House GOP considers privatizing Medicare

[Joanne98]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON – Months after they hammered Democrats for cutting Medicare, House Republicans are debating whether to relaunch their quest to privatize the health program for seniors. House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., is testing support for his idea to replace Medicare with a fixed payment to buy a private medical plan from a menu of coverage options.

Party leaders will determine if the so-called voucher plan will be part of the budget Republicans put forward in the spring.

"No decisions have been made on the details of our House GOP budget." Michael Steel, a spokesman for Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said Thursday. "There are a lot of ideas out there, and we're going to listen to our members and the American people."

Medicare was one of the most highly charged issues during last year's congressional elections, which put the House back in GOP control. Republicans slammed Democrats for cutting Medicare by about 6 percent over 10 years to finance President Barack Obama's health overhaul.





Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110127/ap_on_re_us/us_medicare_republicans

---

It's official now. The Republican DEATH PANELS are coming!

If you know any senior citizens who voted for them make sure to send them a copy of this article.

[liberal N proud]

1. I am sure they have a corporate buddy in mind that will be glad to

assume the ownership and there after the profits.

:nuke:

[zeemike]

2. Oh what a wonderful gift that would be to their benefactors.

Imagine the insurance industry getting a piece of the billions paid in taxes for medicare.

[glinda]

10. I think Boner just met with them actually.

[cliffordu]

3. That sucking sound???

Thats your retirement security being sucked out of your future.

[bergie321]

4. And

They want to repeal the ban on denying for preexisting conditions...

Where are the "they want to kill your grandma" folks now?

[glinda]

11. Boner did not applaud that when mentioned at the SOTU.

[bjobotts]

5. Reread that last paragraph.More right wing propaganda.Repubs passed drug plan on credit card

My prescriptions amounted to $32,ooo last year...which is hiway robbery for what I am taking. Big Pharm is ripping off consumers with overpricing and tax dollars are paying it with Medicare...all fine with republicans who voted not to allow price negotiations. One pill (30/mo) costs $900/mo. Give me a break...what a racket...all on the republican debt along with 2 wars on the credit card too. These guys cannot run an economy.

[Kingofalldems]

6. Privatize= We pay more.

[jpak]

7. A winning 2012 issue - kill Medicare!!

Dumbasses

yup

[southmost]

8. oh here gop hell come

[No Elephants]

23. LOLOL! (Okay, now we're both outed.)

[Demeter]

9. Since They've Already "PRIVATIZED" the Government

it stands to reason.

[sarcasmo]

12. Medicare, social security, pensions = Checkmate!

[lib2DaBone]

13. We are living in "Republican Hell"..

..it's a bad dream from which there is no escape.. it just keeps getting more absurd... KInd of like The Matrix after he takes the Red Pill...

[saras]

14. Privatization is worse than 'pay more'

Privatization means the price goes up, continually, forever, fast enough to match the stock market - or the quality falls equally fast.

The last time I was in California, the surplus stores were full of biotech equipment. Maybe the people who used to make psychedelics will start making bootleg pharmaceuticals.

[Alexander]

15. Let them try. The Senate won't pass it and Obama won't support it.

It will be an easy issue to campaign on in 2012.

"The Republicans want to completely destroy Medicare. Do you want them in power?"

[PSPS]

16. Don't be so sure. Obama jumps reliably when the corporations pull his strings.

[mvd]

18. I don't think he can

Yes, the SOTU address was a little too Wall Steet and corporate centered for my liking, but there are certain things a Democratic President just can't do - privatizing Medicare is one thing. The issue won't go beyond the Teabagger and lobbyist run Repuke-controlled House.

[Alexander]

20. I agree with you 100%

Obama's been a little too pro-corporate for me, but since he turned out not to support a cut in Social Security, I sincerely doubt he'd end up supporting privatized Medicare.

And as I said, this would be a great issue to use as a cudgel against the Republicans in 2012.

[No Elephants]

25. I doubt we've heard the last on Social Security. We may see the age go up and/or COLA go down or

disappear. Neither could be called "slashing" Social Security.

Maybe in his second term. We'll see.

[No Elephants]

24. Like appointing the Cat Food Commission?

[mvd]

26. That commission was a very bad idea. But..

there's a difference between that and privatizing, IMO. I think unfortunately that Obama is just more to the right than I thought he was. But I think he knows if he privatizes Medicare, his re-election chances go down. I still think only the far right wants to privatize. Which is most of the Repukes. There's a difference between centrist like the President and right wing extremist like most all of the Repukes.

[Traditional Liberal]

17. Wait I think I've heard this before...

No really, I have. The government gives some of its citizens of modest means a financial support mechanism so that they can buy insurance that would be too expensive for them without the financial aid.

They can take that support and buy the insurance somewhere, and those policies can't be canceled or set their rates based on your prior or current health conditions. And there is no lifetime cap that the insurance company can set, to limit your medical treatment options. And if you qualify, they have to sell it to you.

Nah, I have never heard of that.

But anyway, I'm glad that the greedy millionaires party is finally demonstrating what they are all about - selling grandma's security to the highest campaign contributor.

[unkachuck]

19. nothing has changed....

....the criminals are still on wall street, the Pentagon is hemorrhaging money on useless wars, millions are losing their jobs and homes, the rich have gotten richer, the poor have gotten poorer, the Republicans still want to take away Social Security and Medicare and we're still waiting for our FDR to arrive....

....and watching all this from a safe distance in the comfort of the Oval Office, is President Barack O'Hoover....

[alp227]

21. well guess what happened with a private health care system.

many uninsured, pre-existing condition abuse, CEO/admin profiting at the cost of humanity

[Ratty]

22. Privatizing = runs more efficiently

But it also means making profits the #1 motive. There's no other way privatization can work. Yes, I think private corporations can run things more efficiently than the government in many if not most cases. But it comes with a dear price and I don't think medical care should be motivated by profit. The OP's last comment about Republican death panels coming is spot on!

[daleo]

27. Privatization = regular workers get wage cuts

Upper management gets huge pay increases.

Stockholders get big profits.

Taxpayers pay more.

Service levels go down.