Paul Ryan / Trump want to privatize medicare

Paul Ryan and the Trump team want to privatize medicare. Paul Ryan says "Because of Obamacare, medicare is broke." However, that is not true. Obamacare has extended the medicare trust fund by 11 years.

"Medicare" was the name originally given to a program providing medical care for families of individuals serving in the military as part of the Dependents' Medical Care Act passed in 1956.[5] President Eisenhower held the first White House Conference on Aging in January 1961, in which the creation of a program of health care for social security beneficiaries was proposed.[6][7] In July 1965,[8] under the leadership of President Lyndon Johnson, Congress enacted Medicare under Title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide health insurance to people age 65 and older, regardless of income or medical history.[9][10] Before Medicare's creation, approximately 60% of those over 65 had health insurance, with coverage often unavailable or unaffordable to many others, because older adults paid more than three times as much for health insurance as younger people.

Medicare is a successful program that does not need to be changed. Privatizing it could raise costs, because companies need to make a profit and medicare does not.

During his campaign, Trump pledged not to cut entitlement spending like Social Security and Medicare or Medicaid.

During the campaign, Donald Trump often promised to be a different kind of Republican, one who would represent the interests of working-class voters who depend on major government programs. “I’m not going to cut Social Security like every other Republican and I’m not going to cut Medicare or Medicaid,” he declared, under the headline “Why Donald Trump Won’t Touch Your Entitlements.”

But now, Trump has made a 180 on this promise. Will he cut benefits to veterans? What about the disabled?

Paul Ryan Says Medicare Privatization Is On

New York Times - The Medicare Killers

The problem with Medicare, IMHO, is the vast numbers of people under 65 who receive benefits.
That is what drains it.

What needs revamping is taking those recipients and putting them on Medicaid or some other program.
And.....whatever it is called.....people on disability benefits.....need to be actually disabled.
Fraud is rampant....both on the doctor and "patient" end.

originally posted by: DontTreadOnMe
The problem with Medicare, IMHO, is the vast numbers of people under 65 who receive benefits.
That is what drains it.

What needs revamping is taking those recipients and putting them on Medicaid or some other program.
And.....whatever it is called.....people on disability benefits.....need to be actually disabled.
Fraud is rampant....both on the doctor and "patient" end.

I hope that is all it is. There seems to be multiple issues that he is flopping on. Maybe it is just too soon and I am reading too far into things.

All that politicians have done for the last 30 years is kick the can down the road.
They haven't addressed the real problem with medical care, rising costs.
Making everybody have insurance sounds good, but let's make the care affordable first.

This is why I self medicate!

Privatizing is OK as long as the government sends enough $$$ to citizens to pay their premiums. Otherwise it will cause a lot of anguish.

It's akin to privatizing Social Security, which is called the "third rail" of politics. A very dangerous idea, if not funded and implemented properly.

Privatizing is not cutting benefits, so he's not breaking a promise. With that said I think it's a bad move.

It's broken, and cannot be fixed.

www.politifact.com...

Privatizing it is a great way to shift blame for when it goes bankrupt.

Notice how the USPS hasn't gone private- there's no way to profit doing what they do.

It's been several years since I bothered to look into medicare and social security as a whole, but what I saw was a certainty that the system would inevitably implode. This is simple economics applied to shifts in demographics. We've got about a decade or so left until a real decision needs to be made. Moving this to the private sector won't change this reality.

It would be nice if we could opt out of social security benefits/taxes entirely.

originally posted by: lordcomac

Notice how the USPS hasn't gone private- there's no way to profit doing what they do.

Except what they do is now largely taken on by FedEx, DHL, & now Amazon. You can make a profit in that business, but you will be charging more.

I never use USPS, I'll pay the premium for FedEx.

If they are privatizing everything, no need for taxes, right?

a reply to: darkbake

I am sick of people who can only see one damm direction.

100% capitalism fails.
100% socialism fails.

Stop gambling with healthcare and social security by putting it in the hands of investors. Rates will go up, companies will gamble, and the tax payer will be stuck paying big business once again.

OUR FOUNDING FATHERS WERE NOT THIS IGNORANT!!

Our constitution brings together free-market capitalism and social programs deemed necessary for the survival of a nation. The founding fathers didn't privatize the military or judiciary, but they could have.

Privatizing these programs will lead to more corruption then exits as social programs. Look at the costs of private prisons, incarceration rates and overall corruption has increased exponentially.

Stop capitalising on social programs. Make them better, not more expensive.

If I am required to have something I am not free nor am I functioning in a capitalist system. If you give it to me we are socialist. If you make me buy it you are a fascist. You can't make me do what is best for me, nor should I force you to do what I believe is best for you. We are adults. It's either socialism, I don't have to have it or fascism.

Trump are you a fascist elitists who is going to tell me how to live my life?

Or will you be a citizen of a Social Democracy that looks out for the basic needs of its people through taxation of the working class. Just like our Constitution spells out so eloquently.

a reply to: intrptr

What about their salaries and benefits? Will they privatize war also?

a reply to: SignalMal
too bad you can't opt out of the love you feel for your parents though, huh??

if the gov't is allowed to walk away from it's obligation to the seniors, for which those seniors worked and paid into all their working years, just who do you think is gonna be left holding the bag??
lol... they think that the kids, many of whom are still living at home because they can't find jobs to support themselves, still dependent on their parents, to stay in those homes after the parents get too old and feeble to work and support them...

originally posted by: dawnstar
a reply to: SignalMal
too bad you can't opt out of the love you feel for your parents though, huh??

I disowned my mother. You can't opt-out when it was never there.

if the gov't is allowed to walk away from it's obligation to the seniors, for which those seniors worked and paid into all their working years, just who do you think is gonna be left holding the bag??

I don't think you understand. It's not mathematically possible to fund this through the century. If we don't take care of what needs be done, our whole system would go bust under the burden.

lol... they think that the kids, many of whom are still living at home because they can't find jobs to support themselves, still dependent on their parents, to stay in those homes after the parents get too old and feeble to work and support them...

I suspect when this eventually comes to pass (dealing with the demographic divide between the then 30-45 & 65+) the vast majority of millennials will be well established economically. It's up to each individual to decide how they deal with the burden of their aging parents. Mine are well off. I will have no responsibility.

originally posted by: MOMof3
a reply to: intrptr

What about their salaries and benefits? Will they privatize war also?

They already do. The enormous over budgeted defense spending goes right into private companies coffers. Same with prisons, space, increasingly schools. Are taxes going down?

Privatizing medical care will allow companies to charge whatever they want for their services. That means higher insurance costs to afford the premiums, the real problem, imo. If private practice didn't have to hire extra people just to figure out the insurance laws, medicine wouldn't be so expensive. Once you allow companies to charge whatever, theres no cap like with gubment regulations.

Let me get this straight....

I paid into a system for 30 years that will be transferred to a system where stockholders, CEO and other elites can profit from my tax dollars.

I don't think so....

a reply to: DontTreadOnMe

No matter how you do it, the medical industry isn't competitive and is too expensive.

The care is worse than other countries and costs 2-3 times as much.

The medical industry has a monopoly thru the AMA.

Insurance is charged one price cash is another.

Under the current system there is never going to be enough money, ever.

a reply to: olaru12

I'm sure the wallstreeterers won't monetize my medical care, bundle it, have it graded as AAA and sell it all over the world. Hold it.......

Let me get this straight.... I paid into a system for 30 years that will be transferred to a system where stockholders, CEO and other elites can profit from my tax dollars. I don't think so....

a reply to: SignalMal

gee, the banks went bust.... they seemed to come up the money to bail them out. we've been fighting the longest war in our history, why?? don't ask me, couldn't tell you... but they've found plenty of money for that. did you know it costs about a million dollars to send just one ship out to sea for six months... my son was in the navy, he was the one who told me this. they have money to build bridges to no where and unneeded, unwanted airports. and, we just won't talk about all the money they give to countries around the world (better known as BRIBES.)
but, as of right now, I am not gonna put much stock into what trump says, because well, the wind will blow in a different direction tomorrow and cause him to say the complete opposite of what he says today.

here is my prediction.....
give it a year or two, and I bet you will find alot of taxpayer money flowing around with it's final resting place in trump connected enterprises...