Dems' lame hysteria

This "end Medicare as we know it" line -- and many like it ("end Medicaid as we know it," "end carbon-based life as we know it," etc.) -- is the lead-off talking point for the entire Democratic Party in response to Rep. Paul Ryan's just-released budget proposal, "The Path to Prosperity."

Here's the thing: Of course he wants to end Medicare as we know it. You know why? Because the way we know it right now, the program is barreling toward insolvency.

Personally, if I were on a plane that had one engine out and was belching smoke, I would certainly hope somebody with some judgment and competence might calmly remove his oxygen mask long enough to suggest "ending this flight as we know it."

I should back up. In case you haven't been paying attention, Ryan, chairman of the House Budget Committee and a would-be green-eye-shaded savior of the Republic, has come out with a 2012 budget proposal that actually averts what Ryan rightly calls the "most predictable crisis in the history of our country."

* Turning Medicaid into a block grant to the states -- the way we did for the immensely successful welfare reform of the 1990s -- in order to allow for more flexibility and experimentation.

* Transforming Medicare into a defined contribution plan similar to what government employees and congressmen already have. Seniors will get a direct subsidy to buy insurance for themselves (along the lines of the popular prescription drug benefit enacted under George W. Bush). The hope is that seniors will help drive cost savings in the medical sector if they actually care about the price of services.

Dems cling solidly to the old adage, "If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bulls--t."

In the absence of rational talking points in a debate, the party of 0 invariably resorts to hysteria and character assassination to avoid talking about the issue.

Taking Medicare out of federal hands and putting it into state hands might be a good idea for most of the states, but I wonder how California and New York would handle the responsibility -- would they use it to plead for more taxpayer funds, or would it be a motivator to get their financial house in order; maybe it would move California to finally move forward with controlling illegal alien access to state-funded programs.

I will find time to read Chairman Ryan’s plan after I do my taxes. But if it’s the way that it’s been presented, I think it’s brilliant. And I’m in the age group that would be included in it.

First off, I’d be able to choose a private plan? That’s great news. That will, right off the bat, solve one of Medicare’s biggest problems, namely too few doctors want to participate because of low reimbursements. This should end, once and for all the cost-shifting that is making everyone’s premiums go up.

That waste, fraud, & abuse thing that we can’t seem to get out of gov’t health insurance programs? Health insurance companies are aggressive about fighting it because they answer to shareholders. It should become a thing of the past, finally.

With Medicare, there are NO appeals if there is a dispute about coverage; once the gov’t says NO, the answer is NO. Period. Private insurance companies have to submit to arbitration arrangements, and if you are still unhappy, you have access to the courts.

I believe Medicare prohibits patients from going to non-Medicare doctors and paying with their own funds (if I’m wrong, correct me on this. It’s what I’ve been told.) for a second opinion. That is just wrong on the face of it.

A recent court case was decided that said in order for one to collect their Social Security, one MUST sign up for Medicare (with the resulting deduction from your SS check). I’d be interested to know how this would be affected under the Ryan plan. We should want people to stay on private insurance and stay out of Medicare! I’m happy to give them their SS checks under those circumstances.

But most importantly, this keeps the entire Medicare so-called trust fund out of the hands of politicians who wanna do other things with the money. Like start up another entitlement program for a completely different group of people using the dedicated Medicare funds. You know, something like say, Obamacare. And I think THAT is the reason the libs are squealing like stuck pigs. The status quo gives them some element of control of not only seniors, but doctors, pharmaceutical companies, and all the rest.

I’d sleep a lot better at night knowing my son won’t inherit this kind of debt.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.