Wouldn't it be fiscally responsible to expand medicare instead of creating a new Gov Program?

LeftyAndProud60

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Fri Feb-19-10 12:32 AM
Original message

Wouldn't it be fiscally responsible to expand medicare instead of creating a new Gov Program?

But expand it to everyone. Make people buy into it. Maybe pay a monthy sum of some kind. And like Weiner said, it's seems so easy to explain. I know if Obama tried he could sell that. Medicare for all in order to sustain it for the future. If a CBO estimate said it saves money, it would be a sure thing. I can understand how people could be afraid of something they know nothing about. But everyone knows about medicare.

Obama needs to team w/ Weiner and get on this. Screw a PO, Medicare for all. I took marketing for a semester, this would work. :sarcasm:

but really, I think it would work. We need to get off a PO, and push something that can be sold to critics.

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DJ13

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Fri Feb-19-10 12:41 AM
Response to Original message

1. But........ that would make Medicare solvent, cant have that when

.... cutting "entitlements" is the latest craze in governments the world over.

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gimama

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Fri Feb-19-10 12:42 AM
Response to Original message

2. easier.cheaper,faster, more efficient..

..it's just common dang sense.
thanks for saying it!

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cliffordu

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Fri Feb-19-10 12:44 AM
Response to Original message

3. And simple enough to explain to people who believe that

the Prez wasn't born here.

Most understand EXACTLY what Medicare means to them, or their mothers and fathers.

They just don't understand that it's a government spawned program.

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frazzled

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Fri Feb-19-10 12:48 AM
Response to Original message

4. The Medicare expansion for ages 55+ that almost made it into the Senate bill ...

was a "buy in" premium. It was expected to be fairly expensive to buy, given the age group and the fact that mostly sicker people would be purchasing it. I seem to recall $600/month for an individual, or $7200 per year.

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LeftyAndProud60

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Fri Feb-19-10 12:57 AM
Response to Reply #4

5. 600/month, that seems kinda high. I think different people should pay different prices.

If you're overweight, than pay a lil more than someone in better shape. But the main point is to make sure it's cheaper than Most Insurance companies.

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frazzled

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Fri Feb-19-10 01:10 AM
Response to Reply #5

8. That is probably a tad cheaper than private insurance ... if you even can get it

I can't tell you the number of people I know over 55 who have had to buy insurance on the open market for one reason or another (usually job loss). And all of them were turned down for incredibly minor things. Or offered exorbitant premiums.

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slipslidingaway

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Fri Feb-19-10 01:10 AM
Response to Reply #5

9. We can look to other countries for their payment structure...

and I doubt a country such as Canada has lower level for those "in better shape."

The US pays almost twice as much as Canada and the UK pays about a third person of what we do in the U.S. yet they both have better outcomes, something is drastically wrong with the base on which these new bills are built.

:(

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DJ13

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Fri Feb-19-10 01:04 AM
Response to Reply #4

7. Thats precisely the reason it would only work if it covers every age group

Having the young in the program who rarely get sick would offset the premiums of the older people.

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slipslidingaway

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Fri Feb-19-10 01:13 AM
Response to Reply #7

10. Exactly, we need all age groups to spread the risk, why let the private

insurers have the cream of the crop.

:shrug:

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frazzled

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Fri Feb-19-10 01:14 AM
Response to Reply #7

11. But then it's not really Medicare, is it

Medicare works by people paying into it their whole working lifetimes. You pay into the fund to pay for current retirees, and then when you need it, younger workers are paying into the pool. The hospitalization part of medicare is then free, with Part B Medicare (for doctors visits and tests) costing a small monthly premium ($200 or so). In the current Medicare system, there wouldn't be enough workers to pay into the system to cover everyone. Unless everybody started getting a heck of a lot more taken out of their paychecks in deductions. Which would be okay by me.

Paying monthly premiums is really different--more like a full public option.

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slipslidingaway

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Fri Feb-19-10 01:23 AM
Response to Reply #11

12. It would be an improved Medicare for all. n/t

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slipslidingaway

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Fri Feb-19-10 01:03 AM
Response to Original message

6. Of course it would, but what about the insurance companies and their investors...

Edited on Fri Feb-19-10 01:03 AM by slipslidingaway

who cares about fiscal responsibility when there are profits to be made.

:sarcasm:

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eridani

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Fri Feb-19-10 03:36 AM
Response to Original message

13. Especuakkt uf the point of the new program is to waste taxpayer dollars

--padding the accounts of a totally worthless sector of the economy.

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