How to Fix Medicare -- Medicare For All

[FourScore]

Fri May 27, 2011 at 04:23 PM PDT
How to Fix Medicare -- Medicare For All
by Jose Bidenio

Short diary. I just want to get this out there because I haven't heard anyone talking about it.

How do we fix Medicare? Medicare For All.

Dems need to take this line and take it now. The nutty Republicans have opened up the health care debate again and, instead of going on the offensive, we are again on our heals and playing defense. Why let the GOP frame the debate? Are we really going to allow Paul Ryan to define the debate as either privatize or not? That's nutty.

The way to fix Medicare is to extend Medicare coverage to all Americans so that healthier Americans are included and paying into the system. There is no doubt that including all Americans would make Medicare financially sound as healthier and working Americans pay into Medicare, but would not require the same level of medical care as Seniors.

After the public option and single-payer were soundly defeated last year, I figured it would be a long time before we could make health care reform part of the mainstream dialogue again. The GOP opened the door. We need to run in.

Why is it that government covers the most medically expensive citizens (Medicare) and the most premium-challenged citizens (Medicaid) while we allow private health insurers to profit obscenely from the cream of the crop: young and middle-aged workers? It makes no sense.

The GOP has also been attacking the Dems lately for not offering a Democratic plan to fix Medicare, while they hold up their goofPaul Ryan up as their savior. The Dems need a plan and this is it: Medicare For All (MFA).

This is the time to improve on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. We need to do more than just use Paul Ryan's stupidity to bludgeon the GOP. We need to use Paul Ryan to re-launch our demands for Medicare For All and we need to do it now and anytime the GOP whines about the cost of government sponsored health care.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/05/27/979999/-How-to-Fix-MedicareMedicare-For-All?via=siderecent