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If we had a LEADER

hoops2
hoops2
Oct 17, 2013
4:17am
Block User
5% of the population uses 30% of the medical resources. To lower that usage is a huge ethical question/issue/problem, not easily solved, even among the great minds of the LVA.
olgcbt@verizon.net
[email protected]
Oct 17, 2013
5:21am
Block User
I think Pistroh has a crush on Obama.
malibber2
malibber2
Oct 17, 2013
6:18am
Block User
Yes, but the shortfall in SS is largely caused by a population spike in the age range of those receiving it. Simple adjustments such as adjusting the cap fixes the problem. Medicare's problem is different it and the only way to fix the problem is figure out how to get medical costs down . As long as we are locked into a for profit monopolistic medical care system with ever escalating prices the costs will never come down.



Quote
Originally posted by: hoops2
"SS has dedicated funding and only needs minor adjustments to keep it solvent so there is no need to worry about that. Medicare if you want to tackle this you need to grow the balls to go after medical costs so far nobody in either party has shown a willingness to do that"

Correct that SS had dedicated funding as does medicare. However the projections are that the costs for running these programs will exceed revenues within 20 years & those deficits will grow & the only way to fund them will be thru general tax revenues or to slash benefits


Don
Don
Oct 17, 2013
9:37am
Block User
Quote
Originally posted by: pjstroh
To make Medicare more solvent you can either slash benefits (see the Paul Ryan Budget)....or you can allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices (see life before the Bush Administration).
DonDiego endorses permitting Medicare Part D (introduced by the President Bush Administration) to negotiate drug costs, just as the Veterans Administration already does.

However, since the topic of this thread is the Leadership of President Obama, DonDiego points out that the White House "struck a secret deal" with the pharmaceutical industry in 2009 explicitly agreeing not to allow just such negotiation.

"Drug industry lobbyists reacted with alarm this week to a House health care overhaul measure that would allow the government to negotiate drug prices and demand additional rebates from drug manufacturers.
In response, the industry successfully demanded that the White House explicitly acknowledge for the first time that it had committed to protect drug makers from bearing further costs in the overhaul. The Obama administration had never spelled out the details of the agreement.
Billy Tauzin, the former Republican House member from Louisiana who now leads the pharmaceutical trade group, said Wednesday. 'Who is ever going to go into a deal with the White House again if they don’t keep their word? You are just going to duke it out instead.'
A deputy White House chief of staff, Jim Messina, confirmed Mr. Tauzin’s account of the deal in an e-mail message on Wednesday night."
Ref: The New York Times

When campaigning for the Presidency, Leader Obama did promise to: "Allow Medicare to negotiate for cheaper drug prices."
In 2012 the folks at Politifact.com concluded this is "a promise broken."

DonDiego welcomes pjstroh to life during the Leader Obama Administration.

pjstroh
pjstroh
Oct 17, 2013
10:51am
Block User
Quote
Originally posted by: DonDiego
Quote
Originally posted by: pjstroh
To make Medicare more solvent you can either slash benefits (see the Paul Ryan Budget)....or you can allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices (see life before the Bush Administration).
DonDiego endorses permitting Medicare Part D (introduced by the President Bush Administration) to negotiate drug costs, just as the Veterans Administration already does.

However, since the topic of this thread is the Leadership of President Obama, DonDiego points out that the White House "struck a secret deal" with the pharmaceutical industry in 2009 explicitly agreeing not to allow just such negotiation.

"Drug industry lobbyists reacted with alarm this week to a House health care overhaul measure that would allow the government to negotiate drug prices and demand additional rebates from drug manufacturers.
In response, the industry successfully demanded that the White House explicitly acknowledge for the first time that it had committed to protect drug makers from bearing further costs in the overhaul. The Obama administration had never spelled out the details of the agreement.
Billy Tauzin, the former Republican House member from Louisiana who now leads the pharmaceutical trade group, said Wednesday. 'Who is ever going to go into a deal with the White House again if they don’t keep their word? You are just going to duke it out instead.'
A deputy White House chief of staff, Jim Messina, confirmed Mr. Tauzin’s account of the deal in an e-mail message on Wednesday night."
Ref: The New York Times

When campaigning for the Presidency, Leader Obama did promise to: "Allow Medicare to negotiate for cheaper drug prices."
In 2012 the folks at Politifact.com concluded this is "a promise broken."

DonDiego welcomes pjstroh to life during the Leader Obama Administration.




no doubt about it. The policy of unnegotiated drug prices for Medicare as implemented by the Bush Administration still exists today. And I'm happy to join Don Diego in blasting the current president for not following through on this campaign promise. But don't tell fvenis...I don't want to spoil his game about my man crush on Obama.

In the current Congress there are two heavyweight fighters coming at Medicare Reform from completely different angles: In the right corner is Rep Paul Ryan's reform which is centered around benefit cuts and caps for participants. In the left corner Senator Al Franken's reform is centered around cheaper drug prices and care efficiencies.

I'm rooting for the guy in the left corner. Which one is Don Diego rooting for?

hoops2
hoops2
Oct 17, 2013
10:37pm
Block User
Quote
Originally posted by: malibber2
Yes, but the shortfall in SS is largely caused by a population spike in the age range of those receiving it. Simple adjustments such as adjusting the cap fixes the problem. Medicare's problem is different it and the only way to fix the problem is figure out how to get medical costs down . As long as we are locked into a for profit monopolistic medical care system with ever escalating prices the costs will never come down.

Ok we half agree SS shortfall can be adjusted by some combination of tweeking the formulas and taxes.

With govt control of the health care system we will see how obamacare does; not off to a good start. Again the key driver to medical costs are the 5% incurring 30% of the resources; a large amount spent on terminal & life extension cases - a huge moral issue.



rdwoodpecker
rdwoodpecker
Oct 18, 2013
9:51am
Block User
Quote
Originally posted by: forkushV
Quote
Originally posted by: rdwoodpecker
Quote
Originally posted by: franksynopsis
Full disclosure: I didn't read any of this. I am merely responding to the topic title, "If we had a LEADER"

We have a leader and he led. He held his ground against bullies and dimwits and those who carry water for the Koch Brothers and, once again, he won. And so did the country.

What did the Tea Party deliver? The White House. To Hillary.


Yep you should be so proud! We just signed away any constraints to spending what-so-ever! Explain to me how we stop this run away train of spending?...
Run away train? Really?



well damn. i could have swore we just "upped the debt ceiling"! so answer, do you have a plan to stop this run away spending? Less folks working, more on food stamps and government programs! So, how do you see the light at the end of the tunnel, cause I am having trouble.
rdwoodpecker
rdwoodpecker
Oct 18, 2013
9:55am
Block User
I do have a question on the affordable health care. This is for my information as I am wondering how this is going to work.

Choosing the Bronze plan, one's deductible can be around $6500. The folks choosing the "bronze plan" are trying to control the premium cost as this is as much as they can afford. How the heck are they going to meet the deductible should the need arise. Are we just going to let the health care providers worry about collecting these bad debts? Safety net for the hospitals? I see hospitals being stuck with huge debt.
malibber2
malibber2
Oct 18, 2013
10:02am
Block User
Yes, hoops I think we agree on how to fix SS.

Quote
Less folks working, more on food stamps and government programs! So, how do you see the light at the end of the tunnel, cause I am having trouble.
Golly, so many of these problems could be solved by a higher minimum wage.
rdwoodpecker
rdwoodpecker
Oct 18, 2013
12:23pm
Block User
Quote
Originally posted by: malibber2
Yes, hoops I think we agree on how to fix SS.

Quote
Less folks working, more on food stamps and government programs! So, how do you see the light at the end of the tunnel, cause I am having trouble.
Golly, so many of these problems could be solved by a higher minimum wage.


so for you that is the answer? really! Higher minimum wage will mean a higher product cost. Say McDonalds raises prices 10% cause a higher minimum wage is enacted. The minimum wage folks eat more fast food than typical so they see their new minimum wage increase being spent on higher cost of basic needs.
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