Medicare Changes Proposed by the Republicans?

[oc2002]

Anyone here have a good source for more information on what is it exactly that the Republicans are proposing.

I have read online articles on WP and NYT about that they want to bring in or privatize in part or as a whole the Medicare system. But the articles offer few if any details on what it is the committy is planing on doing.

Thank.

[madfloridian]

1. It is being kept quiet, and Democrats are just NOW speaking out.

I have been ranting about this for ages. No one pays attention. There was an article at Salon and one at Yahoo about Tom Scully's remarks on keeping things secret. I have them on my hard drive, but the articles are not found any longer.

I did find this cute blog that covers it quite well.
http://www.thudfactor.com/archives/002748.php

It will affect many seniors by getting them dropped from their present programs and forcing them into managed care. It will probably just allow the traditional program to implode.

The history of managed care and seniors is very well known to have a terrible history.

I have been ranting that no one was speaking up. I did yesterday see Kennedy and others begging Bush to intervene. Maybe too little too late.

[in_cog_ni_to]

2. The repukes took their meetings

behind closed doors. The Dems will know what's on the bill when they come out for air. I just love the way the legislature works these days. The repukes have their private little meetings, no Dems included, come out, hand the bill to the Dem members and call for a vote...never giving the Dems a chance to read any of it. These repukess are are pure corruption. Inside and out.

[papau]

3. It starts small but Billy Tauzin(R) says Dems are correct in the expecting

that the end game is the end of Medicare as an entitlement - it becomes one more form of welfare , complete with a means test and an asset test (the GOP bill already defines not getting the total max benefit/discount folks those that have more than $10,000 in assets).

And then like Mental Health under Reagan it gets "block granted" as just money to the states, followed by State's doing whatever they can afford to (in Reagan's Mental Health game in 1980 to 84 it was just about zero)old folks medical care.

Meanwhile the GOP will make yet another tax free interest account - a Medical Savings account - that makes the insurance companies happy and removes income from taxation.

The goal of course being having investment income - - 90% of which goes to the rich, and which makes up 90% of the income of the rich -- become tax free.

[ShavedBeard]

4. Medical Savings Accounts

Whats wrong with medical savings accounts?

The goal of course being having investment income - - 90% of which goes to the rich, and which makes up 90% of the income of the rich -- become tax free.

How about some IRS data to back up your claim that 90% of "the rich" get their income from investments? And what definition of "investment" are you using?