If your parents are under 55 and live in one of these 30 states - please understand if they do away

[BR_Parkway]

with Medicare, the courts will be able to take your assets to pay for things your parents can no longer afford to.

http://everydaysimplicity.blogspot.com/2006/02/filial-responsibility-laws-list-of.html

These state laws vary; however, law student Shannon Edelstone, in her award-winning essay (cited below), studied all of the state laws and found that most agree that children have a duty to provide necessities for parents who cannot do so for themselves. The states' legislation also gives guidelines to the courts, telling judges to use a number of factors when weighing the adult child's ability to pay against the indigent parent's needs. Judges, accordingly, have considered such variables as the adult child's financing of their child's college education, as well as his/her personal needs for savings and retirement.

This is just one more area where the Teabagger class may push a vote for something they think is a short term gain, but a little research would have shown them they were stepping over dollars to pick up pennies while shooting themselves in the foot (again).

I bet no one who thinks the Ryan plan is good has even begun to consider the impact of things like these laws

[Matariki]

1. In third world countries having children is the only form of "social security" in old age.

Being childless in a situation like that is a terrible thing, and having many children is an attempt at assurance for the future.

Is this really where we want to go?

[BR_Parkway]

3. Of course not, and hopefully most of us would step in voluntarily if we

were able to.

But you just know that the local office teabagger or the one who's ranting emails show up in your in-box has never once considered this - they simply don't ever think about how government programs actually benefit them personally (or they at least want to make sure they are still covered while those "other" (normally darker) people aren't free-loading)

Bet they'll have an entirely different look on their face when they find out that Mama's operation cost $38,000, the Ryan Medicare "coupon" covers $12,000 and Mama only has $238 in the bank - so the judge orders Johnny Teabagger to write a check for the difference and has the ability to sell off Johnny's bass boat and trailer to actually collect it.

[nichomachus]

5. $38,000 for an operation?

That just be one puny operation. Try $138,000. A friend just had back surgery. One night in the hospital. The bill was $60,000 for the hospital. $6,000 for the surgeon. $2,000 for the anesthesiologist.

A couple of years ago, I had minor surgery on an outpatient basis. Three hours in the outpatient department of the hospital. The hospital billed $24,000.

[madrchsod]

2. the new york times did`t credit jane gross for graph they published.

good thing we live in illinois ..our kids do`t have to pay for us.

[d_r]

4. only if your parents are under 55?

[BR_Parkway]

6. The "bold" Ryan plan doesn't change current system for older than 55 from what

I've seen

[SoCalDem]

7. The implication is that NOW they are under 55, and are excluded

from the current SS plan, BUT as they age and get OLDER than 55 they will NOT have the "traditional" SS coverage, so it will fall on YOU (the child) to make up the difference between the "coupon value" and the actual costs..

[liberalhistorian]

8. I intend to show this to my winger stepsister and my

doubly RW white trash BIL and his white trash family, who do nothing but bitch and moan about the eeeevil fedral' gubmint and how they don't need no stinkin gubmint for anything. Bull. Shit. Of course, it's useless to try to give them any real facts at all as to just how much they benefit from that eeeevil gubmint. His mother is on SS with several major health issues.

But the biggest thing is my stepdad, who's in a nursing home with early dementia. Most of my parents' assets are gone, having been used for his care, and now most of his teacher's pension goes to pay for the nursing home while Medicaid covers the rest. If it weren't for that eeeevil fedral' gubmint, given that they live in a filial responsibility state, sis and BIL would have to cough up some serious bucks, since they have and make a lot of money while my husband and I are in a much lower income bracket. I don't know how they think his nursing home is paid for, and how mom survives, to begin with. I really let them have it the last time they and his family started in, especially since my parents were teachers and worked damned hard for forty years to give sis the good childhood she remembers.

[liberal N proud]

9. Just like they can if you go to a nursing home

It is all part of wealth distribution to the top.

[RC]

10. Here, they take the estate first, so the children have nothing to fall back on.

From the link:
"I was just starting to investigate what the traditions were in other countries, such as the eldest son moving in with parents (his wife also, and kids), and they care for his parents until they die...then he inherits the entire estate. This list is NEWS, and the fact that CA has it is very interesting. Will look into it further."

[BR_Parkway]

12. Around here they'll transfer the paid for house to the kids, but retain a life estate

I'm just imagining how the health (anything but) care companies will use these laws to get their money if grandma gets a coupon instead of Medicare paying for the hospital stay. It seems like the only way they could keep their for profit business model going since we know that there's no way a for profit insurance company is going to write a policy that replaces Medicare coverage for anything even remotely affordable for 99% of the affected people.

[Fire1]

11. The ryan plan just sucks anyway you look at it. n/t