If the public option is dropped then I oppose the expansion of Medicare.

[Odin2005]

Why should the goddamn baby boomers get Medicare while the rest of us get screwed? This is so much BS

[CreekDog]

1. why? it's an expansion of single payer

plus it's paired with expanding Medicaid, also single payer.

eventually these systems could expand to a universal single payer system.

even the public options on the table right now don't do that the way this would.

[Oregone]

6. Right on

People want to sit around talking about getting "a foot in the door" and starting someplace, but maybe it was the wrong door. These socialized programs already exist and are an established "path to single payer". You can transverse that path now, or sit around and whine about some symbolic public option that was never meant to really compete or dramatically change the system

[Lord Helmet]

14. I agree. It's single-payer. Ultimately that can be expanded to make it universal single-payer.

[gateley]

2. We need some plan that includes everybody, regardless of age or income. They

knew that going in. Very simple. Very uncomplicated. WTF is going on??

[Oregone]

3. LOL. The public option devolved to being meaningless. Trading a shit symbol for a Medicare expansion

is a decent deal.

Look, the public option wasn't going to be anything better or cheaper than the private subsidized exchange plans, and those will still exist for people. Allowing more expensive patients to shuffle off the private market can reduce rates for the rest of the risk pool. There is benefit here, beyond the evil baby boomers.

Then next year, get them to lower it to 45, and fight beyond. Make the Medicare qualifications dynamic and start chipping away.

[Odin2005]

5. Why don't we further expand Medicaid?

That makes more sense.

[rucky]

8. That's in the proposal, too. n/t

[Odin2005]

9. That's why I said "further"

[Oregone]

11. "you gotta start somewhere"

:)

[leftstreet]

4. 'goddamn baby boomers'

:popcorn:

[rucky]

7. We're never going to get anywhere like this. n/t

[TexasObserver]

10. Your inability to be rationale about your parents' generation is amusing.

But not unexpected.

Would you agree that your parents and the government have paid for virtually everything you've ever had, from your education to your medical care? And yet, you resent that generation, which has cared for you since your birth until now.

[DURHAM D]

13. Not only that - the boomers have been paying for their parents medicare coverage.

The Greatest Generation didn't put in much money for what they have received/are receiving.

[TexasObserver]

15. Fact is Boomers are carrying their parents and their kids.

When boomers were 23, it was rare for them to still be staying at their parents' home, instead of paying their own way. When they were 23, they were expected to be self sufficient.

[laughingliberal]

12. There are a couple of positives in it even if you are not old enough

It does take a sicker population off the private insurance companies' roles, giving them less excuse for their jacked up rates. They can't claim as much risk if they are not covering that age group.

There may be some in that age group who are only working cause they need the health insurance. Some of them will retire if they can get coverage and that would open up some jobs for the younger workers.

oh, and 'goddamn youngsters'