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Wednesday, April 06, 2011

Republicans' Budget Declares War On Medicare

The Republicans are poised to unveil a model budget on Tuesday that would effectivelyend Medicareby privatizing it, Steve Benen reports in theWashington Monthly. House Budget Committee Chair Paul Ryan (R-WI) is touting the budget as a strategy to reduce the national debt.

Ryan's plan would turn Medicare from a single-payer system to a "premium support" system. "Premium support" is a euphemism for the government giving up to $15,000 per person, per year, to insurance companies to defray the cost of a health insurance policy.

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4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Though that would be a good thing for Medicare and the health delivery system - eliminating huge layers of redtape and inefficiency - it would not be helpful to the employment picture; all those governmnent folks having to find a real job.

lmclain said...

Wow. The government wants to give INSURANCE COMPANIES, already one of the top 3 richest organizations in the nation, $15,000 per Medicare recipient? How many bribes did THAT take? I'd bet hundreds of senators and representatives have already been greased by the "campaign contributions" from this lobby. More transfers of wealth to the already obscenely wealthy...Congress has made sure the bankers haven't suffered for the damage they've done, bailed out Wall Street, too, and now they want to help those poor insurance companies with our tax money. Again. Between enriching themselves and enriching their rich friends, there's hardly any time left for these lying, cheating, stealing, bribe-taking slimeballs to actually represent "we, the people"....but as long as they let us vote, we'll be content believing there's "change" and "hope" for a better way. I know I believe it...

Anonymous said...

Not the government 11:53 PM. Just republicans

lmclain said...

2:57... trust me --- I'm NOT defending Republicans. They are just as slimy as the Democrats. And BOTH parties are FULL of members who have sold their soul and their integrity, not to mention spitting on the oath they took, all in order to give special interests whatever they have paid bribes for and to hell with the average American. I'm not saying that these politicians should be taken out in the street and shot, because that might get me in trouble. But I AM saying SOMETHING needs to be done to these "leaders" who unabashedly sell us out and believe they are above the law and any repercussions for their blatant thievery. And I'm not alone in that sentiment.