SAT2
Senior Member
- Nov 19, 2011
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Excerpts from the article:
GOP Pushes Dems To Accept Medicare Cuts For Current Retirees | TPMDC
Adopting the GOP bill would result in higher out of pocket costs for middle class seniors on Medicare a GOP measure adopted in lieu of raising income taxes on millionaires. That would both weaken the program, increase expenses for seniors, and muddle Dems election year message that theyre protecting entitlements from a conservative onslaught.
I asked House Speaker John Boehner about this at a Tuesday evening press conference: is there a contradiction between the GOPs opposition to raising taxes on annual income over $1 million, and their support for charging significantly less affluent seniors more for Medicare.
We believe that looking at the problems in Medicare that wealthy seniors ought to pay a higher portion of their Medicare premiums. Thats what the bill does. I think it makes common sense. Its something thats been discussed in every [negotiation] this year whether it was Majority Leader Cantor in the Biden group, my discussions with the President, my discussions with Senate Democrats. Its not an issue that theres much disagreement, if any, on between the two parties.
Some Democrats even House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi have signed off on measures like this in the past, but only in the context of broad legislation to tame budget deficits that includes higher taxes on wealthy earners. These higher premiums, instead, would be used to provide aide to current workers and the unemployed. They would apply to people making above $80,000 a year, and rise in significant increments for people making more than $100,000, $150,000, and $200,000, in Medicare Parts B (outpatient care) and D (prescription drugs).
That stands in pretty sharp contrast to the Dem idea that people making over $1 million should foot the bill with a small tax on their second million dollars in income.
GOP Pushes Dems To Accept Medicare Cuts For Current Retirees | TPMDC