An Eagle news story last week was a good reminder that Medicare is the biggest long-term financial challenge facing this country, not Social Security. Medicare is already paying out more in benefits than it receives in premiums, and its cumulative unfunded liability just for its Part A benefit is estimated at more than $41 trillion by 2080, according to the Concord Coalition.
Rising health care costs combined with an aging population is creating a budgetary disaster. But there are few policymakers talking about this problem, probably because there aren’t any simple solutions. As the Medicare trustees have warned, the longer we wait, the worse the reforms.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
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24 Comments
Remember Hillarycare? At least someone was willing to try.
Dan, one of two things is going to happen. Either we’ll be forced to go to a single-payer health-care system, or only rich people will be able to get health care. I confess I’m not optimistic. The insurance industry and their political lackeys have given public health care a bad rap in this country and sadly, the people who would benefit the most are the loudest detractors. Socialized medicine has worked well in Canada, France, and Britian and I see no reason it won’t work here. Employer-paid health insurance is an anomaly that came about shortly after WWII. The way health care costs are rising, insurance costs are causing a major drag on the bottom line for business. You probably don’t have to look any farther than your own employer to see that. Business will do what they have to to stay competitive. In other countries, businesses aren’t saddled with the high cost of health care. All business with the exception of the insurance industry, has a vested intrest in a viable healthcare system. When enough businesses put enough pressure on the right people, we’ll see change. I just hope it’s a change we can ALL live with, and not just the wealthy.
Two points–
1. When Bush keeps harping on Social Security as our number one funding problem, he’s LYYYING!
2. Bush says we can occupy Iraq, rebuild their country (oh, and Afghanistan too), and bring them democracy. But no way can we afford decent Social Security and health care in our country.
The man’s capacity for outright lies knows no bounds.
Twister, You got a point, couple in fact. What speaks poorly of this country is, half the people believe the twerp.
Ha’aretz Reports:”A delegation of senior Israeli officials that left for Washington over the weekend will ask the American government Monday evening for some $2.2 billion in special aid for the disengagement plan.”
At a time when we have so many domsetic needs is it fair to pay Israel to move from somewhere they shouldn’t be in the first place. { This is in addition to the 2.5 billion they just received }
When will they pay to support themselves? Or, at least try to live within their means?
I notice that American newspapers have nothing to report about this.
{ That is if we have any American newspapers left }
Read for yourself.
http://www.haaretz.com/
This blog has become a nesting place of moonbats, bush hating meatheads and anti semites.
Chapped,
Your ignorance is showing. Both Arabs and Jews are both members of the Semite race. Look it up in the dictionary, that is if you can find one.
Ed,
You are a one-trick-pony and a racist who hates anything Israeli. They are and always will be God’s chosen people.
What happened to the blog subject of Medicare? The two of you have lost your way on this one.
Look, it’s Chapped: yet another Wingnut who can dish it out but can’t take it.
Ed, I heard that news on BBC early this morning (via NPR via local KMUW) and thought, “Why am I not surprised?” Even sadder, we’ll give it to them with no questions asked. I’m just wondering what they’ll actually use it on.
Zoom, to answer your question, with the aid we give to Israel alone, we could probably revive both Medicare and Social Security.
And the first person who calls me anti-semitic will get smacked. Bring it on, boys!
Chapped, no offense intended to you or the Jewish race, but the “God’s chosen people” thing is wearing a bit thin, especially considering their use of bulldozers.
RD, Maybe the Zionists or “not so bright” have an autographed picture of Jesus that they bought on Ebay pasted on the front blade of that bulldozer.
Now there’s a real Bush holy-war for ya, evangelical style. What else?
Your right, I was completely off topic. I apologise.
I wish we had an open topic thread. I can only check in on the blogs sporatically during the day. I’m not into chatting, but an online discussion about various topics, as opposed to what the WE eds put up, would be very interesting.
I suppose I am a wignut from your viewpoint, but my views are just as valuable as yours.
The God’s chosen people line will never wear thin. I believe we have been blessed as a nation because of our unwaivering support of Israel
Socialized health care has not worked well in Canada and England. England is moving away from it. Even in countries like Canada, the health care delivery depends on how much money you’ve got. And the wait for health care woundn’t be tolerated here. You wait for an MRI and everything else in Canada. THen if you are still sick and have the money, you come to America.
You know of course that half of the health care dollars spent in America are paid for by the Federal Government. Isn’t that a clue?And by the way, why is a hip replacement for a dog $1500? When you can answer this question, you’ll be on the right track to improving health care.
My mother’s meds would cost 3 times as much if we bought them in the US instead of Canada, she just can’t afford it and she’s better off than most. It’s the pharmaceutical and insurance companies that are driving up the cost of health care in this country. There needs to be some regulation. In most countries, it’s illegal to advertise precription meds or provide elaborate perks to doctors who prescribe them. The American pharmaceutical companies say we have to pay more for drugs because they fund the research, but in truth, they spend billons of dollars each year on advertising. That’s a lot of what the consumer is really paying for. Many will say that senior citizens are the richest demographic in this country, but as a home health nurse, I see an awful lot of elderly people who only live off social security, and even if they have other income sources, they still can’t keep up with the costs of health care and medicines.
DamoonMedicare should only pay the lowest wholesale price for medicines that the companies charge any of their customers, including the Canadians — or a negotiated price that excludes everything but production and research.
But, where are the families of old folks? Why is it always the taxpayers who have to carry the burden when people fail to help their own parents?
Ed Dems, after talking to several Canadians about the health care system there, I’ve learned that many get excellent care, but others don’t. It depends on which province they live in, as each province has its own system within the system. Most of those I’ve talked with claim their health care is excellent and far exceeds anything we have here. The same with England. And Germany.
I guess it depends on who you talk to or which side of the news you listen to, just like here in the U.S.
Dan, you made an excellent point to start the discussion. What health care plan have the Republicans presented…at all?
“But, where are the families of old folks? Why is it always the taxpayers who have to carry the burden when people fail to help their own parents?”
Think about it, Greg. Could it be that the families of those “old folks” are dealing with caring for their own families? Please be assured that if I could, I would help the “old folks” in my family. But until something is done about our failing health care in this country, I’ll continue to use the Bush Health Care Plan: Don’t Get Sick.
(Wondering exactly what age range Greg uses to determined “old folks”…)
Medicare doesn’t pay for a person’s daily medications. People only qualify for government assistance (Medicaid) when they have gone through all their assets or they are disabled. One of my patient’s monthly med bill is $8,000. I don’t care how much family a person has, most people would be hard pressed to pick up that tab every month. Several of my patients don’t always get all their meds because they have to eat and pay utilities, and these are the people who have worked all their lives. It’s the greed of the drug companies that contributes to the crisis in health care.
RD, I’m glad you looked into it at least somewhat. We still haven’t answer the question why there is such a huge discepancy between the cost of a hip replacement for a dog, and for a human.Ok, well lets get back to Canadian health care for a moment. I lost some of my ealier references on health care, but I found this one: http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa532.pdfIt has specific measurements of health care quality as measured in numerous countries. Based on the numbers I see here, I would rather be in need of health care in America than Canada.I was born before medicare. And what I see now, is that the red tape and buracracy has added to health care costs. Still, ours is about as good as it gets. It is much better quality now than it was whe I was a kid.My life’s experience has shown that regulation most often is more costly and less effective than the way it was envisioned. I think that is the nature or politics.
Here’s a proposal; how about, in certain very limited areas, assume that a patent is not a license for highway robbery. No corporation should be able to tell it’s customers “your money or your life!”When manufacturers charge patients $3-4+for a pill that at most costs a couple cents to make, that’s what’s happening.It’s mostly garbage that pharmaceutical companies need excessive profits in order to discover wonderful new drugs. Almost all original research on breakthrough drugs is done by universities and government-sponsored labs, who then sell their rights in sweetheart deals to the companies. The companies then do, or hire, studies to prove the safety and efficacy that the FDA requires of all new drugs. The companies also research “me-too” drugs, which are designed to be just enough different from their competitor’s drug to be patentable. This isn’t “breakthrough research.”If a company can’t, through an independent audit, justify the price it charges it’s customers on drugs that are necessary for life and/or health, it’s patent on that drug should be nullified, and generic companies be allowed to manufacture it.I’m not including drugs that are entirely for cosmetic purposes, such as for the natural effects of age, etc. Just the ones necessary for life and health.Faced with the loss of patents, most pharmaceutical companies would have to drop prices to stay in business, and fewer people would have to make the choice of medicine or groceries, insurance carriers could lower premiums, medicare would be that much more solvent and we’d all be better off!