Despite differences, Obama, GOP eye Medicare limit

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR

WASHINGTON (AP) - Unlikely as it may seem, President Barack Obama and Republicans in Congress actually share some common ground on the need to curb Medicare costs to fight the spiraling federal debt.

Although the House GOP plan to replace Medicare with a voucher-like system got shunted aside last week, that may not be the end of the story. Embedded in both the Republican plan and in Obama's counter-proposal is the idea of putting limits on the growth of the half-trillion-dollar-a-year program - and then enforcing them.

High-level deficit negotiations resume Tuesday under the stewardship of Vice President Joe Biden, and tackling health care spending is critical to what could become the year's most important legislation.

The two sides differ sharply on how that should be done. Obama says the GOP would leave frail seniors at the mercy of profit-driven insurance companies. Republicans say the president would empower unaccountable bureaucrats to ration care.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20110510/D9N499400.html

[yourout]

1. If you really want to save it offer a PUBLIC OPTION BUYIN.

Price it right and it would self fund.

[Hoyt]

2. That's an interesting idea that I bet could get a lot of support right now.

The one problem that might occur is that folks with pre-existing conditions would likely go for the public option (I certainly would), making the program more expensive. But, one might be able to tax the private insurers for some share of that expense (because they otherwise have to take on that expense in 2014). I'm sure there are solutions to any right winger's short-sighted criticism.

[No Elephants]

16. That's why we need single payer. Otherwise, private insurers will leave taxpayers with the old (and

even older), the disabled and the ill, while gouging the able-bodied 26-55 year olds.

[cstanleytech]

5. I support the public option based on

income but the problem is you still have issues with companies involved in proving healthcare products and drugs overcharging so then the question is how do you provide a way to control those costs as well that cant be thrown out by the fab 5 on the supreme court? After all they have already shown a willingness to sell us down the river when it comes to rulings in favor of corporations so I doubt they would support anything that limits the gouging corporations commit on the american public.

[Kolesar]

11. Medicare *is* a single payer health care system

So what is the difference?

[No Elephants]

17. Please see Reply 16. We keep asking for second best when we shoud be demanding best.

[MisterP]

3. the differences, of course, are there to keep us voting for the similarities

:hide:

[mmonk]

21. +1

[cstanleytech]

4. Why dont the republicans push for reform regarding lawsuits for malpractice

anymore to control the costs of medical care? After all that is one of their talking points for the supposed rising costs isnt it?

[madrchsod]

6. wow .....the mother ...really are trying to kill me.....

[on point]

7. Public option AND Single Payer are the ways to curb costs!!!!

[msongs]

8. now that bin laden is canned Obama is going back to bipartisan at any price? nt

[No Elephants]

18. "Going back to?" When did he leave?

[jillan]

9. Raise taxes on the rich and LEAVE ME ALONE!

[Kat45]

10. "Republicans say the president would empower unaccountable bureaucrats to ration care."

Yet currently, unaccountable (to all but the profit-motive) insurance company bureaucrats ration care.

[Vinca]

12. There should be no Medicare . . . or Medicaid . . . or VA healthcare.

There should be ONE single-payer system that covers everyone. Now that would save money!

[cstanleytech]

13. Its easy to say yes to such a system

and I would love there to be one based on a persons income but the question is how to make it work and keep it working because nothing in life is free, the people like doctors, nurses and even the simple janitor at the hospital (not to mention pharmacists and the people who build medical devices from walkers to wheelchairs) I assume want to pay their rent, feed and house their families.

[Vinca]

14. Who said "free?"

There's a reason taxes are a whole lot higher in countries with decent healthcare.

[No Elephants]

20. A number of countries whose health care costs are lower than ours have better health care.;

As far as taxes being "a whole lot higher," I'm not sure that's true, esp. if they spend a lot less on military than we do, as so many countries do.

[No Elephants]

19. ? Single payer means government collects insurance premiums (or changes taxes) and then

pays doctors, nurses, hospitals (who pay janitors) and all the others you mentioned. It does not mean they don't get paid.

I do think cost controls are more than warranted in some areas, but that is a separate issue from whether insurance companies collect premiums and pay bills or government does.

[Doctor_J]

15. The real death panels and health care rationing

Maybe we should sign some petitions against this :eyes:

[FreeStateDemocrat]

22. They need to start with a limit on defense spending and then they won't have to cut medicare.

Did Boner get an agreement from Biden that there would not be any Medicare cuts and there would not be any tax increases? Does that mean that the Bush/Obama tax break for the obscenely rich will be extended again and again and again?