Trims to Medicare, Medicaid Are Proposed to Help Fund Reform

[TacticalPeek]

Source: Washington Post

Trims to Medicare, Medicaid Are Proposed to Help Fund Reform

By Lori Montgomery and Scott Wilson
Washington Post Staff Writers

Sunday, June 14, 2009

President Obama yesterday outlined measures to trim spending on federal health programs for the elderly and the poor by an additional $313 billion over the next decade, bringing his total proposed savings close to the amount necessary to cover the cost of his signature health-care plan, a top adviser said.

In his weekly radio address, Obama proposed limiting the growth of Medicare fee-for-service payments, taking hospitals and other health-care providers at their word that they will reduce costs. He also proposed cutting subsidies to hospitals that treat uninsured patients on the theory that such payments will decline as more people are covered through his plan.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/13/AR2009061301044_pf.html

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Hah!

[aquart]

1. "Taking them at their word"?

Oh, that'll work.

[dflprincess]

8. Just the other day he said we need a public option to

"keep the private insurers honest". So he admits they're crooks and can't be trusted yet he's allowing them to keep the biggest piece of the health care pie (even though the insureres contribute nothing to actual health CARE) by forcing us to buy products from them or a vague "public option" than will no doubt be "compromised" to death.

And now he's going to starve the programs the poor, the disabled and the elderly depend on now before any solution has been passed and tested.

I knew Obama was no liberal and we couldn't expect much from him in regards to acutal change, but I didn't think even he would sell us out this badly.

I'm beginning to think we'd be better off if no bill passes this year (certainly not the one being hyped). It won't be long before the current system collapses completely and maybe then we could actually get something that would improve our access to health care.

[wroberts189]

14. Not the best idea I agree but he was talking Doctors and Hospitals.

Not big Ins or Pharma

[timeforpeace]

2. Someone posted earlier that McCain proposed the same thing

during the campaign. To put it mildly, it wasn't taken well.

[DJ13]

3. Fix it by starving it?

Why do I have flashbacks about the GOP from that kind of logic?

[AndrewJacksonFaction]

4. This will ruin any public health option, by it's nature.

If you trim reimbursements to levels discussed here, docs will kick it. The only places it will survive will be where payor mixs are higher than 30%.

A big thumbs down from this provider.

[DCKit]

5. Or, they could start fining the mega hospital corp.s for fraud to fund MediCare.

It'd be in the black for decades.

[shadowknows69]

6. So I should just swallow all my pain pills now then?

Because my only hope for a semi-healthy future at all is getting on SSI/D and medicare but my appeal hearing is probably a year away so I suspect there won't be much left, if I win.

[katandmoon]

7. Can't take any money away from waging war for those pesky sick people

[MasonJar]

9. So we cut back benefits for the poor and the elderly so the rich can

keep the bailout money coming in and the wars can continue non-stop.

[kickysnana]

10. Reform should fund itself. anything else is crimminal. n/t

[Metta]

11. Why not? The elderly and poor have more money than the health industry. Makes perfect sense.

In a parallel universe where black is white. I continue to be touched by how allegedly smart people miss the karmic effects of what they do.

[Downwinder]

17. i"m already paying them 30% of my income. n/t

[Metta]

21. sorry to hear it.

here's to you.

[cornermouse]

12. This is a mistake.

He's depending on ARRA to get money back. Problem is, the deck is stacked against the providers and the providers may have to choose between losing money for legitimate services provided or expenses incurred in the process of fighting to recover money they are legitimately owed by the government. It is not beyond possibility that we could see hospitals going belly up and closing their doors.

[quidam56]

13. We MUST have health care reform NOW

I've seen what is deemed, defended and supported in E. TN & SWVA as 'the acceptable standards of health care', it's nothing at all like health care is allowed to advertise. Funny thing is,it took the health care system 3 years to disparage their own advertising as misleading and fraudulent. http://www.wisecountyissues.com/?p=62

[corpseratemedia]

15. NO NO NO

medicare/caid patients will just be dropped.

I'm really getting tired of this screwing the poor and elderly so big pharma ceos huge salaries arent affected


funny i was under the impression i voted for a democrat

make cuts in defense contractor spending and up taxes for the wealthy who aren't paying any

[Mithreal]

16. The President is a reverse Robin Hood? Is he really so naive?

The Republicans and conservaDems will have the reductions in "entitlements" to the poor and elderly and still not compromise on needed reform.

[doodadem]

18. My folks just received a letter already

It's from Medicare, saying they are cutting them by $100 each per month. No explanation. They're flipping out.

[marybourg]

22. What? Explain please. This makes no sense. nt.

[dpbrown]

19. How stupid

Yeah, don't cut back on military spending or anything.

Universal Single-Payer Health Care now!

[Selatius]

20. 313 billion is roughly the Department of Defense's budget for half a year, not 10 years.

I don't know if I agree with this plan.

[inna]

23. "trim spending on federal health programs for the elderly and the poor by an additional $313 billion

"trim spending on federal health programs for the elderly and the poor by an additional $313 billion over the next decade"


holy shit.


is this the guy we voted for??

this is just insane.

[cabluedem]

24. Obama is just doing what he was told to do by his masters, just like * was. nt

[aquart]

25. Gosh, that's helpful.

[Zhade]

38. Truth is always helpful.

NT!

[bjobotts]

26. This would be completely unnecessary if he would just allow Medicare for all.

[bjobotts]

27. It's "because" it's limited to elderly and disabled that it is a deficit

[bjobotts]

28. There's no difference in wait times if you're covered by Medicare or Blue cross

[bjobotts]

29. The American people are being denied what they want just to keep the profiteers happy

[bjobotts]

30. Obama should demand it and reconciliation could get it passed-fixed

[bjobotts]

31. Senate has no right, cannot justify and cannot tell us we can't have Medicare for all except they b

been bought and bribed by private ins. But "they cannot stop millions of voices calling for change"-Obama. We are about to see if that is true or not.

[Dragonfli]

32. Good sound republican policy - Grover Norquist will be so happy! n/t

[w4rma]

33. Does Obama really think this will play well among most Americans?

I know he's looking for money, but he's letting the Republican ideologues (who lie to Americans) tell him what to do.

[No Elephants]

34. Don't despair. If we just work hard enough, we'll get a Democratic President and Congress and

liberal judges. Then things will really change.

Oh, wait...

[Zhade]

39. HAHAHAHAHAH!!!

Oh, the pain.

: (

He's not getting MY vote again, that's for fucking sure.

[lumpy]

35. Putting the cart before the horse. Stupid idea.

Does he really expect health care providers to reduce costs?

[Dragonfli]

36. Kick - Surprised this has not gotten more attention

[Zhade]

37. Billions for the banks that destroyed the economy, nothing for the poor and elderly.

Fuck you, Obama.