by C. Steven Tucker
When you hear Democrats repeat ad nauseam that “Republicans want to end Medicare as we know it.” Know that they are repeating PolitiFacts’s 2011 “Lie of the Year”. PolitiFact outlines the many reasons why this is lie.
The simple fact is that Democrats have already ‘ended Medicare as we know it” with Obamacare. In fact, according to the Chief Medicare Actuary – Mr. Richard Foster. Mr. Foster’s assessment states that altogether, ObamaCare cuts $818 billion from Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) from 2014-2023, the first 10 years of its full implementation, and $3.2 trillion over the first 20 years, 2014-2033. Adding in ObamaCare cuts for Medicare Part B (physicians fees and other services) brings the total cut to $1.05 trillion over the first 10 years and $4.95 trillion over the first 20 years. This is far, far more than just ‘ending Medicare as we know it”.
These draconian cuts will decimate Medicare for all future generations. In fact, they are already forcing doctors to stop taking Medicare patients. Read the truth here in the Wall Street Journal. Or if you’re a health care policy ‘geek’ like me you can read Mr. Fosters entire assessment here in the 2010 Medicare Board of Trustees Annual Report. Mr. Foster’s actuarial opinion can be found beginning on page 281.
There will be additional cuts under ObamaCare to Medicare Advantage, the private option to Medicare that close to one-fourth of all seniors have chosen for their coverage under the program because it gives them a better deal. Mr. Foster estimates that 50% of all seniors with Medicare Advantage will lose their plan because of these cuts.
12 million seniors use Medicare Advantage, under which the government pays private insurers to cover seniors. These seniors have more options, and at times more coverage, than standard Medicare customers. But the Obama administration said Medicare was overpaying the private insurers, and so the architects of Obamacare slashed $136 billion from Medicare Advantage to offset the cost of Obamacare.
The Medicare Advantage cuts were to begin in 2013, which would cause many insurers to pull out of the program, thus driving seniors into regular Medicare. Open enrollment [for 2013 Medicare Advantage] begins Oct. 15, 2012 less than three weeks before voters go to the polls.” So Obamacare would kick seniors out of their Medicare program three weeks before Obama’s re-election.
That, of course, would be politically damaging. So President Obama simply took $8.35 billion from an Obamacare fund for “demonstration projects” and used it to delay the brunt of the Medicare Advantage cuts until after the election. This is not only an abuse of the President’s executive power but it is also another broken promise made by President Obama when he said: “If you like your health care plan, you will be able to KEEP your health care plan, PERIOD.” Watch:
Click link to continue
http://csteventucker.wordpress.com/2012/08/21/1801/
My brother suggested I may like this web site. He was once entirely right. This submit actually made my day. You cann’t believe just how so much time I had spent for this info! Thank you!
The lie that Ryancare is not Counpons has been thorouhly debunked over and over again: http://www.politifact.com/georgia/statements/2012/sep/17/phil-gingrey/gingrey-medicare-reform-plan-does-not-create-vouch/ Ryancare = Coupons. Ryan wants to privatize social security and Medicare.
How’s the current system working for you? Medicare is bankrupt in 12 years, I wish what I’ve paid into Social Security was in a private account, it would be worth a lot more! Changes Have to be made to both programs or they will consume the entire federal budget. Once again, we were lied to by the government.
So your answer is to pick the one plan that is guaranteed to destroy Medicare? There were no bold proposals coming from Paul Ryan, just a coupon book.
Capitalism is a coupon book? fact checker needs to check the facts. Do you realize medicare is bankrupt in 12 years? so we do nothing? Do you work for the State of Illinois? Or, are you elected in the state – sounds like you would fit right in.