[jmc813]

This bill costs $39.5 Billion per year for the next ten years

Government estimates are notorious for never being accurate. As Rep. Ron Paul points out...

The financial impact of this legislation on taxpayers cannot be overstated. Government projections that the drug program will cost $400 billion over the next decade cannot be trusted, as existing Medicare programs cost 4 times more than estimated when they were created. The likely cost is at least $1 trillion over 10 years, and much more in following decades as the American population grows older.

[Dane]

As Rep. Ron Paul points out...

And Ron Paul wanted to fight osama bin ladin how?

Oh that's right with 18th century letters of marquee.

[Southack]

"Government estimates are notorious for never being accurate."

Non-government estimates are notorious for being wildly exaggerated to suit whomever is making their own argument, too.

Lets stick to facts. This bill authorizes precisely $39.5 Billion per year for each of ten years. That's a fact. If the program costs more, it would require *additional* legislation to authorize new funds. We can rail against such additional funds at that time, if such a development occurs.

But it's a completely unfair argument to claim that those potential new funds are mandatory and already built in to this current legislation. They aren't.

The funds that will be authorized by this bill are a constant $39.5 Billion per year for each of ten years. During that time Medicare gets substantially Privatized.

If $39.5 Billion per year is too much to pay for preventative medicine (i.e. drugs and checkups rather than reactive care like surgery) and a Privatized Medicare, then make that argument.

But using imaginary numbers like "Trillions" of Dollars in costs is not a fair argument, and isn't based upon the current facts at hand.