"politically correct".

er, that we paid for every paycheck

It is not a derogatory term, despite some people around DU and other "left" sites claim.

Entitlements are the opposite of welfare--they are not synonymous. Income and asset requirements are not needed to receive SS and Medicare.

and yes, I am "entitled" to my own money I've sent to the federal and state govs. for 40+ yrs. of working.

These people have a fucking death wish against this country. These people who vote for such shit will never be re-elected.

Those politicians don't have a care in the world, because the most brain dead people in the universe, are the ones who vote for them, continuously!

Ryan has been talking about gutting medicare and social security for years, and he still got re-elected! The Tea Party caucus does the same thing and they keep getting re-elected!

You give too much credit to the voters who support politicians like Ryan and Price!

clueless about public policy. God I fucken hate the GOP!

I wouldn't be surprised if riots ensued if dipshit Ryan gets his way.

People around here think the GOP will just magically approve this nutbagger's ideas lockstep. It doesn't happen that way.

Gerrymandering won't save their asses in 2018 if they even attempt this crap.

elected into office had best kiss their butts bye in 2018. I think when many Trump voters see what they voted into office in action they well might do a complete turn around.

And the nut-teabaggers are to stupid to know what hit them.

It will be blamed on Dems...

duh gubmint outta my medicare!

Good lord, people. And people around here ask about how Democrats can appeal to the Trump voters.

Here is your answer. Try and take away that stuff, and the GOP will cease to exist as a party.

Now America has more people in prison than the entire world combined.

Republicans will do the same with medicare, take the state and federal medicare billions and make it into a 'for profit' Corporation.

No one seems to care people die or are abused in those prisons,
no one will care when elderly die and are abused either.

to tear out hair as he puts some of them in his targets. Latest DU strategy for least repuke impact

they aren't going to have much time doing much else.

And the massive, massive protests in this country is going to keep these idiots occupied.

Remember the commercial with Ryan dumping the granny over the cliff? Start airing it again - over and over.

looking actors playing the part of the character pushing granny off the cliff and match them to the varies voting district's for the Senate to whatever Republican holds the office and for the national one they just need an actor that looks like Trump.

treatments. If Medicare goes, so will Medicaid and Obamacare. The repukes will have quite a fight on their hands but with DonCon and a repuke Congress, these programs could all be gone.

just like they did Obamacare

Private interests play the legislators because they contribute to their campaigns

It's the best Congress corporate money can buy

For-profit private prisons, charter schools, even infrastructure

Everything is for sale! Federal lands too!

It's always about the money. Government, to Repugs, is just business.

Worse Congress in American history.

41.5 million US residents (presumably mostly citizens) are 65 or over and most, if not all, are in Medicare.

Another 10 million or so are 60-65 and can expect it soon.

http://www.census.gov/population/age/data/2012.html

So, we have about 20% of the population now, or will shortly, depend on Medicare. They will silently just give it all up?

Not mentioned is Medicaid and all of the assistance for disability, institutionalization, and other serious problems. They won't have the unified, and loud, voice of Medicare recipients, so they will be thrown out on the street even faster. The VA now gets Medicare funding for its older recipients-- would this mean the VA has to reduce benefits?

Where does the Indian Health Service get its funding? Could Price cut that? WIC and other children's health and nutrition programs?

Yeah, Medicare costs a lot of money, but we should just suffer and die so Trump pays even less taxes?

These people are the scum of the earth and there is no place for them in America.

Everyone here with a Facebook account should do the same

Just to remind everyone, Medicare is paid for by our contributions and are not entitlements. So Ryan's government should not be allowed to get away with saying that Medicare is too expensive and needs to be cut.

But, sadly, none of this is important if they just hate government programs

http://kff.org/medicare/fact-sheet/medicare-spending-and-financing-fact-sheet/

?w=735&h=551&crop=1

Do not make the mistake of copying the Publicans and confounding "entitlement" with "welfare". We all pay toward Medicare. We're all entitled to Medicare when we reach 65. That's what an entitlement is. Do not go along with making "entitlement" a bad word. The manipulation of language is the first step in fascism and destruction of our hard-won "entitlements" and rights.

and returned Rs to a majority stake in Congress.

I am 62. I turn 65 in Sept 2019. I really, REALLY am depending on having Medicare available when I reach 65. It would be just my luck that Rs destroy this program just as I and millions of others who have paid into this program for decades become eligible for the few years of benefits it provides.

I can't even conceive of what it would be like to be under some shitty R voucher program that covered nothing, had high premiums and was basically worthless. Many of us would simply opt out of having any insurance, putting us right back to where seniors were pre-Medicare, ie: suffering and dying because we couldn't afford health insurance.

Yes.

to sell this voucher smoke and mirrors bs to the most ignorant, fanatical trumpfuhrer followers, but when they finally have to face reality and pain and sickness with no medical recourse except some voucher that won't be worth the paper it's written, we'll see what happens then. Yeah, at 69, it will hurt me, but a small solace is those nazis will hurt also. Democrats opposing, we'll also see what they can pull out of the legislative trick bag to hang it up for a long time. At least I hope they will fight. Been pretty quiet so far. Hope it's playing our cards "close to the vest".

You know only the old and young poor white and old and young poor PoC will suffer behind this election. As trumpfuhrer asked PoC, "what do you have to lose"? Our lives. And you still had a Ben Carson, k.Pierson and that omurosa person telling AA to vote for the trumpfuhrer POS. LOTS of people, down the drain, because we are old and non-contributors. That is the fascist way.

The uproar would stop it I think. A big push to vote out any congressperson who votes for it needs to happen.

govt operating with speed and in secrecy ramming thru pre-written legislation is a different animal from what we've known.... just look around at how the radical right privatization agenda has been playing out in other countries. Hate to break it to you- but we in the USA really aint so special.

We've had inklings of this for 5 yrs in WI - they ve been busy bees laying ground work for privatization of anything & everything, even eventual turning over of aquifers and water resources to corporate and foreign ownership.

This is their moment - and anyone who thinks they wont take fulla dvantage hasnt been paying attention.

Every congress critter is going to be run out of town before that happens!

Obama was going to put people in FEMA camps.

IS DIFFERENT from all that came before it? What the heck was the last year and 1/2 about, except for that???

Therefore resistance may have to mean something different as well. Futzing around on facebook or twittering back at Trump may not cut it.

Crackpot theories re: Obama putting people in FEMA camps is NOT EQUAL to Rs now being in position to ram thru legislation and achieve openly stated, long-time goals, using methodology they've already been using in some states (eg WI, MI etc.)

False equivalency!

No matter what happens, they have 24/7 megaphones on the radio, on the TV and all over the internet to make sure Trumpies blame liberals, gays, minorities, hippies and the "elites".

We are fucked as a country. Time to start seriously stocking stuff away for the end times

these asshole have been campaigning on this for my entire adult life and just saw 97% re-election rate in congress three weeks ago.

these assholes have been campaigning on this for my entire adult life and BEFORE they saw 97% reelection in congress three weeks ago, on November 7th had full control of congress and far more governorships and state houses and senates.

There is literally nothing stopping them.

I got news for you, they are going to do it and like everything else it will be the evil liberal boogyman's fault.

These clowns have had too much time on their hands, since they aren't doing much else, and have been busy little elves in the event that Trump actually won and they could have control of our government to do as they wished. They scare the crap out of me. I'm afraid they not only have Medicare and SS in their sights, but that in the exuberance to make changes, they will totally mess up the operation of our government and end up spending mega bucks in the process for nothing more than operating expenses.

In my wildest nightmares, I can't imagine how much damage they can cause in the next 2 years before we have a chance to vote some of the bums out of office and put things back in order.

Not only are we scared, but the world stands in fear right along with us.

and so on. See how they respond

But between the corporate media and right wing propaganda they might be able to convince enough rubes to think this ok. Plus no one expected OH to get elected so stranger things can happen.

pay the 6.275% of our salaries to medicare? Do we still pay into SS if they take that away? Just curious.

fore warned is fore armed. I'll start stocking cat food.

just crows! lol But we do have lots of squirrels. I'm sure I learn to trap and kill them. They're too small to fill with bullet holes.

We also have lots of squirrels & plenty of nuts here in Texas.

garbage disposals! And indeed they are a good alarm system. Right now they are chasing a hawk from the territory and screaming like mad.

I better start looking for squirrel recipes.

I was NOT one of those seniors who voted for drumpf. Sad to say that many did.

we are a full on authoritarian fascist state now ...

I really don't think the republicans could get this passed. Attacking medicare and social security, imo, should guarantee that they are out of office for the next twenty years!

Older people are uninsurable by definition.

The vouchers are libertarian bullshit.

That's the Republican medicare plan.

It is a for-profit system. Dumping seniors into it cuts into their profits. I think if this crap actually came to pass, they would dump the pre-existing banning.

And if people think insurance premiums are expensive now, just wait until the older people are dumped into this shitpile of a medical insurance system.

doesn't the Dem party make this a central issue of their
campaigns at all levels?

How many Merrikans know that the GOP aims to abolish
Medicare, Soc Sec, public education and much else?

The media will not tell the public about this - and the public
will never know until it is too late.

Did HRC mention this at all during her campaign?

Not that I can recall.

"mention" the destruction of Medicare.

It needs to be a CENTRAL component of ALL Dem campaigns.

(I took a brief look on line, and I could be wrong, but I did not
see a single tv spot that focused on Medicare privatization.)

As well as extending SS benefits to caregivers.
I thought those were two great proposals.
I'm shocked more Dems didn't know that. You actually had to watch a few speeches because the media refused to cover policies- which is why I listened to the speeches

....will see this for what it is and vote these fuckers out of office in 2018.

WHAAAA?????

those fucking morons just cut their own throats.

I doubt it will be dismantled, but this is a classic case, of soon to be, buyers remorse from these right-wing-mouth-breathing-voting-against-their-own-best-interest-morons.

If enough people ask, he might respond. Get him on record. Press will make his response, whatever it is, a headline. Then perhaps people will notice.

trump will sit on his throne and sign whatever they want.

chills me to the bone.

All of the good of government will be replaced with programs designed to keep people in misery and poverty.

sweatshops for $3/hour into their 70's so they can buy their Rx's.

I want 100% Dem opposition to this idiotic deathly theft of $$. We need to show that they are the destroyers, the morally bankrupt, and Dems provide an actual good populist option, rather than the faux populist lies that Drumpf is dropping now like they never happened..

We are much better off than she is, but it would change our plans a lot and hike our anxiety levels. Hubby and I are both 69 and the only reason we have not signed up for Medicare yet is he is still working by choice, so we have the company plan. Having a company medical plan hides the true cost of both our medications, which is substantial, not to mention premiums.

Trump and those he has enabled will take us back, not to 1950, but to Dickens' time...

4-6 seniors bunk together, will increase the 'for profit' profit x6

they'll keep their slimy hands off medicare and SS.

or maybe they think they have the power now to just fuck the entire country without consequence. and maybe they do.

the night before the election, the had majorities in both chambers of congress, by far more governorships and state houses and senates, and there was a 97% reelection rate that night, adding Donald Trump as the POTUS elect.

ALL the while campaigning actively to do these things.

They have a permanent majority on the House and face a VERY favorable slate of senate races in two years, so they have have a full four year run with Donald Trump.

This is their moment ...

no wonder i feel so sad and mad and frustrated and helpless.

ETA: they didn't gather this power with these policies. they lied and propagandized non-stop. when shit gets real and real people are really injured by these policies, IF there is still a semblance of a democracy left to this country, there will be a backlash.

i think that is one of my few dwindling hopes sad to say. because so many people are so stupid, so blindly ignorant and partisan, they will never get it until it is literally a snake biting them in the ass. they're too far removed from reality.

He said they aren't touching it.

When you pull support out from this insurance plan it will collapse.
Divided it will fall.

Another distraction from the real issues.

Most of us here remember the "government, keep your hands off my Medicare" sign we used to laugh about in the run-up to Obamacare. There are three "third rails" in American politics: Social Security, Medicare and the VA. Yesterday they were talking about getting rid of the VA, today it's Medicare and probably tomorrow Social Security will be on the chopping block. If they plan to keep their seats past 2018 They Will Not Tamper With Those Things.

After this statement, I wonder if Price can get approved for a Cabinet post. The attack ads against anyone who tries putting The Man Who Wants To Kill Medicare on the new president's Cabinet will be glorious indeed.

They have more power today than ever and this country has its first full on meglomaniac POTUS.

The House will be held by Rs the rest of our lives due to gerrymandering and has been flushed twice in the last decade and a half each time to get even more wild eyed radical conservatives in.

They have both chambers for at least the next four years.

They are going to 1) pass the motherlode of legislation freeing all good americans from gays and minority suppression and having done this will 2) make the full run to privitize it all.

Gerrymandering won't mean shit if every single voter in the country who is not rich is furious.

You want Democrats to start appealing to the "white working class"? Here is a surefire way to do it.

This country has made Donald Trump POTUS ... But, sure, the country is going great to get serious about them now!

Clinton did it with AFDC, and Obama pulled that shit with public ed. NO Republican could have EVER gotten away with it.

They hear from AARP or the various veterans organizations, and these shitbags will change their tune fast.

The AARP, VFW and American Legion will NOT put up with this shit.

Unlike Clinton with AFDC and Obama with public schools, NO ONE calls Grandma a useless eater (like Trump wants to do) and gets away with it.

I am getting Schadenfrude too because I know this is NOT what his dumbass supporters were expecting. All those rubes making $9.25 an hour that voted for DJT because he promised to bring back the coal industry (!!!) are going to get it up the arse from the REAL GOP. Enjoy the ride, fellas.

And, those conservatives on Medicare start to see a significant loss in coverage and an increase in cost, they will just blame Obama and call for more cuts to Medicare.

nm

Idiots

This is what has us shaking our heads. Are you really that stupid? Seriously? The "damned socialist" coverage is keeping millions of Americans healthy and alive. I would hope that if there is movement toward disposing of it, those of us receiving benefits (everybody over 65) will be protesting in the streets in their own communities.

The stupidity is truly astounding.

I read one very cynical analysis of why Medicare started: old people need a lot of expensive treatment and insurance companies wanted to get rid of them since they were too hard to make a profit on.

Why would they want them back?

They'd have to hire ten times as many operators to deny claims as they have now.

Then they won't give them decent medical treatment just enough treatment to keep them alive for that profitable subsidy money.

Insurance companies.

Not if they care about re-election. Same with the House.

Paul Ryan is talking out of his moronic ass.

Bush went from near dictator to lame duck overnight when he pissed off old people.

voting . I would like to see the people burn that House of Corporate prostitution to the ground
with the traitors and Fascists locked inside .

Which I am on? (disabled, on SSI). Any talk on killing that?

Remember how they used to scream, "Keep the guvmint's hands off my Medicare!"? They're about to find out exactly what that means.

Unfortunately, everyone will have to pay for their stupid, reactionary white privilege bullshit.

I'll be grandfathered in more than likely. . . . But even if I weren't, I could get by. I worry about the people who cannot, and it will affect just about EVERYBODY. With an unelected pig, "we" are going to undo what took generations to achieve.

Then we can crush them.

Hacking Trump's bank accounts, etc, just to afford to eat and see my dr regularly.

Politically speaking, the end of Medicare WAS untenable without some other option that isn't tied to employment -- now available through the ACA marketplace.

With the rising complexity of Medicare and premiums for additional options, the public has become conditioned to it being increasingly costly. Those options also conditioned the public to accept tiered service -- bare bones for those who can't afford it, higher service for those able to pay extra.

It is a short step from Medicare to a private substitute for Medicare offered on the healthcare.gov website. Expect it to start with "if you are currently on Medicare, you'll be automatically enrolled in.."

Please note: I've been a fan of this accomplishment, but I don't think it's too farfetched that the owners of the for-profit health insurance industry saw it as a useful step toward owning the Medicare market too.

As a St. 4 cancer survivor, I've seen the bills: $500/5 min. office visit; decades-old chemo with IV drip at home at $23K per round (I had 12 rounds, which is standard); $200K for surgery + one week in hospital; $6,000 for a CT scan or MRI; $3000 for X-ray, etc, etc.

You call it "rising complexity of Medicare" but really, it's all about the rising cost of health care to continue provider and Pharma profits and campaign contributions to their puppets in Congress.