You know what?
I never knew I was capable of such political hatred until this bunch came to power.
Either we are prepared to fund Medicare spending for unlimited services regardless of cost, or we are not.
And if we are not, someone has to decide what services not to fund.
It is hypocritical to call for reining in of entitlements and at the same time decline to face the upcoming Medicare deficits.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2500000/posts
;^)
Well, if Medicare institutes draconian rationing and payments below the cost of providing services, providers and even some hospitals will opt out. If the federal government then turns around and demands that hospitals and providers accept Medicare as a condition of providing service and practicing Medicine, the providers will cram Medicare patients into every shrinking time slots and only one or two days per week. The queues will be very long.
The Marxists are aware that they cannot be drastic in implementing their dastardly rationing regimes. We are already seeing push-back from the States. The end game with the States may not favor the federal government. As the federal government implements price controls below the cost of providing the service for Medicare and Medicaid patients (or simply dis-allows services), the threat or consequences of the federal government withholding money from the States diminishes. If providers opt out or go out of business, States will realize that the Medicaid money does not actually translate into services provided. In effect, the federal government will have lost their entitlement seeking constituency and trump card against the States. Conceivably, States could retaliate by allowing citizens to withhold federal taxes if the federal government withholds Medicaid payments and other federal payments.
The frog in boiling water analogy is apropos. The frog will jump out of the water if it senses a rapid rise in temperature. My bet is that these Marxists do not understand cooking.