[NittanyLion]

OH, but it is. You seem to be overlooking the point that the Baby Booomers hold about 12 TRILLION in retirement assets. As they retire, and means testing is implemented, you begin to change the nature of Medicare, from an entitlement, to a social saftey net.

Actually, that's an outstanding point. I hadn't thought of it in those terms. Need to figure out a way to avoid sliding the "means standard" up, though.

[hobbes1]

If it were going to slide up, they wouldn't be fighting for it.

[hobbes1]

From this Article

[rwfromkansas]

Likely the Senate will push for it to be higher, which I am fine with. In conference I would go for $100,000 if that is what it would take to get agreement on competition in 2010.