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Post by catmandewe on Sept 25, 2012 1:45:01 GMT -5
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Post by helens on Sept 25, 2012 2:02:25 GMT -5
www.politico.com/news/stories/0912/81572.html?hp=r7So far, those enrollment cuts haven’t happened. On Wednesday, the CMS director of Medicare announced that the agency was projecting that the Medicare Advantage rolls will have grown 28 percent over three years by 2013 while premiums will have dropped by 10 percent and benefits have held steady.
Whether it’s the bonus payments that’s allowing the plans to continue to grow or they are more resilient than projected, they remain strong.
But insurers warn that that could change. At the hearing Friday, Karen Ignagni, president of America’s Health Insurance Plans, or AHIP, said that she could not predict exactly what would happen when the deeper cuts kick in but that the “scale and scope” of those cuts will be very difficult to endure.
“It’s quite clear from the trustees’ projection that the program is going to shrink,” James Capretta, a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, said at the hearing Friday. “When you reduce the MA payments, by definition, you are scaling back what they offer.”
But Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.) chastised Republicans for taking political advantage of cuts that they, themselves, have embraced in the past.
“Everybody speaking on the other side about these awful cuts — every single one of them voted for them twice,” McDermott said, referring to Rep. Paul Ryan’s budget, which included the same cuts as those in the ACA for the past two years.
Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.), ranking member of the Health Subcommittee, assailed Ryan’s premium-support proposal for Medicare at the hearing Friday.
“The hallmark of Medicare — its guarantee of defined benefits earned through years of work and contributions to the program — is under an all-out assault in the Ryan voucher,” he said. “Moving to this scheme doesn’t ‘reform’ anything. … There is no need to end Medicare as we know it in order to save it.”
So there MIGHT be a cut to the Advantage program if Seniors don't opt for it, even tho the facts are that it's been growing, not shrinking to date. But with Romney/Ryan's plan, there will BE no more Medicare. So we treat the sick baby by killing it?
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Post by helens on Sept 25, 2012 2:09:56 GMT -5
And Obamacare doesn't kick in til 2014. The REASON there's a 716 billion dollar saving is not because any benefits to Seniors are lost.... it's because hospitals and doctors are going to take a VOLUNTARY cut to their benefits.
WHY would they agree to THAT? To accept less money for the same care?
Because if EVERYONE in the USA is forced to buy insurance, there will be no more people going to the ER to freeload. People won't be taking children with 99 degree fevers and sniffles to the ER, they can take them to a doctor. Hospitals do not have to pass on the bills for people getting into wrecks and being in $10,000 a day ICU for 2 months with no insurance. Hospitals and Doctors will be paid, because almost everyone will be insured in the USA, or pay a penalty to do that to hospitals and doctors for being deadbeats.
THAT is where the $716 billion savings comes from. Here's the funny part. Ryan included that savings in his plan too. Say what? IF Obamacare is overturned, HOW can hospitals and doctors afford to give that discount, they would be where they are RIGHT NOW with uninsured sitting day and night in the ER with no ability or desire to pay, yet must suck up triage and care. They can't. So they will reject both medicare and medicaid patients because they can not afford that 716 billion dollar cut.
Ryan's plan will ensure a lack of care for Seniors and disabled on medicaid and medicare, because that $716 billion dollars that the hospitals agreed to will not be agreed to.
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Post by helens on Sept 25, 2012 2:51:07 GMT -5
And I want to mention that this particular issue matters to me, and I watch it because my mom's on Medicare too. Seniors having adequate medical care is a big big big deal... "Our society must make it right and possible for old people not to fear the young or be deserted by them, for the test of a civilization is the way that it cares for its helpless members." ~Pearl S. Buck (1892-1973), My Several Worlds [1954].
Obamacare is not the perfect solution. I would like to see Universal Health Care. There's so many small businesses and people who's entire families are completely changed because they develop cancer or another debilitating illness or have a crippling accident. And a huge problem there are uninsured people who drive up the costs for everyone else. The lost in national productivity and GDP due to health care related issues is almost impossible to measure.
Even worse is how much profit is made from selling health insurance. That is the most disgusting part of all... that people's lives are at stake because of insurance companies decisions to allow or not allow treatment (which Obamacare at least eliminated the pre-existing conditions clauses).
Up to 40% of our premiums for insurance is profit and overhead... more if you realize that the bottom line profit you see on their stock reports ALREADY takes into account CEO and Officer salaries (Aetna's CEO made 72 million dollars 2 years ago). If we had Universal Health care run by the Gov't, costs would plummet because we'd take the 'profit' out of healthcare.
But Obamacare moves us in the right direction. If everyone has insurance or must pay if they do not, it should drop prices across the board for all medical care. It beats people having no health care and dying or having no health care and mooching off of hospitals or doctors, who then have to pass the cost onto everyone else.
It's easy to knock a plan. And that's OK, if a replacement plan is better. Ryan's plan of eliminating Medicare for vouchers that do not go up with the increased cost of medical care is simply unacceptable.
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Post by catmandewe on Sept 25, 2012 17:40:25 GMT -5
All I see above is a bunch of mumbo jumbo about how bad the republican side is, nothing that says what is posted is wrong, you said the cuts have not happened yet, the video clearly says they are not scheduled to happen until Oct 15th, but the effects will not be seen for months because of extra money to delay the deadline. Looks to me like a lot of smoke and mirrors to deflect the attention to elsewhere until it is too late.
The current plan is simply unacceptable.
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Post by helens on Sept 25, 2012 18:12:03 GMT -5
And the replacement is to keep the cuts and destroy Medicare too. That's better? abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/08/fact-check-obama-ryan-romney-backed-medicare-cuts/Ryan's plan NOT ONLY makes the identical cuts, instead of putting the savings back into Medicare, he wants to SPEND it elsewhere. That's BETTER? BOTH sides make these cuts Tony. Those Medicare savings -achieved through reduced provider reimbursements and curbed waste, fraud and abuse, not benefit cuts – appear in the House Republicans’ FY 2013 budget, which Ryan authored. His plan would in part repeal the entirety of the Affordable Care Act — except the reductions in Medicare spending now at the center of debate, according to analysts with the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation. Where Romney and Ryan find shelter for their new line of attack is in what they claim they’d do with the savings. As the ad suggests, they don’t want the money to underwrite Obamacare, but for deficit reduction or other spending instead.
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Post by catmandewe on Sept 27, 2012 1:32:53 GMT -5
Helen, Remember this promise
got an answer for that?
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Post by catmandewe on Sept 27, 2012 1:35:46 GMT -5
Here is another promise he made that went waaaaaaay out the window
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Post by catmandewe on Sept 27, 2012 1:38:20 GMT -5
Here is one promise he made that should be kept
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Post by helens on Sept 27, 2012 8:29:07 GMT -5
Of course I have an answer... in reality, come 2014, OUR family's insurance will be lower by HUMONGOUS amount. We pay nearly $20,000 a year for group health insurance for a healthy family of 4 that on average goes to the doctor 2x a year each. HERE is the new rate table come 2014. HELL YAH! HELL YAH!!! CAN"T WAIT TO PUT $$ IN MY POCKET!!! Right now, the poverty rate is roughly $24,000 for a family of 4. That means a family making $50,000 a year pays $2800 premium max. A family of 4 making $100,000 a year pays $8,400 max. That's less than 1/2 of what we currently pay a year. So yes, he lied about saving $2100 a year. For us, it's going to be around $12,000 a year. Can't WAIT for 2014 for Obamacare rates to kick in!!! WHOOOOOOOTTTT!!!!
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Post by helens on Sept 27, 2012 8:31:09 GMT -5
How can he cut the deficit at all with the Republicans in Congress fillibustering everything he proposes?
They blocked 77 versions of Jobs bills to improve the economy. 77. PLEASE start reading the news. ANY news but FOX news.
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Post by jakesrocks on Sept 27, 2012 9:01:28 GMT -5
Helen, please explain why every bill Obama does get through, always costs us billions more in debt, instead of lowering the debt ? All Obama knows how to do is throw good money after bad. He has no idea how to grow an economy.
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Post by roy on Sept 27, 2012 9:22:35 GMT -5
Lol tony we need to go back out and solve some more of the countrys problems over hotdogs and full trucks of jasper
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Post by catmandewe on Sept 27, 2012 13:56:05 GMT -5
Lol tony we need to go back out and solve some more of the countrys problems over hotdogs and full trucks of jasper Smartest post in this thread! Next weekend (1st weekend in Oct), McDermitt, you coming? I will bring the hot dogs.
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,472
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Post by Sabre52 on Sept 27, 2012 20:30:00 GMT -5
*L* I had to laugh about your source for the chart Helen, the CRS. My pop in his nineties used to complain he had CRS : "Can't Remember Sh*t" Think maybe your hero has CRS too as he can't seem to remember to keep any of his promises ( lies) he made ( told) to the American people when he was campaigning *L*....Mel
PS: All you gun owners out there be sure and read your American Rifleman magazine this month. Real good expose on just how Obama has lied about his stand on gun control. Gives the dates, the recorded votes, the anti-gun legislation he's put forth and supported etc. You want to keep your guns or possibly, even keep hunting, you do not want this guy to have another four years when he does not have to be worrying about re election to go after your gun rights with impunity.
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grayfingers
Cave Dweller
Member since November 2007
Posts: 4,575
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Post by grayfingers on Sept 27, 2012 20:59:17 GMT -5
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Post by helens on Sept 27, 2012 21:03:52 GMT -5
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Post by helens on Sept 27, 2012 21:04:43 GMT -5
*L* I had to laugh about your source for the chart Helen, the CRS. My pop in his nineties used to complain he had CRS : "Can't Remember Sh*t" Think maybe your hero has CRS too as he can't seem to remember to keep any of his promises ( lies) he made ( told) to the American people when he was campaigning *L*....Mel PS: All you gun owners out there be sure and read your American Rifleman magazine this month. Real good expose on just how Obama has lied about his stand on gun control. Gives the dates, the recorded votes, the anti-gun legislation he's put forth and supported etc. You want to keep your guns or possibly, even keep hunting, you do not want this guy to have another four years when he does not have to be worrying about re election to go after your gun rights with impunity. Really? Since Obama took office, you can't buy guns or use them anymore? Show me. Matter of fact, I remember the NRA claiming that if Obama was elected... in 2008... we'd all lose our guns. Uh huh. Seems to me that Obama is MORE pro-gun than Romney is: www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/post/where-obama-and-romney-stand-on-gun-control/2012/07/20/gJQAwMpNyW_blog.htmlHere's an NRA pants on fire: www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2012/jun/14/national-rifle-association/barack-obama-coming-after-guns-under-radar-nra-say/From Christian Science Monitor: www.csmonitor.com/USA/DC-Decoder/2012/0909/Obama-vs.-Romney-101-4-ways-they-compare-on-gun-control/Second-Amendment"Despite the perception is that Mr. Obama is anti-gun rights (gun shop owners say fear of his policies drives strong gun sales), he has repeatedly reaffirmed the right to bear arms. Indeed, the only gun-control laws he has signed as president have been to expand gun rights – allowing guns on national park lands and Amtrak trains. He also said this year that “hunting and shooting are part of a cherished national heritage.”" Hrm. Obama EXPANDED gun rights by allowing guns on national park lands and Amtraks. But NEXT TERM, he'd take guns away. Sure.
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Post by catmandewe on Sept 27, 2012 21:19:14 GMT -5
Old Butch
John was in the fertilized egg business. He had several hundred young layers (hens), called 'pullets,' and ten roosters to fertilize the eggs.
He kept records, and any rooster not performing went into the soup pot and was replaced.
This took a lot of time, so he bought some tiny bells and attached them to his roosters.
Each bell had a different tone, so he could tell from a distance, which rooster was performing.
Now, he could sit on the porch and fill out an efficiency report by just listening to the bells.
John's favorite rooster, old Butch, was a very fine specimen, but this morning he noticed old Butch's bell hadn't rung at all!
When he went to investigate, he saw the other roosters were busy chasing pullets, bells-a-ringing, but the pullets, hearing the roosters coming, would run for cover.
To John's amazement, old Butch had his bell in his beak, so it couldn't ring.
He'd sneak up on a pullet, do his job and walk on to the next one.
John was so proud of old Butch, he entered him in the Saint Lawrence County Fair and he became an overnight sensation among the judges.
The result was the judges not only awarded old Butch the "No Bell Piece Prize," but they also awarded him the "Pulletsurprise" as well.
Clearly old Butch was a politician in the making. Who else but a politician could figure out how to win two of the most coveted awards on our planet by being the best at sneaking up on the unsuspecting populace and screwing them when they weren't paying attention.
Vote carefully this fall, the bells are not always audible.
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Post by jakesrocks on Sept 27, 2012 23:16:44 GMT -5
Then tell me Helen, Why has our federal deficit grown more in under 4 years, than the growth from all of the presidents before him combined ?
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