[BuckeyeTexan]

Q. SS is already in trouble. If the government gets into healthcare, how is it going to be able to do that without taxing me more?

A. SS, Medicare/Medicaid will go broke soon if we don’t do anything because the cost of healthcase is rising faster than we can control it. We’re talking about reallocating dollars not already being spent wisely. Initially there will be a need for additional revenue, the best way to do that is capping itemized deductions for $250,000 over. Over time, your out of pocket costs will go down.

[BuckeyeTexan]

Gibson: You went after McCain for his plan of taxing healthcare benefits. Are you still opposed to that idea?

Obama: It would the wrong way to go to eliminate the current exclusion on those benefits. What they’re talking about in Congress is capping that exclusion. I think that’s not the best way to do it. If you eliminate that, employers will stop providing health insurance or you’ll get that money back in credits/wages and have to shop for insurance on your own and the money you’re getting back won’t cover the plan you want. The better way to fund this is the cap of itemized deductions. Congress is debating this now. We’re going to have to compromise.

[DJ MacWoW]

We’re talking about reallocating dollars not already being spent wisely

Really? From where? Congressional salaries?

[hummingbird]

A. SS, Medicare/Medicaid will go broke soon if we don’t do anything because the cost of healthcase is rising faster than we can control it.

I thought SS, Medicare/Medicaid went broke a long time ago because funds were "mishandled" (i.e. raided) and allocated to other programs. Maybe an Urban Rumour....