I find this quite interesting. Ryan parading his mother around at a retirement community pronouncing that his mother "depends" on her Social Security and Medicare. Really?
The fact that Ryan is reportedly worth almost 5M would make me a little suspect of that statement right off the bat.
Does he really think we believe his mother is "dependant" on her Social Security and Medicare like so many other Seniors in America?
Does he really think we have forgotten his and Romney's stance on these "entitlement" programs as they call them?
Does he really think we have forgotten Romney's legislation requiring his states citizens to have health care insurance while bashing current health care reform attempts and calling them unconstitutional?
Does he really think we have forgotten his and Romney's stance on turning Medicare into a privatized "voucher" system, much like what Romney proposed in Massachusetts?
FACT: Medicare administrative costs run less that 2 percent of operating expenditures whereas privatized insurers are approximately 11 percent under almost identical "Medicare Advantage" programs. ( Kaiser Family Foundation, NYT Paul Krugman 06.06.09)
FACT: "Non-partisan data from the Congressional Budget Office and the Center for Medicare/Medicaid Services demonstrate definitively that private insurance is increasingly less efficient than Medicare". (Diane Archer 9.20.11)
FACT: The Congressional Budget Office states that "the rising cost of private insurance will continue to outstrip Medicare for the next 30 years". "The private insurance equivalent of Medicare would cost almost 40% more in 2022 for a typical 65 year old".
How anyone could make the point that private insurers (who need to make a profit to survive) could offer better and more comprehensive insurance coverage at a lower cost is ridiculous. Let's keep in mind that the numbers above are operating expense only, and DO NOT include PROFIT for PRIVATE INSURERS.
Keep your hands off my "entitlement program" that I PAID FOR!
We need Health Care Reform, not health care based on insurer's PROFIT!
Read more in my award winning book: "American Me?"
www.americanmeus.com
You're going to use Paul Krugman for a source to support your Medicare position...Really???
ReplyDeleteIf all healthcare was private insurance, there would be more competition, which keeps costs in check. We need to focus on reducing lawsuit abuse by limiting damages to lost wages and earning potential and drop the pain and suffering millions that make lawyers chase ambulances. That would reduce malpractice insurance. Provide medical scholarships to students willing to work for 5yrs in small town America's clinics for fixed incomes to boost the physician numbers and provide low cost local healthcare in throughout the country. America gets experienced, well trained physicians at low cost and Doctors get a break on their student loans. Everybody wins! We don't need an Expansive, expensive, federal govt growing healthcare system to artificial control costs. We need a competitive interstate marketplace that is less vunerable to greedy lawyers and frivolous lawsuits and more physicians willing to provide their services in trade for their education.
Paul Krugman. The Congressional Budget Office, and the Kaiser Family foundation to be exact Isiah
ReplyDeleteFACT: Medicare administrative costs run less that 2 percent of operating expenditures whereas privatized insurers are approximately 11 percent under almost identical "Medicare Advantage" programs. ( Kaiser Family Foundation, NYT Paul Krugman 06.06.09)
ReplyDeletereally?
did you notice that wages, benefits, matching employer taxes, building costs, utilities, printing, mailing were all missing out of the HHS budget?
Did you also notice that the OVER 20% medicare's LIMITED coverage does not cover and the administration costs born by PRIVATE insurers are never mentioned in these bogus "facts"?
Or how about doing just simple arithmetic, and dividing the costs for medicare A, B, C and D by the number of people on Medicare - to find out Medicare is over 10K per person per year.
And that 10K per person per year does not include the added 53% of federal and 47% of state Medicaid to fund those dual eligible Medicare enrollee's?
And by the way - that fictional "2 percent of operating expenditures" that already does not count actual HHS and CMS operational costs, AND does not cover the private insurer operational costs for Medicare, ALSO does not cover the state and federal operational costs for those dual eligible on Medicaid as well.