Obama vows to reshape SS and Medicare...

[rfranklin]

Obama vows to reshape entitlement programs
Says Social Security, Medicare linked to long-term economic recovery
By Michael D. Shear

updated 2:39 a.m. ET, Fri., Jan. 16, 2009
President-elect Barack Obama pledged yesterday to shape a new Social Security and Medicare "bargain" with the American people, saying that the nation's long-term economic recovery cannot be attained unless the government finally gets control over its most costly entitlement programs.

That discussion will begin next month, Obama said, when he convenes a "fiscal responsibility summit" before delivering his first budget to Congress. He said his administration will begin confronting the issues of entitlement reform and long-term budget deficits soon after it jump-starts job growth and the stock market.

"What we have done is kicked this can down the road. We are now at the end of the road and are not in a position to kick it any further," he said. "We have to signal seriousness in this by making sure some of the hard decisions are made under my watch, not someone else's."

-more-
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28686114/


I am not liking the sounds coming out of Obama's mouth. They are making him sound more like a Republican every day.

[Joanne98]

1. Oh no! Here it comes! There are only two places in the budget to get any real money from..

SS/Medicare or The EMPIRE! We can take this as a "save the empire" statement!

[nc4bo]

2. Just type in Medicare Fraud into Google and you get an article avalanche.

Something needs to be done. Please fix it Obama.

[rfranklin]

6. That's a Republican meme...what about corruption in the...

entire health care system due to the insurance companies? We need a single payer health care system--and then we can talk about how best o police the scam artists.

[nc4bo]

9. True that. But Medicare is abused. If Medicare is to become part of universal healthcare

it needs to be fixed to prevent overcharges and fraud.

Not a republican meme:
http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2008/August/08-crm-762.html
http://articles.latimes.com/2008/aug/07/local/me-skidrow7
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22184921/
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/21/business/21medicare.html?ref=health
http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/metro.ssf?/base/news/1232097325140780.xml&coll=2
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/breaking/story/455302.html

http://www.hhs.gov/asl/testify/t970626b.html

[lonestarnot]

11. Among other things.

[Donnachaidh]

3. let's give BILLIONS to Business, but Go AFTER those that can least afford to fight back

Yeah -- now that's CHANGE, isn't it? :sarcasm:

I wonder how many of those very same people who VOTED for him are reading this now and are feeling very VERY betrayed?

[Vinca]

4. I think your remark about Obama sounding like a Republican is unfair.

It's common knowledge something has to be done about both programs to keep them viable. I suspect this will involve raising the caps on social security contributions and maybe extending the age for full eligibility. There is no way Obama will reduce benefits on either program.

[rfranklin]

5. We paid forward on these programs under Reagan...

I can remember the increases vividly because I was making about $95 a week then and every dollar was precious. Ronnie's crew spent the money on the military, proving as Cheney said, "deficits don't matter. Now we are being asked to pony up again. How many times before you catch on?

We should cut at least 25% from the "defense" budget to start. We should tax capital gains the same as income. And I am sure we can think of a few more sources that have been sacrosanct up until now.

[Larkspur]

7. Social Security is one of the most efficient government programs

Medicare is the one in trouble and the last prescription bill is a large part of that problem.

Leave SS as is and work on implementing single payer via expanding Medicare for all.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

8. If he screws up SS & Medicare, we're all screwed

Right now Medicare has stopped paying for some lab tests, and we have patients here at the clinic who are declining to get tests or even to come in for an office visit because they feel they can't afford them (and our office visits are by donation to Medicare patients, so you can't say we're too expensive!).

Why not simply close the tax loopholes on the rich and on corporations? Seems to me that is the way to go with this.

[lonestarnot]

10. Bullshit.

[mmonk]

12. It will definitely make him popular in business and Republican circles.

The bad thing is I'm getting older and those that have voted for Republicans, especially because they believe in the concepts of entitlements are always the causes of budget problems, many of which hypocritically have been receiving these services, will seek to deny them to others.

[MiniMe]

13. SS & Medicare are NOT entitlement programs

We pay for them, and everybody gets it.

[nc4bo]

14. I think I'm going to drop a note to change.gov and ask what is Obama's definition of

Entitlement Program.

He stated during the debates that healthcare is a RIGHT. So where does the term "entitlement" come from and what does it mean in an Obama Administration?

http://scienceblogs.com/scientificactivist/2008/10/barack_obama_healthcare_is_a_r.php

Obama: Well, I think it should be a right for every American. In a country as wealthy as ours, for us to have people who are going bankrupt because they can't pay their medical bills--for my mother to die of cancer at the age of 53 and have to spend the last months of her life in the hospital room arguing with insurance companies because they're saying that this may be a pre-existing condition and they don't have to pay her treatment, there's something fundamentally wrong about that.

So let me--let me just talk about this fundamental difference. And, Tom, I know that we're under time constraints, but Sen. McCain threw a lot of stuff out there.

[annabanana]

25. uh.. that is why we are ENTITLED to receive benefits from them..

because they are ours.

The RW wurlitzer has done the same thing to the word "entitlement" that it did to the word "liberal" and I won't buy into their crap framing..

[southernyankeebelle]

15. Oh no

It needs some adjustments. As does medicare. But do not put social security into the stock market. They did that in Italy and people lost their savings. Here in the states look at people losing their 401K and pensions. We need to keep social security and keep the congress out of touching it to spending on wars.

[SammyWinstonJack]

16. 'CHANGE'

x(

[blindpig]

17. Be very afraid.

It looks as though Obama is going to do what Republicans since Reagan have tried and failed to do, wreck one of the last surviving accomplishments of the New Deal.

Guess that's change, huh?

[Kansas Wyatt]

18. Simple Fix: Stop spending it like General Revenue & tax all income.

Problem solved! Now how hard is it to figure that out?

[ellacott]

19. I'm not understanding all this consternation

Those programs do need reform. I welcome this.

During the campaign he talked about raising the cap on Social Security. This would increase the amount of money that's contributed into the system. He has been opposed to private accounts and I don't see any evidendence that he's considering this option.

Medicare is the big problem. There is so much fraud in Medicare that it effects the average patient by putting restrictions on their care.

There is billions of dollars in fraud being committed against Medicare each year. Auditors and the Office of Inspector General has increased their inspections and have been doing very well in recovering some of this money.

The prescription drug program is a crime and Obama did say he would have another look at this program.

There is so much that can be done to increase the effectiveness of this program which will save a lot of money. It also will help if you are even considering a single payer system.

[Bluenorthwest]

21. Doctors commit Medicare fraud

Please be clear about that. Medicare gives money only to providers, who are also paid by the patient, as Medicare comes with deductables and co=pays and the like. A monthly premium is also paid by beneficiaries.
So the fraud is on the part of the 'professinals', Corporations large and small, etc.

[ellacott]

24. It's not just doctors

There is a massive amount of fraud committed by not just doctors. One of the largest areas of fraud is committed by providers of Durable Medical Equipment(DME). These are people who are supposed to supply wheelchairs and other equipment. These companies get actual medicare numbers and bill medicare. A lot of medicare recipients have given this information to these fraudulent companies. Some are duped but a lot do it for a fee.

Most of the fraud is committed by these DME companies and hospital groups.

[demodonkey]

20. If he's talking to Steny Hoyer and the Blue Dogs, BE VERY AFRAID.

Just sayin'.

I have some personal experience with how much that gang is up for genuine Change.

On edit: Is he talking to the progressive side of his own party, the ones who really worked to get him elected?

[Mari333]

22. entitlement makes it sound like its welfare

excuse me, barack, but we paid into SS for years. its our money. dont mess with it.

[AzDar]

23. Medicare For All !

(That had BETTER be what he's going for)

[blendermax]

26. Did Obama do a bait and switch on us?

His tone and language on healthcare is totally different than what it was during the campaign.

I never heard him use the right-wing term 'entitlements' to describe SS and medicare before.
Didn't he promise to protect SS and medicare during the campaign? Obama is a used car salesman.