Congress Weighs Big Cuts to Medicaid and Medicare (cover 1/4 of Americans)

[DeepModem Mom]

NYT: Congress Weighs Big Cuts to Medicaid and Medicare
By ROBERT PEAR
Published: October 30, 2005


WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 - Congressional committees have proposed substantial cutbacks in Medicaid and Medicare, the nation's largest health insurance programs, which together cover more than one-fourth of all Americans.

The two houses of Congress are expected to approve the changes in the next two weeks as part of competing bills to slow the growth of federal spending. Negotiators from the two chambers would then try to work out the differences.

The House bill would take all of its savings from Medicaid, the program for low-income people, while leaving Medicare, the program for those 65 and older and the disabled, untouched, as the Bush administration wants. By contrast, the Senate bill would squeeze savings from both programs.

Under the House bill, states would gain sweeping authority to charge premiums, increase co-payments and trim benefits for Medicaid recipients, so benefit packages would look more like the private insurance provided by employers.

The Congressional Budget Office estimated that these changes would save the federal government more than $4 billion in the next five years, with savings of more than $3 billion for the states....


http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/30/politics/30health.html

[msongs]

1. TV ad: the republicans are gonna destroy your medicare & medicaid nt

[rodeodance]

3. is there one out there? now?

[rodeodance]

2. every body really needs to pay attention to these cuts.

[daleo]

4. Another way Americans can die for the Iraq war

This way the poor can suffer on the home front as well.

[Gloria]

5. Gee. When do they plan to clue us in????

I'm on Medicare...and my mother is still in love with Buscho and the GOP. Let's see how she feels if she gets hit by this....right now, she crows that Bushco hasn't hurt her at all...

[AndreaCG]

14. Sorry to say but it'll serve your mother right

Sorry YOU might get hit by it though.

[Fovea]

6. Let's not.

Instead, let's just take all that money going into Iraq every month, and fund the programs right.

If the war for oil is more important than the people, I say let the oil companies pay for it. They a re the ones who can afford it these days.

[Erika]

8. Bushco's redistribution of wealth

Take our taxes and give to his corporate globalist buddies.

[Erika]

7. Bushco is working hard on turning our country into a banana republic

We've already approached that we will accept a lowered standard of living, health care, and education than the rest of the civilized world.

[CountAllVotes]

9. forget it * - you are a lame duck *quack quack!!!*

Hopefully this lame duck called a president won't be able to get another thing though. Too busy worrying about FBI agents spying on him as he fights with his quickly deserting staff!

:nuke:

It's not like Medicare if free ya know. $85.+ a month starting in January and it's rather shitty coverage as it stands now.

As for Medicaid, yeah right, cut what is left of that. Soon the whole USA will look like one huge post-Katrina. Hell, the streets of Calcutta may soon look better! :grr:

WE NEED TO GET THESE CROOKS OUT NOW!!!!

:kick:

[Overseas]

10. Saving $4 Billion, eh? Wonder how else we might save that much?

And ditto with the "Katrina" cuts-- I mean really !! How disgusting it has been to see legislators look to stabbing the already slammed working poor with more and more cuts while leaving Iraq spending alone, even after all the documented war profiteering we have seen !! BRING THE TROOPS HOME NOW !!

[CountAllVotes]

11. Amen!

BRING THE TROOPS HOME NOW !!

and save several hundred billion and save some lives.

This war criminal is responsible for the deaths of at least 50,000 persons! When will the world wake up and realize this?

Cut Medicare and Medicaid = more deaths.

Blood on your hands * ... blood, dripping, dripping blood.

You * will rot in hell! Rot in hell! Rot in hell!

:kick: :kick: :kick:

[this_side_up]

12. Have they ever suggested

cutting Congressional pensions by 75% or
or their health care coverage by 75% or
paying 100% of their healthcare premiums or
eliminating their Congressional perks such
as free postage and all of their other perks?

[Robert Oak]

13. Congress is corrupt

While the Bush Spin machine implodes on itself we have a much better
problem and that's congress.

Everyday there is a new outrage coming from congress...
they pass corporate welfare after corporate welfare and screw the American people on a daily basis.

These are new laws people and what's worse is we need to get at least
10 Senators and about 40 House members plain thrown out plus
get some ethical people in to do any real change.

One of the biggest problems is campaign finance (they are bought
and paid for by multinational corporations) and the "revolving door"
between K street and the government. These cats swing in between the
two and are
by and for corporations.

The focus is on Bush corporation but if we don't get the focus on these
mega corrupt politicians we're still in big trouble.