisBirdWatcher Oct 2013 #5

Take a look at your paycheck. Warren Stupidity Oct 2013 #6

You're entitled to benefits because Congress says so. Igel Oct 2013 #14

As a society, we allow them to earn more. Live and Learn Oct 2013 #7

Your friend has Medicare and Medicaid confused notadmblnd Oct 2013 #8

Exactly. -caid is the good one. -care is the bad one. seattle15 Oct 2013 #19

Medicare is 'bad'? Tell us more. (nt) muriel_volestrangler Oct 2013 #21

Medicaid helps people in need. seattle15 Oct 2013 #23

And why is medicare "bad"? uppityperson Oct 2013 #24

I asked you why you think Medicare is bad, not why you think Medicard is good muriel_volestrangler Oct 2013 #30

welcome to DU you're from my neck of the woods! gopiscrap Oct 2013 #29

Help me debunk this argument: The Sun is not a star, it's a mighty chariot driven by a god. n/t TygrBright Oct 2013 #9

His or her views are based on a belief that..... Swede Atlanta Oct 2013 #10

Benefits Received Bobcat Oct 2013 #25

If your friend doesn't like Medicare then refse to take it. That will mean more for those who need Lint Head Oct 2013 #11

It is both FarCenter Oct 2013 #12

Rich Pay more in numbers because they make more, in numbers. By Percentage, they are behind LaydeeBug Oct 2013 #13

Your friend sounds like a very low information voter. Squinch Oct 2013 #15

I think roads are entitlements. Kingofalldems Oct 2013 #16

That's true. Do truckers pay more of their income in taxes than those who use public transportation? Squinch Oct 2013 #17

You both should have tried Wiki. DeSwiss Oct 2013 #18

It's insurance. It is absolutely not welfare. lumberjack_jeff Oct 2013 #20

Here's how: it is NOT currently means tested. pnwmom Oct 2013 #22

You pay into it. Turbineguy Oct 2013 #26

medicare- health care for the aged; a federally administered system of health insurance ava...... Sunlei Oct 2013 #27

The burden for the rich is far less than the burden on the poor. LostOne4Ever Oct 2013 #28

"entitlement", "earned", and "welfare" are all separate concepts Recursion Oct 2013 #31

You pay a Medicare Tax all of you working career. You paid for the benefit. nt bluestate10 Oct 2013 #32

The Medicare tax is around 6% on the first 100,000 dollars, regardless of how much more bluestate10 Oct 2013 #33

Actually, there is no cap any more on what is paid into Medicare MiniMe Oct 2013 #34