Obama camp: McCain would gut health coverage for old and poor

Source: AFP

ASHEVILLE, North Carolina (AFP) — Barack Obama's White House campaign Monday accused John McCain of plotting to impose savage cuts on government-run health care schemes that insure the elderly and the poor.

It was the latest attack from the Democrat's camp over an emotive issue that is taking on new urgency at a time when many Americans fear losing their jobs and thus the health care coverage that comes from their employers.

The Obama campaign seized on a Wall Street Journal report that cited independent analysts as estimating the Republican's policies would cut 1.3 trillion dollars over 10 years from Medicare and Medicaid.

"This plan would be a disaster. It would dramatically reduce the quality of healthcare for older Americans and the poorest and sickest of Americans," former Florida senator Bob Graham said on a media call.

"This also is a plan which would undercut substantially the fundamental employer-based health care system on which most Americans rely today," he said.



Read more: http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gV2OQfwf76tlRoVUdv8hMyms5CwQ

Gut health care, privatize Social Security - yep, McSame-Phlailin' is just the ticket to complete the Bush destruction.

Wow, I guess Rupert Murdoch's WSJ must be "in the tank" for Obama! NOT

Somehow I think one of the right-wing freakazoid talking heads will somehow come to that conclusion...

Of course, McCain has been on federally funded health care his entire career - he has NO EXPERIENCE in private health insurance. Okay, that isn't really true. He has no experience in trying to find, keep, and PAY for private health insurance. He does have a WEALTH (literally) of experience in getting MONEY from health insurance companies. So I guess that qualifies as some experience, ya betcha.

....."Soylent Green", if the rePublicans win.

Oh yeah?... well...

(cue moving "Taps"-like trumpet and snare drum music)

...There was (say it with me now!)FIVE YEARS WHERE HE DIDN'T HAVE ANY HEALTH INSURANCE

Are increasingly one in the same.

You just lost that state.

The way the sentence reads it seems that they are almost nefarious. Criminals scheme.

Anybody else notice this?

Scuba

But why does the Obama campaign have to get this information from the WSJ?

Sounds like some kind of "clueless folks" from 1920's America not the Fundie Empowered Church Members in USA of TODAY and the rest of us who are STILL WORKING...and having to invest in 401-K's like the rest of America...including the kids.

Sheesh... But, the truth of it is that there were many elderly in their 80's and 90's encouraged to take HELOC's and Refinaces or encouraged to still keep doing it by Pat Boone and others in Ads on the Cables who will be endangered from "reverse mortgages."

So, there's a 30 year age span the Sharks are trying to to scam since the Yuppies, Gen X and Y are now out of the equation for them to bilk with their "mega-SCAMS." :-(

God, how I have come to hate this man.

He is no American. He is a monster.

on topics like possible cuts in Medicare.

Mr. and Mrs. Ordinary American need to be told in no uncertain terms that if they keep electing repukes eventually they are going to be paying their elderly parents' medical expenses out of pocket.
That's what cuts in Medicare mean.

People are already hanging on by the skin of their teeth are going to go over the edge this winter. The GOP has ensured that they have the freedom to choose many things such as how shall I risk death - give up medicines so they can have heat or give up food so they can have medicine?

If enough people don't fight this there I can't help but wonder how many people will be dumping elderly and disabled relatives the way hospitals have dumped uninsured people after the gov. coverage runs out.

it's happening in the private sector as well as the public.

Today my employer annouced that in 2010 we will go to a high deductible health plan (up to $5,000 out of pocket a year) and health savings accounts - great if you're in your 20s, not so great for those of us over 50. It's one of those deals that claims it will save money by insuring us to shop around for treatments - though they haven't explained what you're suppose to do when you're having chest pains - perhaps call around for the cheapest ambulance and emergency room?

I'm lucky, pretty much my only medical expenses have been routine maintenance and a couple minor ailments and I only take one generic drug. We haven't been given the details so I don't know if they'll still cover the routine stuff (pap smears, mammograms etc) I have coworkers, some younger than I, who aren't so lucky. But, really, so it pays for the pap smear, what happens if it comes back with some odd cells and you can't afford the treatment? No doubt we'll see a lot of people putting off care.

Interesting as well is that my employer specializes in disease management and lifestyle coaching. That's why we're getting more than a year's notice - so we have time to shape up. Or, as my boss (who is quite a bit younger and in good health) said to give us time to get our resumes in shape and find jobs with an employer who still offers actual health insurance.

Don't let the noise keep you off the good populist messages found in the issue of healthcare.

If we get the old voters on our side along with the young ones John is TOAST, as well he should be.

The GOP is all about mugging the poor and the weak to give to the wealthy and the strong. Compassion your ass!

Why should he care about anyone else? Typical selfish ideology!