McCain Plans Federal Health Cuts

Source: The Wall Street Journal

Medicare, Medicaid Spending Would Be Reduced to Offset Proposed Tax Credit.

John McCain would pay for his health plan with major reductions to Medicare and Medicaid, a top aide said, in a move that independent analysts estimate could result in cuts of $1.3 trillion over 10 years to the government programs.

The Republican presidential nominee has said little about the proposed cuts, but they are needed to keep his health-care plan "budget neutral," as he has promised. The McCain campaign hasn't given a specific figure for the cuts, but didn't dispute the analysts' estimate.

In the months since Sen. McCain introduced his health plan, statements made by his campaign have implied that the new tax credits he is proposing to help Americans buy health insurance would be paid for with other tax increases.

But Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Sen. McCain's senior policy adviser, said Sunday that the campaign has always planned to fund the tax credits, in part, with savings from Medicare and Medicaid. Those government health-care programs serve seniors, poor families and the disabled. Medicare spending for the fiscal year ended Sept. 30 is estimated at $457.5 billion.


Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122315505846605217.html#printMode

trying to lose this election.

...because I couldn't believe what I was reading.

So...28 days before a Presidential election, McCain is cutting benefits to seniors, the poor and the disabled--during
a time of economic panic?

This is unimaginable!

Well. Say hello to a solid Florida win, Obama. McCain wants to steal money from seniors.

Unfrickinbelievable.

And that position is that if you cannot work and cannot afford to pay your way, you should just get out of the way. Drop dead in other words.

We are already becoming a two-class society as a result of eight years of Bush, two of which we can thank Nancy Pelosi for, and under McCain we will simply become a country in which there are ruling families and those who serve the ruling families. And those who serve no purpose, well, we will export them. They way Mexico did. Question is where will we be exported to? Or will we simply be cut off from society and indeed told to just drop dead because we are nothing more than a burden on society. Reality is a lot of Republicans do feel that way. Compassionate conservatism as George W Bush called it. Compassionate for themselves. Not for anyone else.

If people thought Bush was evil, they really need to take a look at McCain.

Wait until the health insurance and health care industries have taken everything you own first. Once you have nothing to leave to your children, then you can drop dead. This is the real "death tax", not that silly inheritance tax on multimillionaires.

dumped thousands of kids from their medical coverage, and the result is he's so unpopular he decided not to run for re-election. Of course, the reason he gave for not running was that he 'had accomplished everything he set out to do'.

.....both "drop dead". From what I've heard the kid is actually worse (is that possible?) than the old man.

with self congratulation
when they put a pitiful few back on the rolls.

But for them to come out and SAY it in an election year suggests that they're either very stupid or are deliberately trying to throw the election.

that's gonna hurt!

Perhaps they have decided that the best course of action is to lose it all and blow town.

I hope they get lost.


This past decade is a bad movie.

Gee, what will this brain trust do next?

Suggest a 3 percent tax on groceries?

How about tax breaks for those who run puppy mills?

:shrug:

If one is going down - might as well go down in flames. Perhaps he'll hit the ground so hard that he digs his own grave with the impact.

That he's running his campaign the same way isn't a shock, really. It has worked wonders for his career up to this point.

I hope this makes him plummet further in the polls.

So many seniors already are hurting.


They are splitting pills or deciding not to refill prescriptions. They're missing doctors' appointments, skipping needed dental work, canceling home-care services.

As the economy founders, Chicago's seniors are cutting back wherever they can, and health care is high on the list of items being sacrificed.It's a dangerous choice for older people, who are vulnerable to illness by virtue of their age. Add anxiety about depleted savings or declining home values, and it's emotionally destabilizing as well.

The specter of want is especially painful for older seniors who witnessed the Depression and have worked hard for a measure of security. But younger seniors are suffering, also, as rising prices undercut the value of fixed incomes.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/health/chi-seniors-health-intro-bd-05-oct05,0,1878821.story


I guess this is their plan to rid the U.S. of "excess" population.

better do it, then, and decrease the surplus population."

He's just lost the seniors vote. Most are extremely dependant on Medicare.

Here it goes - "Amnesty for murderers and rapists to make room in prisons for jaywalkers." Well, it is at least on par with the Medicare/Medicaid cuts.

I'm really dumbfounded as to which, if any, voter group this will appeal to.

1. Obama is Bill Ayers' Muslim friend.
2. Michelle hates America.
3. Jeremiah Wright hates White people.
4. LibrulLibrulLibrul!!!
5. Get government off our backs.
6. God bless America.

"Did you hear that? A POW!!" :P

That's why Medicare Part C costs more than Part B.

when it comes to social programs. :argh:

They need to know this!

:(

Forward this to as many people as you can. I am personally "surviving" on SSI because I am disabled. It is getting harder and harder to get medication and doctors who will see me (and I know I am one of the "fortunate" ones because I am generally able to at least see my general practioner - as long as it is not too often). (:

Believe me, I know what you mean!

:hug:

Tricare payments (veteran health care) are tied to medicare/medicaid payments. It's already getting hard to find a doctor that will take Tricare.

We can hope for an ad campagin.

Hopefully, it can counter the idiotic, lie spewing ad from the
"Vets for Freedom"!

Who in the hell are those guys, anyway?

Karl Rove's staff?

What a perfect business opportunity set up.

Got cash...?
have we got the "medical Plans" for you, sucker...

They sold out on Part D so they could get into the prescription drug insurance business. I wouln't be surprised to see them position themselves to sell policies to those who are forced off Medicare/Medicaid if McCain wins.

Can you imagine that senior citizens are NOT otherwise organized except for

this organization ...????

using things like facts and actual quotes from the candidates is obviously a no-no in RW world.

ditty will sway your minds. This rethug party has lost its' collective mind.

We as seniors are having enough trouble as it is. This sounds like a way of thinning out the population. Deny health care the the old, infirm and poor.

My disdain for all things political grows daily as I watch us all fall apart. All I have in this world is the little my husband left when he died and I watch daily as that goes down in value. And as for my now disolved job...well, I can hope to find another one but when the young or very qualified are having trouble, tell me I've got a chance in this market.

If you told me 10 years ago this would happen, I'd have bet the farm that you were crazy---or moved away. Now we find that no matter what we do, we're screwn.

He just lost more seniors.

Bye bye

Is what I read from this. Since there are a lot of seniors there, and this effects them, it looks like he's conceding Florida to Obama.

There's another state that seniors flock to, maybe he'll lose that one too. You know which one it is????


ARIZONA!


Could this bring Arizona into play? If McCain were to lose his 'home' state, how would that play to the media?

the Obama/Biden Presidential/Vice-Presidential campaign ASAP.

Thanks!

How about doctors, and other health care professionals who will get less reimbursement for their services, as a result of this.

Again, my poetry:

The McCain campaign
Is circling
The drain!

I would understand cutting Medicare and Medicaid IF it weren't to pay for tax cuts for millionaires, but to help balance the budget/reduce the deficit. Even then ONLY if it were accompanied by comparable cuts in defense spending.

I also think members of Congress should be on Medicare. Let them see how they like it.

This action would lead to deaths...


Give the rich tax cuts and cut funding for the poor.... nice

McLame just handed them to Obama!

The 2003 Medicare prescription drug bill got the GOP foot in the door with means testing. Starting in 2007 the premium for Medicare Part B increased substantially for individuals making more than $80K and households making more than $160K. About 2 million people saw an increase.

http://www.tscl.org/NewContent/102589.asp

In 2008 the income threshold was $82K/$164K.

https://questions.medicare.gov/cgi-bin/medicare.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=1980&p_sid=HNH9cGfj&p_lva=1979

Premiums have already been increased for wealthier seniors. This campaign proposal can only mean:

McCain would increase Part B premiums even more sharply for those making more than $82K/$164K.

The income threshold would be lowered so that the middle class would be subject to higher premiums.

If you had to pick one or the other, which do you think it is most likely McCain would do?

I am 72 and have Medicare coverage along with a supplemental plan. My husband will work as long as he can and is hoping that he gets Medicare. Our IRA which he worked for for 31 years is going down the dumper so that means our golden years will be screwed. Can someone brighten my day?

Still think he's your guy?

So how do we get the $5,000 tax credit if our employer is still paying for the plan? I keep thinking about this and maybe I'm just dense so if anyone can explain this that would be great. So my employer pays $10,000 for my health insurance coverage. Under McCain's plan I get taxed. Say I'm in a 25% bracket (I make less than $120,000.) Total taxes include income 25%, Social security and medicare 7.65% and I'll throw in 5.35% for State and local to get to 38%. So I pay $3,800 in additional taxes. Now, under McCain's plan there is a tax credit to help me pay for my insurance. But I'm not paying for my insurance, my employer is. How does this tax credit help me pay the additional tax? Does the employer then get to use it? (BTW, my employer may have to pay $765 more in additional Social Security and Medicare maybe some state unemployment.)

Alternatively, my employer cancels my health insurance because McCain is giving me this sweet credit. I just lost $10,000 in compensation. So I pay $5,000 to keep my insurance (assuming of course that I can get it with my pre-existing conditions) and the government pays the other $5,000. Now I've lost both the $10,000 benefit and $5,000 of out-of-pocket for the insurance.

If my employer gives me cash compensation of $10,000 to replace the insurance I will get $6,200 after tax and $5,000 will be sent to the insurance company so I come out with $1,200. If my insurance were to cost $12,000 because I'm no longer part of a group I'm behind $800.

On a final note, what happens to benefits that are currently tax exempt under a cafeteria plan? Normal tax policy would disqualify those from qualifying for the credit.

Anyone? Maybe you know a Replicant who can explain it.

The GOP has wanted for some time to eliminate employer-provided healthcare. Business leaders wanted Junior to do that but this was one of the last items on his to do list and he's not in a position to pull that off now. McCain's tax credits are a part of that plan. So are his schemes to tax employer-provided health care benefits as income.

Another part is substitution of low-cost catastrophic-only policies for the decent coverage some employees and retirees still enjoy today. We are already seeing these plans being rolled out today. Healthcare Savings Accounts are often a part of the package.

When you get past the smoke and mirrors, you will find that the empoyees and retirees would bear all of the cost and the employer bears none. Since the employer negotiates with health insurance providers to make the plan available, you might not realize this is so. And you're not going to see this pointed out in the employee bulletin that announces your existing benefits have been replaced by this wonderful new plan.

This is actually nothing new. McBush is just going to pick up where The Decider left off.

Their Goal: End Employer-Provided Healthcare

I'm going to send my question to my local repuke rep and watch them try to explain it. I didn't vote for him but he doesn't know that.

One thing for certain, the response won't be brimming with straight talk.

McCain is 72, his body is a mess from old injuries, AND he's a cancer survivor. Talk about an EPIC lack of empathy! It's scary.

...kicked out of politics now!

the one we should start with is the one John McCain uses....

Maybe a Palin contribution?

What a ghastly idea!

This is going to virtually kill programs that give medical aid to families with disabled children! If she's in "lock-step" with McCain's proposed cuts here, she may as well stop pulling the "I care about special needs kids 'cause I have one!" BS angle...

Sorry, but this is what I'd feared would happen and it pisses me off! My parents are getting phone calls tonight and I plan to tell them if they vote for McCain, they can then chip in for any and all extra expenses my special needs son may have for the rest of his life... We have supplemental Medicaid coverage and I just know that the first group the state of Georgia will have to come after is disabled kids on Deeming Waiver programs. So, you vote against my son, you get to help pay for the result...

My dad and millions of others like him worked their tails off, paid taxes, took care of themselves, and lived long enough to retire. And now McCain wants to tax his Medicare? Boy, talk about crapping on your own people, the elderly. Although I guess McCain has tons more money than guys like my dad, who was after all, a "mere factory worker". My dad is too decent a man to say this, so I will. Fuck you McCain.

my husband and i could not possibly buy health insurance for $5K a year, not at our age, not in this state -- try $15K!

if the plan is to start taxing people on their health insurance AND to deny health care to our aging parents on medicare AND they are openly admitting this is the plan...who would vote for this except a very few insane people being bussed in from a mental institution?

when i saw mccain state this plan in the debate i was sick, they must KNOW they are going to steal it, because this is laughing in our faces to call this a plan, it is simple theft from seniors, the poor, and the middle class

the mccain tax plan is a shotgun, i get sick, i have to shoot myself to prevent my spouse from being impoverished