Sen. Dick Durbin: Medicare, Medicaid Fair Game in Talks to Avoid Fiscal Cliff

[still_one]

http://news.yahoo.com/sen-dick-durbin-medicare-medicaid-fair-game-talks-174347626--abc-news-politics.html

Sen. Dick Durbin said today that his Democratic colleagues in the House and Senate should be willing to address entitlement programs like Medicare and Medicaid in deficit reduction negotiations.
"From my side of the table, bring entitlement reform into the conversation," Durbin said on "This Week with George Stephanopoulos." "Social Security - set aside … doesn't add to the deficit. But when it comes to Medicare and Medicaid, protect the integrity of the program, but give it solvency for more and more years."

[hedgehog]

1. Medicare and Medicaid are two different programs with two

different funding sources. Given that Medicare is financed by its own tax source, shouldn't it be off the table when considering the deficit?

Not to mention, isn't the deficit already being cut? Shouldn't we be borrowing money to stimulate the economy?

[Purveyor]

2. And so are your re-election chances on 2014. Just saying Dick... eom

[AnotherMcIntosh]

5. He doesn't care. He hasn't for a while. I don't think that he is running again.

[DJ13]

3. Sounds like the voters need to cut Dick off

from their support.

[limpyhobbler]

4. What is entitlement reform? If it's so great why do Repukes and corporate CEOs love it so much?

[CTyankee]

8. To me, entitlement reform is getting rid of waste, fraud and abuse in the system.

Even tho Medicare and Medicaid are very effective, there are perverse incentives to pay for tests that are unnecessary and have been proven so. This is NOT cutting benefits for seniors and the needy. I say "go for it." I would also like to see a "gatekeeper" system reinstated, whereby the Primary Care Physician plays a bigger role in deciding whether a patient needs to be referred to a specialist. I know most people don't like that, but I think it would help enshrine the PCP more properly in the system and save $$$ at the same time.

Of course, the REAL problem is that we don't have single payer health care. However, the ACA is a step in that direction, so the RW is correct is noting that. I say, bring it on!

[Vincardog]

6. Return Taxes to Eisenhower rates cut the Military, make the Congress retire on Social

Security and then we can think about other cuts.

[Lugnut]

7. Fugg Dick Durbin. n/t

[mmonk]

9. So is my vote.