Romney outlines plans for spending cuts, Medicare privatization and raising eligibility to 67

http://www.suntimes.com/news/nation/8613840-418/romney-outlines-plans-for-spending-cuts-medicare-privitization.html

BY STEVE PEOPLES November 4, 2011 1:00PM

EXETER, N.H. — Mitt Romney is tackling one of the 2012 presidential contest’s most delicate issues today.

The Republican presidential hopeful and former Massachusetts governor has released a broad plan to transform Medicare, the popular health-insurance program for the elderly. He addressed the lightning-rod issue and other spending cuts during a fiscal policy speech before an afternoon gathering of conservative activists at the Washington Convention Center, where the tea party-allied group Americans for Prosperity is holding a two-day event.

Romney has struggled to win over tea party supporters, and his cuts would not go as far as some would like. But he says he would slash federal spending by $500 billion in his first term as president. snip

“The idea instead is to set the Medicare payment to provide each senior with money that they can go out use to go and buy a plan,” a senior Romney adviser said before the speech. “In that respect, it’s exactly the same exact thing as a Ryan plan.”

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/daniel-marans/raising-medicare-eligibil_b_1074019.html

Raising Medicare Eligibility Age Erodes Social Security Benefits, New Study Shows

Posted: 11/4/11 12:30 PM ET

A proposal to increase the Medicare eligibility age, which the Super Committee is considering, would drive up health care costs to the point where they would consume almost half of the Social Security check of a middle-class retiree, according to a new analysis by Social Security Works.

In his testimony before the Super Committee yesterday, Erskine Bowles, a Morgan Stanley executive and co-chair of the President's Fiscal Commission, recommended raising the Medicare eligibility age to 67 as a way to bridge the differences between Democrats and Republicans on the Super Committee.

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http://bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2011/11/04/romney-would-raise-age-for-social-security-and-medicare-cost-cutting-plan/xGw2M9zmNDoTYldjwDmGgL/story.html

Romney plan would raise age for Social Security, Medicare

By Donovan Slack | Globe Staff November 04, 2011

WASHINGTON – Mitt Romney unveiled a sweeping budget-cutting plan today that would increase the eligibility age for Social Security and cap Medicaid payments to states.

Romney’s plan would also increase the eligibility age for Medicare and allow seniors to choose between the government-sponsored plan and private insurance.

The plan would cut at least $500 billion per year from the federal budget as of 2016 and dramatically shrink the government, pulling back funding from areas that Romney says the nation can no longer afford.

for fewer services. It's the wrong tactic at the wrong time. Romney is out of his ever-loving mind.

:shrug:

it only enriches the rich bastards; that is what the repukian culture is about; money from poor to rich, it never ends.

Romney is a corporate whore slick ass bastard - I am sure all the Seniors in the US will flock to vote for him on that platform.......

more important than the rest of us. I agree with MM - they have gong too far.

they are thought to work harder to be more efficient than public entities. The are in general not more efficient, but that never kills this talking point.

What a giant pig-dog!

like the Democrats are the ones wanting to destroy Medicare and social security. And sadly there are a lot of people who will believe them.

I am very embarrassed by anyone in my age group that enjoying SS and Medicare benefits cheering for one of these idiots. In my opinion if they think it's so bad; let them return the money they've received from SS and go out and find one of those wonderful, private insurance companies willing to insure them for a reasonable premium.

It's not bad enough I live in WI with our idiot republican majority but then I have to listen to the so-called candidates. Maybe being at the end of road isn't all bad.