Medicare "drifting towards disaster": U.S. official

[southern_belle]

Source: Reuters

Medicare is lurching toward disaster and it is too late for the Bush Administration and Congress to do anything about it, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt said on Tuesday.

He said the next administration will have to act to stop rising costs and get control of the $400 billion federal health insurance plan for the elderly, which now covers 44 million people.

"Higher and higher costs are being borne by fewer and fewer people. Sooner or later, this formula implodes," Leavitt said in a speech to the right-leaning Heritage Foundation and American Enterprise Institute think-tanks.

``snip``

Leavitt's speech echoes repeated warnings from other federal government officials who have noted that Medicare spending is projected to be 3.3 percent of gross domestic product in 2009.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN2936521220080429

[Trajan]

1. Mission Nearly Accomplished ....

They were out to destroy the progressive agenda began in the 1930's (which became necessary after the destruction of the american economy by the GOP numbskulls in the 1920's) ....

They are nearly done ....

[Fovea]

4. and just in time for the next great depression!

Wonnerful.

[Fovea]

2. The sort of masturbatory free market advice we always hear

let the insurance companies run medicare and it will all be made good by the invisible hand of the free market.

The check's in your mouth-
and I won't come in the mail.

[angstlessk]

3. that was exactly their hope when passing the medicare 'prescription drug' benefit

that benefit was to the pharma co's and the insurance, hmo companies..not to the retires nor the taxpayers..it was to bankrupt the system..and turn it ALL PRIVATE..LET THE OLD AND POOR DIE...they are not productive...they cannot work for lower and lower wages..what good are they???

[OhioChick]

5. You Got It. n/t

[bemildred]

6. Maybe we could use some of that war money to "fix" it. nt

[angstlessk]

7. that'll be the day..Democrats are voting to EXTEND the payment for the war

into the NEXT administration...so's they won't have to SAY PRETTY PLEASE...DEMAND THE NEXT PRESIDENT MUST ASK FOR FUNDING...OR QUIT IRAQ!! :grr:

[jedr]

8. Medicare is a problem, but a billion/week for a war isn't?...n/t

[Prophet 451]

9. I could go two ways here

1. He's being honest, in which case, the disaster is mainly Bush's fault for his insane economic policies.
2. He's banging the drum for a round of privatisation talk.

[Trajan]

10. This has got to stop ..... Bush is not 'the' problem ....

The GOP is the problem ...

The CONSERVATIVES are the problem ....

CONSERVATIVE PHILOSOPHY is the problem ...

Bush is The Problem only because he is the leader of the CONSERVATIVE GOP, who have, collectively, hacked away at the post depression policies began by FDR and continued through LBJ's 'Great Society' ....

Focusing exclusively on Bush is a HUGE mistake: He is lame duck and will not be running for office next term: Using him as an example of how bad a president might be is A-OK ... Using him as a target for the next election cycle is a poor strategical choice ...

Really, everyone: Bush is bad, but the GOP is far worse, if only due to sheer numbers ....

[DeanDem10]

16. You have a good point

Conservatism is a failed ideology. And we have to make sure we pin John McCain with that --failed McCain/failed conseratism, failed Bush-clone (and just as brain dead).

[ToughLuck]

11. Because of war and free trade we ended up with free shit..thanks Bush

[LynnTheDem]

12. Stop illegally invading other nations and there'd be no problem.

Like George W. bUsh, it's that stupidly simple.

[whathappened]

13. medicare

we have seniors living full lifes , which is good for them , nothing better then older people having fun befor they leave this shitty world , problem is our jobs are leaving faster then the old are dieing , who is paying into medicare , alot less people then we use to have , free trade sucks big time , it is time to tax the hell out of our trader to our country corperations , and make them bring the jobs back home and build a better america

[Doctor_J]

14. So is everything else in this fascist fatherland

this is news?

[DeanDem10]

15. The admin is priming us

to think we need to fully privatize Medicare. It is a ruse. Medicare needs work and as well as both an increase and a restructuring of funding. But privatization (with it's profit motive, middlemen (persons), high-paid execs and golden parachutes, costs more).

[Supersedeas]

17. McCain's plan -- privatize everything: put it on the open market