Aging Population Poses Global Challenges (cuts in Medicaid)

[cthrumatrix]

Aging Population Poses Global Challenges
Health Care, Other Rising Costs to Strain Budgets in U.S. and Abroad

By Jonathan Weisman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, February 2, 2005; Page A01

When President Bush delivers his State of the Union address tonight, his prescriptions for Social Security are likely to vault that issue to the front of the nation's political agenda. But Social Security's financial problems are a relatively small sliver of the far larger challenges posed by an aging population, economists say.

From untamed health care programs to military pensions, housing and heating assistance to coal-miners' benefits, programs for the elderly have proliferated and grown more generous, even in the face of an aging trend that demographers have long seen coming. In that light, the fight over Social Security marks only the beginning of a national debate over the cost of a graying society -- and the inevitable reallocation of resources that is sure to produce winners and losers, in the United States and around the world.


"The question is whether we can support the elderly with a decent standard of living without imposing a crushing burden on the young," said Richard Jackson, director of the global aging initiative at the Center for Strategic & International Studies. "Whether we can is a real concern."


snip

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55582-2005Feb1.html?sub=AR

[cthrumatrix]

1. here's why costs are going up

In other words, states are doing a better job of controlling costs than the private sector. So why are Medicaid costs increasing quickly? Again, from Holahan:

For the entire 2000-2003 period, Medicaid spending increases were largely driven by enrollment growth, much of which was attributable to the economic downturn.

To review, Medicare costs have gone up because more people are struggling in the lousy economy we’ve had during the Bush administration. But instead of giving people the help they need until the economy recovers, Leavitt is determined to cut benefits.


http://thinkprogress.org/index.php?p=64

[TahitiNut]

6. Exactly. It's like complaining about the gas bills at Auschwitz!

These bastards rape the 'bottom 50%' and then point at their increasingly impoverished parents and other dependents as some unwelcome 'burden.'

The working class bears the burdens of supporting both the insatiable wealthy and the retired workers. As the wealthy extract an ever-greater 'share' of the wealth created by labor, they attempt to malign the retired workers.

Fucking vampires!

[denverbill]

2. Well, gee, maybe we shouldn't give wealthy folks enormous tax cuts.

Maybe we shouldn't be shipping jobs by the million to China and India.

Maybe we should have a political party in the US that actually works for working class Americans.

[cthrumatrix]

3. as usual MSM ignores this issue.....Soc Sec is a more sexy issue

than cutting health care

[Mountainman]

4. Maybe we shouldn't fight wars of opportunity also

200 billion for a war without a reason other than the PNACers want it. If we would all demand that the government respond to our needs rather than those of the chosen few and if we would fight to gain control of the media again maybe we would be better off.

[cthrumatrix]

5. the problem must be medicaid does not enrich the "elite"

[Demeter]

7. I Thought That's How Bill Frist Gets His Pocket Money

seeing as how his family is into owning hospitals....

[bemildred]

8. More "divide-and-rule" bullshit.

Let's pretend the old are enemies of their kids and grandkids.

[slor]

9. Well, why did these old people...

not take the time to buy their own hospitals this year? We live in the great new "Ownership Society" friends...I will be purchasing a few hospitals myself this week. Is this new ownership not the best!

[KoKo]

10. Weisman surely got a nice check for this article......

Sheesh....:puke: