Comment from Congressman Weiner on Ryan and ending Medicare

[cal04]

he's live blogging on Kos
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/2/25/840624/-Health-Care-Summit-Liveblog-#2

Henry Waxman is finally framing this debate as a choice. And the GOP plan has been largely hidden.

Rep. Ryan, who is a member of the GOP leadership, has proposed ending Medicare. ending it outright.

Let's spend a few hours on the floor of Congress debating the GOP plan. I'll be there for that for sure.



4:19
When Rep. Roskam was done explaining that his party's efforts to confuse and decieve voters about the bill have been sucessful, he moved on to a discussion of Medicaid.

He doesnt like it being used as a tool for expansion. I'm not crazy about it either. I'd prefer to use the Medicare model. Fewer state-by-state variabilities and fewer opportunities for a race to the bottom.

We should expand Medicare to all Americans.


5:01 PM

Wow! Speaker Pelosi closing with a bang.

Public option! Ripping the health insurance industry! Maybe we are in the room!

[PHIMG]

1. MEDICARE FOR ALL -- NOW!!

[WCGreen]

3. I'm all for it...

But the deduction from your payroll would have to increase dramatically...

[Edweird]

6. Got actual facts to back that up?

[WCGreen]

10. the only fact I know now is that Medicare as it stands now is running in the Red...

A recent congressional budget office report stated that the Medicare Trust Fund is running a deficit. And that is with everyone, even those not now recieving benefits are included.

To me that can only mean that the fund is taking in money from every person drawing a salary this year and sending out more that it is taking in. If everyone suddendly was covered by Medicare, that would increase the costs but not increase the flow of money into the fund.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601074&sid=an32Ut5JcW0U

Trust Fund

The budget office said that whenever the Medicare trust fund runs a surplus, the savings are turned over to the U.S. Treasury, which issues bonds to borrow for the future needs of participants in the health-care program for the elderly. The trust fund is currently running annual deficits.

North Dakota Democrat Kent Conrad, chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, has said that the Senate legislation would postpone the Medicare trust fund’s projected 2017 insolvency by several years.


This is without increaing participation into the fund.

[PHIMG]

12. That's easy to fix.

Nice right-wing talking point.

Are you advocating getting rid of Medicare?

If Bush had funded Part D the problem woudln't nearly be as bad. But Republicans want to bankrupt Medicare so it can be handed over to the private insurance sharks.

[WCGreen]

13. Damn, you found me out...

I have been hiding my secret identity for almost ten years now...

You're right, I am a right wing talking point machine...

Putz...

BTW, I was just pointing out that it wouldn't be feasable to increase medicare for all unless the 2.9 contribution per employee was increased.

Get your facts straight before you accuse someone.

[SoCalDem]

7. BUT the amount NOW deducted for private insurance would be GONE

and your boss would no longer have you on a short leash, as he/she snoops into your private medical-life.

current medicare deduction is a measly 1.45% from you and 1.45% from the boss..

it should be at least 5% from you and 5% from the boss.. Imagine a jump from 2.9% to 10%..coupled with a compete elimination of the current deduction for your current health care plan.. Whatever was left from the 2.1 increase your boss had to pony up, would be returned to YOU as WAGES..

[WCGreen]

14. That's exactly what I am saying...

the premium into the plan would have to be increased.

[PHIMG]

8. All the surveys say people are willing to pay more in taxes

In exchange for everyone in the country having cradle to grave coverage, no provider restrictions, no co-payments and deductibles.

Medicare for All is a BARGAIN. And unlike premiums, taxes can be made progressive, aka pay what you can afford.

[WCGreen]

9. That is fine by me...

I was just pointing out that the Medicare part of your withholding would have to increase...

[bvar22]

2. That makes sense, AND it would be so easy.

Draft a very simple, CLEAN, Stand Alone Bill lowering Medicare eligibility to 55.
Do NOT call it Health Care Reform.
Call it "Emergency Assistance for Aging Americans."
This could be critical for the unemployed in this age group.

LET the Republicans OPPOSE THAT!

Voila', the door to Single Payer is now WIDE OPEN.

[bullwinkle428]

4. Time to expose this little cockroach Ryan to the light of day!!

[cal04]

5. the rest of his comments after 5

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/2/25/840624/-Health-Care-Summit-Liveblog-#2

This summit made a few things real clear: The Republicans want to destroy Medicare. They don't want to lower costs. And they want to shovel more money to their insurance company friends.

President Obama and the Democrats want to fight for ordinary people who need affordable care.

I've been saying all along that the best way to do that is through the public option.

Thank you for joining me here today and adding your voice to this movement.

There's one more thing you can do to make our message heard: Help me make my goal of organizing 2,000 donors to show that people are willing to stand up to the special interest and the "do nothing" Republicans.

Click here to make a contribution and join my fight for the public option. Even as little as $5 from you will help us make our voices heard.


5:22 PM

OK, that was actually fun in a wonky kind of way. Now what?

Here's what i propose.

First, put the public option to a vote in the Senate.

Then, once it passes, add it to the corrections bill that modifies the Senate plan to be more like the House bill.

Then the House will pass both bills at the same time.

We in the House are done with acting "on spec" while the Senate dithers.

5:15 PM

The President's summary is good, but he needs to do a better job at making the case that Medicare and Medicaid are sucess stories. And that private insurance companies are more problem than solution.

He has always been strongest on the defining of the problem.

A speech on how Medicare came to be and what it has accomplished is in order.

[jstadctgy]

11. Durbin Rocked today!

He and Harkin had the clearest, most real mic time of anyone today - hopefully they vote like they talk