The Democrats’ Growing Medicare Dilemma

[Amelia]

In the last few days, the Romney campaign has moved to dramatically change the terrain of Medicare politics, and it looks like the Democrats are beginning to realize how vulnerable they might be. Because of Obamacare, it is the Democrats who now plan to cut current seniors’ benefits (especially those in Medicare Advantage) and access to care (thanks to the IPAB) while still failing to avert the program’s (and the nation’s) fiscal collapse, and because Romney would repeal Obamacare and pursue a version of the Ryan-Wyden premium-support reform it is the Republicans who would protect current seniors’ benefits and make them available to future seniors while saving the program from collapse through market reforms. Through the candidates’ statements this week and through this new ad, Romney and Ryan have made clear they’re going to inform voters about this and force the Democrats to defend themselves on Medicare.

That won’t be easy for the Left, since the Romney campaign’s charges are true, and it is beginning to become apparent that the Democrats are totally unprepared for the coming fight. Their defenses so far fall into roughly three categories: Ryan did it too, the Obamacare Medicare cuts aren’t very serious, and finally what can only be called frantic distractions. Even as pure demagoguery (let alone as efforts at actual substantive arguments) all three are exceptionally weak defenses, and suggest the Democrats could be in serious trouble. Let’s examine each one.

....

Read more: The Democrats Growing Medicare Dilemma



Be careful what you wish for, Democrats. You're not running against McCain/Palin this time. You're up against two people who actually know something about the economy. Buckle up.

 

[Wiseacre]

ObamaCare was designed to take away $500 billion dollars from Medicare to make it revenue neutral. Now they're going to have to explain that.

 

[Darkwind]

I don't think that the Democrats are actually in a panic. They are too stupid to realize that they've been caught in their own web of lies.

The desperation that everyone sees with regard to the completely unhinged personal attack and character assassination is just the normal way of doing business for Democrats.

They truly just do not see how vile they are acting, or how hateful they sound.

 

[Greenbeard]

Because of Obamacare, it is the Democrats who now plan to cut current seniors’ benefits (especially those in Medicare Advantage) and access to care (thanks to the IPAB) while still failing to avert the program’s (and the nation’s) fiscal collapse, and because Romney would repeal Obamacare and pursue a version of the Ryan-Wyden premium-support reform it is the Republicans who would protect current seniors’ benefits and make them available to future seniors while saving the program from collapse through market reforms.

Was there a contest to see how many falsities could be crammed into a single sentence?

I'm genuinely impressed.

 

[Jackson]

I want Obama to explain it during the debates! Or better yet, let Ryan bring it up to Biden. That would be a hoot!

 

[Darkwind]

Because of Obamacare, it is the Democrats who now plan to cut current seniors’ benefits (especially those in Medicare Advantage) and access to care (thanks to the IPAB) while still failing to avert the program’s (and the nation’s) fiscal collapse, and because Romney would repeal Obamacare and pursue a version of the Ryan-Wyden premium-support reform it is the Republicans who would protect current seniors’ benefits and make them available to future seniors while saving the program from collapse through market reforms.

Was there a contest to see how many falsities could be crammed into a single sentence?

I'm genuinely impressed.

My grandson, who was shown a spinning top, was impressed too. But then, he wasn't looking to promote the lies of the left.

 

[Darkwind]

I want Obama to explain it during the debates! Or better yet, let Ryan bring it up to Biden. That would be a hoot!

Obama will run away from this topic so fast, he'll turn his hat around just like that Richard Pryor skit.

And the partisan hacks asking the questions will quickly move onto some attack on the Republicans to give him time to recover.

Its already baked into the script.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Because of Obamacare, it is the Democrats who now plan to cut current seniors’ benefits (especially those in Medicare Advantage) and access to care (thanks to the IPAB) while still failing to avert the program’s (and the nation’s) fiscal collapse, and because Romney would repeal Obamacare and pursue a version of the Ryan-Wyden premium-support reform it is the Republicans who would protect current seniors’ benefits and make them available to future seniors while saving the program from collapse through market reforms.

Was there a contest to see how many falsities could be crammed into a single sentence?

I'm genuinely impressed.

Provide evidence that the claims are false, and get on the phone to Obama staff you could get a cushy job if you can do it.

 

[Greenbeard]

My grandson, who was shown a spinning top, was impressed too. But then, he wasn't looking to promote the lies of the left.

Ah, you must be in the "surely I'm too old for Romney-Ryan ending Medicare to affect me" demographic.

My, aren't you in for a surprise!

 

[Darkwind]

My grandson, who was shown a spinning top, was impressed too. But then, he wasn't looking to promote the lies of the left.

Ah, you must be in the "surely I'm too old for Romney-Ryan ending Medicare to affect me" demographic.

My, aren't you in for a surprise!

No, I'm in the camp where the person who wrote the law, understands it best, and can detail the exact consequence of that law.

Unlike the left who have to lie and fear monger to make their argument.

You see, the Ryan budget does two things, and those things have been explained in great depth. There have been prominent democrats who have shown character by standing up for Paul Ryan's character, and while they disagree with the approach, they do not lie that the Ryan budget does anything other than what Ryan says it will.

They just don't want to give up the power.

So, I'll ask one more time.

Why do you feel so compelled to lie about this medicare issue when the facts, laid upon the table, show that Obama has cut 700+ billion dollars to the medicare system as an accounting gimmick, and has jeopardize medicare not only for the current seniors, but for those who may be depending upon it in the future?

What do you fear so much that it motivates you to destroy your integrity so?

ETA: You will only get one shot at this answer. I've already written you off as someone worthless and untrustworthy. Depending on how you answer will determine My next course of action.

 

[Dick Tuck]

The elderly are the growing demographic. They tend to vote Republican.

 

[Darkwind]

The elderly are the growing demographic. They tend to vote Republican.

No, the elderly ARE a growing demographic, but they tend to vote their wallets and purses.

They vote more democrat than republican as more and more baby boomers enter their ranks.

Yet, make no bones about it. They will likely vote against their own grandchildren.

 

[Greenbeard]

No, I'm in the camp where the person who wrote the law, understands it best, and can detail the exact consequence of that law.

Neat. But Ryan didn't write a law, he wrote a white paper to complement a resolution that sets budgetary levels. The details remain to be written down.

Those we've seen are very high-level and, occasionally, non-sensical (community rating within age bands, yet also individually risk-adjusted vouchers? No need).

The lengths his acolytes go through in overestimating Ryan's policy acumen is astonishing at times. I suppose he really is a dumb person's idea of what a smart person sounds like.

Why do you feel so compelled to lie about this medicare issue when the facts, laid upon the table, show that Obama has cut 700+ billion dollars to the medicare system as an accounting gimmick, and has jeopardize medicare not only for the current seniors, but for those who may be depending upon it in the future?

As I've said before, the only solution to Medicare's problems is to address the cost drivers that make the program (and, ultimately, every private sector health plan, as well) unsustainable: the inflationary payment mechanisms and flawed delivery systems that have plagued the health system for decades.

Remove the perverse incentives that make it more lucrative to provide worse care inefficiently, and instead reward doctors and hospitals for providing better care more efficiently. Reorganize the system so that it not only can but is encouraged to deliver better care less expensively. One of the few private sector pilots to taking this approach--replacing fee-for-service reimbursement with new payment mechanisms and incentivizing higher quality care--saw costs drop 10% in a single year last year for providers making that transition, at the same time quality improved.

This is the only way to save Medicare--and the rest of us. And Obama is the only one in this race who's shown any interest in making Medicare, and health care more generally, more sustainable. Of the two "visions" being offered in this race, only one has embraced the reforms needed to actually slow rising costs of care and allow providers to slow their cost growth to match the slowing reimbursement increases in Medicare (which both Obama and Ryan call for).

Ryan wants to shuffle some papers around and hide costs by getting them off the government's books; Obama is working to actually slow the rise in health costs.

 

[Dick Tuck]

My grandson, who was shown a spinning top, was impressed too. But then, he wasn't looking to promote the lies of the left.

Ah, you must be in the "surely I'm too old for Romney-Ryan ending Medicare to affect me" demographic.

My, aren't you in for a surprise!

No, I'm in the camp where the person who wrote the law, understands it best, and can detail the exact consequence of that law.

Unlike the left who have to lie and fear monger to make their argument.

You see, the Ryan budget does two things, and those things have been explained in great depth. There have been prominent democrats who have shown character by standing up for Paul Ryan's character, and while they disagree with the approach, they do not lie that the Ryan budget does anything other than what Ryan says it will.

They just don't want to give up the power.

So, I'll ask one more time.

Why do you feel so compelled to lie about this medicare issue when the facts, laid upon the table, show that Obama has cut 700+ billion dollars to the medicare system as an accounting gimmick, and has jeopardize medicare not only for the current seniors, but for those who may be depending upon it in the future?

What do you fear so much that it motivates you to destroy your integrity so?

ETA: You will only get one shot at this answer. I've already written you off as someone worthless and untrustworthy. Depending on how you answer will determine My next course of action.

The big thing that Ryan's budget does is to devolve to a voucher plan, where insurance companies get to decide how much to cover. With his plan of totally scrapping Obama's plan, the insurance companies will also decide what and who they'll cover. If the cost of best practice care exceeds what an insurance company want to pay, and the elder can't afford, fuck them. Death panels for the poor? Yep.

 

[Darkwind]

Ah, you must be in the "surely I'm too old for Romney-Ryan ending Medicare to affect me" demographic.

My, aren't you in for a surprise!

No, I'm in the camp where the person who wrote the law, understands it best, and can detail the exact consequence of that law.

Unlike the left who have to lie and fear monger to make their argument.

You see, the Ryan budget does two things, and those things have been explained in great depth. There have been prominent democrats who have shown character by standing up for Paul Ryan's character, and while they disagree with the approach, they do not lie that the Ryan budget does anything other than what Ryan says it will.

They just don't want to give up the power.

So, I'll ask one more time.

Why do you feel so compelled to lie about this medicare issue when the facts, laid upon the table, show that Obama has cut 700+ billion dollars to the medicare system as an accounting gimmick, and has jeopardize medicare not only for the current seniors, but for those who may be depending upon it in the future?

What do you fear so much that it motivates you to destroy your integrity so?

ETA: You will only get one shot at this answer. I've already written you off as someone worthless and untrustworthy. Depending on how you answer will determine My next course of action.

The big thing that Ryan's budget does is to devolve to a voucher plan, where insurance companies get to decide how much to cover. With his plan of totally scrapping Obama's plan, the insurance companies will also decide what and who they'll cover. If the cost of best practice care exceeds what an insurance company want to pay, and the elder can't afford, fuck them. Death panels for the poor? Yep.

You see, your very first sentence is dishonest.

The budget gives seniors A CHOICE of staying on the current program, or going to a program that the Congress itself enjoys, which is being paid to pick a cadilac insurance program of their choice. If the policy is more than they get paid, they'll have to pay the difference, but they will take the money that would have been spent on medicare, and spend it on a health plan of THEIR choosing. If its good enough for congress, it should be good enough for our seniors.

On top of that, it returns the 700 billion dollars back to medicare that was taken by Obama for his healthcare program and with a few other tweeks, makes medicare much more fiscally sound for future generations.

Want to guess where this plan originated?

With the Clinton Administration.

 

[Dutch]

My grandson, who was shown a spinning top, was impressed too. But then, he wasn't looking to promote the lies of the left.

Ah, you must be in the "surely I'm too old for Romney-Ryan ending Medicare to affect me" demographic.

My, aren't you in for a surprise!

No, I'm in the camp where the person who wrote the law, understands it best, and can detail the exact consequence of that law.

Unlike the left who have to lie and fear monger to make their argument.

You see, the Ryan budget does two things, and those things have been explained in great depth. There have been prominent democrats who have shown character by standing up for Paul Ryan's character, and while they disagree with the approach, they do not lie that the Ryan budget does anything other than what Ryan says it will.

They just don't want to give up the power.

So, I'll ask one more time.

Why do you feel so compelled to lie about this medicare issue when the facts, laid upon the table, show that Obama has cut 700+ billion dollars to the medicare system as an accounting gimmick, and has jeopardize medicare not only for the current seniors, but for those who may be depending upon it in the future?

What do you fear so much that it motivates you to destroy your integrity so?

ETA: You will only get one shot at this answer. I've already written you off as someone worthless and untrustworthy. Depending on how you answer will determine My next course of action.

Funny you say that the person who wrote understands it best because the two gentlemen who wrote romneycare and obamacare said on national tv tonight that Romney is lying about the health care cuts

 

[Darkwind]

No, I'm in the camp where the person who wrote the law, understands it best, and can detail the exact consequence of that law.

Neat. But Ryan didn't write a law, he wrote a white paper to complement a resolution that sets budgetary levels. The details remain to be written down.

Those we've seen are very high-level and, occasionally, non-sensical (community rating within age bands, yet also individually risk-adjusted vouchers? No need).

The lengths his acolytes go through in overestimating Ryan's policy acumen is astonishing at times. I suppose he really is a dumb person's idea of what a smart person sounds like.

Why do you feel so compelled to lie about this medicare issue when the facts, laid upon the table, show that Obama has cut 700+ billion dollars to the medicare system as an accounting gimmick, and has jeopardize medicare not only for the current seniors, but for those who may be depending upon it in the future?

As I've said before, the only solution to Medicare's problems is to address the cost drivers that make the program (and, ultimately, every private sector health plan, as well) unsustainable: the inflationary payment mechanisms and flawed delivery systems that have plagued the health system for decades.

Remove the perverse incentives that make it more lucrative to provide worse care inefficiently, and instead reward doctors and hospitals for providing better care more efficiently. Reorganize the system so that it not only can but is encouraged to deliver better care less expensively. One of the few private sector pilots to taking this approach--replacing fee-for-service reimbursement with new payment mechanisms and incentivizing higher quality care--saw costs drop 10% in a single year last year for providers making that transition, at the same time quality improved.

This is the only way to save Medicare--and the rest of us. And Obama is the only one in this race who's shown any interest in making Medicare, and health care more generally, more sustainable. Of the two "visions" being offered in this race, only one has embraced the reforms needed to actually slow rising costs of care and allow providers to slow their cost growth to match the slowing reimbursement increases in Medicare (which both Obama and Ryan call for).

Ryan wants to shuffle some papers around and hide costs by getting them off the government's books; Obama is working to actually slow the rise in health costs.

The details have been written down. You simply have to read them.

Your idea of how to save medicare is not germane to anything. We are dealing with what is written and what the politicians are promoting. I could spend 30k words on how I think it should be saved, but that means nothing to anyone. We support or reject what exists.

Right now, I have to go to bed as its been a long day and I have to be up in 5 hours.

 

[Listening]

Because of Obamacare, it is the Democrats who now plan to cut current seniors’ benefits (especially those in Medicare Advantage) and access to care (thanks to the IPAB) while still failing to avert the program’s (and the nation’s) fiscal collapse, and because Romney would repeal Obamacare and pursue a version of the Ryan-Wyden premium-support reform it is the Republicans who would protect current seniors’ benefits and make them available to future seniors while saving the program from collapse through market reforms.

Was there a contest to see how many falsities could be crammed into a single sentence?

I'm genuinely impressed.

Can we look forward to some more of your "percentage" arguments that provide no context in terms of the absolute numbers.

Please....I can hardly wait.

 

[BreezeWood]

... and suggest the Democrats could be in serious trouble.

the Democrats are more than happy to discuss their Legislative Enactment, the ACA Law with the Republicans -

It is the Republicans who have no legislation of their own as law, either passed by the previous Administration or dispelled by their voting unanimously in Congress against the most far reaching HealthCare Reform law in the Nations History ... their proposals are not law which begs the question, Where is the Beef.

.

 

[CandySlice]

I want Obama to explain it during the debates! Or better yet, let Ryan bring it up to Biden. That would be a hoot!

If you have even a shred of a sense of humor you live for days like that.