Only Nixon Could Go to China......
....and it seems only Democrats can get away with slashing Medicare as they do under Obamacare. It is a political maxim that people who are thought of as hard on issue X are those that can most get away with being soft on issue X.
Examples of the maxim abound. Nixon was thought of as a war hawk and tough on Communism. Thus he was the perfect tool for global corporate interests to use to begin a rapprochment with the communist giant. When the Federal Reserve act was first tried, it was voted down. Only when the key players got the backing of a Senator who was perceived as being tough on the big banks to support the measure did it get passed. The Democrats are perceived as defenders of the elderly, thus they are the ones in best position to slash its funding without getting called on it. A complicit establishment media, who would howl at Republicans if they tried it but are largely silent as the Democrats do it, helps greatly.
The way it is cut is revealing. It just guts Medicare advantage programs, where insurance companies negotiate with providers to hold down costs. That does not effect so-called medi-gap plans which are pushed by AARP. Those plans simply pay the parts of the bill that the government does not pay. This is how AARPs backing was purchased by Obama even though his plan will hurt Medicare funding overall- the hurt part is concentrated in the place where AARP's rivals sell product. The destruction of this competing product will enrich AARP at the expense of seniors who have been enjoying enhanced coverage through medicare advantage plans.
Another way the plan cuts medicare is by cutting reimbursements to doctors and other medical professionals. While the Democrats are technically correct that this will not cut any benefits, in the real world it will make it harder for seniors to find doctors willing to take them. I guess if Democrats understood the laws of supply and demand and other simple economic principles they would not have spent us into oblivion.
Off course the Republicans spent us into oblivion when they got the chance too, so the practical difference is whose friends get the money. Doctors and insurance companies are largely the GOP's friends, so they are losing money. ACORN and AARP are Obama's friends so they get money. This is government as organized plunder, and if it does not end soon then this country will.
Examples of the maxim abound. Nixon was thought of as a war hawk and tough on Communism. Thus he was the perfect tool for global corporate interests to use to begin a rapprochment with the communist giant. When the Federal Reserve act was first tried, it was voted down. Only when the key players got the backing of a Senator who was perceived as being tough on the big banks to support the measure did it get passed. The Democrats are perceived as defenders of the elderly, thus they are the ones in best position to slash its funding without getting called on it. A complicit establishment media, who would howl at Republicans if they tried it but are largely silent as the Democrats do it, helps greatly.
The way it is cut is revealing. It just guts Medicare advantage programs, where insurance companies negotiate with providers to hold down costs. That does not effect so-called medi-gap plans which are pushed by AARP. Those plans simply pay the parts of the bill that the government does not pay. This is how AARPs backing was purchased by Obama even though his plan will hurt Medicare funding overall- the hurt part is concentrated in the place where AARP's rivals sell product. The destruction of this competing product will enrich AARP at the expense of seniors who have been enjoying enhanced coverage through medicare advantage plans.
Another way the plan cuts medicare is by cutting reimbursements to doctors and other medical professionals. While the Democrats are technically correct that this will not cut any benefits, in the real world it will make it harder for seniors to find doctors willing to take them. I guess if Democrats understood the laws of supply and demand and other simple economic principles they would not have spent us into oblivion.
Off course the Republicans spent us into oblivion when they got the chance too, so the practical difference is whose friends get the money. Doctors and insurance companies are largely the GOP's friends, so they are losing money. ACORN and AARP are Obama's friends so they get money. This is government as organized plunder, and if it does not end soon then this country will.
posted by Mark Moore (Moderator) at Friday, December 04, 2009
1 Comments:
It remains to be seen whether the Medicare cuts in these bills will ever materialize... probably not.
Therein lies the problem with this whole process. The dirty little (not so)secret is that if they succeed in passing a bill, ANY bill, it doesn't matter what is in it.
All the debate about public options, triggers, state opt outs, funding, yadda, yadda, yadda... It's all bogus. Once they co-opt the system & get the framework in place, then they will flesh this thing out in hundreds of smaller bills under the radar. Ultimately it will lead to "single payer" which has been the plan all along.
Furthermore, any congressan/senator that says otherwise is either a liar or is to stupid to be a dogcatcher... no disrespect to dogcatchers.
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