Democrats Vote to Cut Half a Trillion Dollars From Medicare
Posted by Jim Hoft on Thursday, December 3, 2009, 6:18 PM
Will You Still Need Me, Will You Still Feed Me, When I’m Sixty-Four?
…No!
CBO: Medicare Cuts Could “Reduce Access To Care Or Diminish The Quality Of Care.” (CBO Director Doug Elmendorf, Letter To Sen. Harry Reid, 11/18/09, P. 1, 17)
$135 BILLION IN CUTS TO HOSPITALS SERVING SENIORS
(CBO, E-mail To Senate Leadership Staff, 11/20/09)
$120 BILLION IN CUTS TO MEDICARE ADVANTAGE
MORE THAN $40 BILLION CUT FROM HOME HEALTH AGENCIES
(CBO, E-mail To Senate Leadership Staff, 11/20/09)
NEARLY $15 BILLION IN CUTS TO NURSING HOMES
(CBO, E-mail To Senate Leadership Staff, 11/20/09)
NEARLY $8 BILLION FROM HOSPICES
(CBO, E-mail To Senate Leadership Staff, 11/20/09)
Democrats today voted to cut nearly half a trillion dollars from Medicare.
The AP reported:
Casting its first votes on revamping the nation’s health care system, the Senate rejected a Republican bid Thursday to stave off Medicare cuts and approved safeguards for coverage of mammograms and other preventive tests for women. The first round of votes ended with a fragile Democratic coalition hanging together.
Senators voted 58-42 to reject an amendment by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., that would have stripped more than $400 billion in Medicare cuts from the nearly $1 trillion measure. It would have sent the entire 2,074-page bill back to the Senate Finance Committee for a redo.
Republicans said the proposed cuts to health insurance plans and medical providers mean seniors in the popular Medicare Advantage program will lose benefits. And they predicted lawmakers will ultimately back away from the cuts, once seniors start feeling the brunt.
“Medicare is already in trouble. The program needs to be fixed, not raided to create another new government program,” said Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.
Hat Tip Dan Friedman
UPDATE: Some democrats admitted today that they are distressed with the cuts.
Doug Ross has more on the Medicare cuts.
UPDATE: Steve Carter sends this– The official car of Obamacare:
That looks about right.
ADVERTISEMENT
redc1c4 commented:
we are in the very best of hands.
it looks like Pete Townsend was right: i hope i die before i get old….
Brenda commented:
Where is the screaming, snot-slinging, frothing-at-the-mouth FIT that the press had when Medicare was frozen, not cut, and they threatened and portrayed imminent death to Seniors during the previous years?????
Who will re-play those alarms?
When something has come that really threatens Seniors, there is a hush that has fallen, without even a cricket in the background……
A person just wants to retch over the dishonesty of this propaganda press……
Jayne on the left coast commented:
Old people VOTE. I hope all the bums are throw out of office in 2010 and 2012. There must be a way to reverse the damage done by this political mafia.
ar05075 commented:
The really disgustnig thing is: These are for the most part, seniors, with platinum healthcare, paid for by the seniors that they are killing.
Universal healthcare is a fraud– unless, those who design it have to use it.
Term limits.!!
ADVERTISEMENT
MarkJ commented:
I’d say that Senate Democrats have just collectively slit their own throats for November 2010.
Guess which voting demographic reliably shows up at the polls?
Over at the RNC, Michael Steele must now be shaking his head in disbelief at his good fortune.
bill-tb commented:
Kill the old, bribe the young, imprison all that is left.
Just_Saying commented:
And our DC politicians still demand their own health care program. If any form of Obamacare passes, we should lobby that these politicians are stuck in the same system we will be!
Michael Steele, do you hear this?
.
AuntieMadder commented:
“Medicare is already in trouble. The program needs to be fixed, not raided to create another new government program,” said Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.
But old people are a drain on a Marxist society. Any socialist worth his salt can tell you that it’s better to spend that money on healthcare for the young as they’ve still something to contribute to the system.
Welcome to the Borg. Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.
Ginger commented:
MSM
You know the evil scums that just passed this death sentence for your LOVED ONES too! Aren’t you proud? You fu*king scums of the earth has just given your mothers, fathers, grandparents the DEATH SENTENCE!!! You fu*king scums of the earth. You are going to feel the wrath of GOD…you mark my words. Your choice of protecting the scum fraud Kenyan in the White House is going to be your end!!!! What happened to you cowards? You know this scum bag in the white house is a fraud. WHY ARE YOU COVERING UP FOR HIM? I am so mad right now I could spit nails! I worked hard in my hole life so I could enjoy my senior life and I get rewarded with this! I was a UAW member for years and you scum bags along with SEIU are doing this to us! Hey you scum bags don’t you know when or if the fraud gets his way and takes over this wonderful country he and his muslim scum will knife you in the back! You will get to WATCH YOUR LOVED ONES SUFFER Also. i AM SO MAD i COULD SPIT NAILS. HEY STEELE GROW SOME BALLS AND LEAD YOUR PARTY TO TAKE OUR COUNTRY BACK. I KNOW YOU HAVE THE PROOF OF THAT kENYAN is a FRAUD. Excuse my typo’s but im mad!Gof Bless America
borntoweardiamonds commented:
I knew they’d find a way to deny coverage to the boomers. We’ve paid in virtually all our working lives and now will not get our turn. We paid for our grandparents, our paremts and enough to take care of ourselves. They stole our money. May they rot.
Kenny Solomon commented:
OK, bottom line time.
Call me inciting, I don’t care anymore.
My parents are in a nursing home…. together…. same room……. Married for 62 years+.
The nursing home is great…. yes, they’re a business….. but they care….. it shows with the entire staff and the real care they deliver 24/7.
They’re now concerned that the level of care they will be allowed to give will be diminished and some things not just eliminated, but actually prohibited by law….. that’s if they’re even able to stay in operation.
I am still unable to fully fathom that as a society, we’re even at the point of talking about a real possibility of our own government acting like feral animals and setting the elderly and incapable adrift…….. This administration’s attempt at a society akin to Logan’s Run, Rollerball, Soylent Green and the like…… WILL NOT STAND.
Communist/Socialist bastards, the lot….. HAVE NO PLACE IN THE UNITED STATES.
Bring it on Lefties….. Molon Labe.
…..and by the way…… I’m not some sort of radical…. I’m an American…… nothing else and nothing less.
Kenny Solomon
Typical bitter Jewish God-clinging gun owner and barking-mad insane NASCAR fan.
redc1c4 commented:
it serves you boomers right for voting democrap all these years…. WTF were you thinking?
Ginger commented:
I did not vote for any scum bag demo rat. I voted for Sarah.
Ginger commented:
And I did not vote for Clinton becausee of his abuse of his office as Governor of ARK… Mr. Hot pants…… “I did not have sex with THOSE women” Wink wink
Ginger commented:
I want all my money back plus interest that I paid in Medicare!
Cargosquid commented:
Aaahhh, remember when the GOP was portrayed as evil, scheming, conniving, cheap bastards for wanting to reduce AN INCREASE in Medicare?
Where’s the popcorn?
Ginger commented:
I am ready to take my own sign and head off to Washington and walk back and forth pass the white house shouting like (Code Pink) and demand that Barry come out and show me and my document expert his real, real COLB. Long form! I want to know how long he was at birth! I want to know how many pounds and ounces he weighed! I want to know the name of the hospital and doctor that helped with his birth! How about mama and daddy’s name. And a real seal.And most of all I want to see what country he was born in and it is NOT Hawaii………………
Nan commented:
Well the Seniors are the ones who voted for Obama so I guess they got what they deserve. Don’t be so sure the Repubs will be voted into office, Obama and his party of bandits will make sure enough ballot boxes are stuffed in order to avoid losing. I think most of the repubs believe that these kind of changes need to be made anyway and if they didn’t see an advantage to pretending they don’t like the medical reform act they would be voting for it too! Call me a cynic, absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Ginger commented:
No the blacks, libs, young people, dead people, dogs, cats, voted for Barry. Plus the Chevez electronic voting machines did it. Barry never won anything fair. He’s a cheater! Corrupted Saudi and Soros money BOUGHT Barry the election. Oh, can’t forget his org. ACORN hard at work for him. Win on his own? Hell no!
Midwestengr commented:
Kenny Solomon
Typical bitter Jewish God-clinging gun owner and barking-mad insane NASCAR fan.
Hey Kenny? I can leave off the “safety off” bit now! I picked me up a nice Glock 30 (.45 ACP) this week. Very nice weapon.
shiba07 commented:
wait…dems scream bloody murder about seniors dying when repubs just want to freeze spending yet the dems actually cut medicare and….silence. what’s going on?
AuntieMadder commented:
Let’s remember that not all seniors voted for Obamao. Further, they were part of the “all” in the campaign promise of “free health care for all Americans,” so they weren’t worried when he said, also while campaigning, that Medicare would go away. I’m sure they assumed their Medicare benefits wouldn’t be yanked until they were receiving the promised “free” health care. Paying with their very lives isn’t what they deserve for being fooled by that snake and his snaky partner that we call the MSM into voting for him. It’s obvious to me that they took advantage of the most gullible among us: the elderly, the youngest adults (18 – 30 yrs old), the poor, the sick, the undereducated…the very citizens they claim to the champions of, protecting them from the evil conservatives. Lying bastards.
Karen commented:
These people are criminals and need to be in jail.
They want to kill off all of the elderly! This is who we have leading our nation! Insanity!
Karen commented:
They are such immoral people that they are willing to sacrifice the elderly to have their dream of socialized medicine forced upon the people THEY WORK FOR! Hell cannot be hot enough for these asshats.
Mary commented:
What do you mean senior citizens helped vote this idiot into office? I know of few older folks who did not see though this empty suit.
We are wise enough to know nothing is free if government is even standing close to it. I have worked and paid into SS since I was sixteen, and paid into Medicare since it was established.
SS is a supplement to my retirement income, one I have paid dearly for through the years.
For borntoweardiamonds; YOU paid for your parents and grandparents?? What do you think they were paying into?
Ginger commented:
Some day I am actually going to hit the Post button with words that I had typed. But it’s like when Barry comes on tv all I have to do is hit the mute button and sit there and give him my middle finger. As a matter of fact I have been doing it to a lot of his people and the demo rat senators and congress people. I type what I really feel and then hit the back space key! If Barry and the demo rats don’t kill me first I feel that pay backs are hell and I will live long anough to see them pay for their evil corrupted ways, Amen
Gerry commented:
Whether or not healthcare reform ultimately passes, I think Medicare should be cut anyway. Why should the elderly get government-sponsored healthcare while millions of young, productive people go without? Why are we subsidizing an ever-growing class of people who have nothing more to contribute to society and everything to take away from it? Isn’t the fact that we’re already paying for their Social Security enough?
\'BB commented:
Once upon a time, all over this country, our elders were respected and revered, loved and cared about. My, how times have changed. Now, it seems, only the elderly in DC, who, when they die, their death grip on their Senate or House seat will finally loosen, are the only ones left considered of any value.
So the seniors will be turned away or get rationed health care after working all their lives and paying in to the medicare program, and will not be able to afford to buy other health insurance coverage or supplemental coverage… and yes, they vote but it no one in DC seems to care about them on any level. It sounds to me like a slow, painful form of euthanasia or even geriatric genocide, a form of eugenics, for which Hitler was condemned, only the target has changed to the elderly rather than just “life unworthy of life” in general. This could well be a holocaust of our own making.
AuntieMadder commented:
I mute the tv and flip him off, too. Sometimes I even hurl obscenities at his silent, head pivoting, jaw jacking image on my tv.
AnnS commented:
Ginger
December 3rd, 2009 | 7:59 pm | #22
Excert:
http://www.newswith views.com/ Ryter/jon303. htm
FORGOT THE PAST? HERE’S THE FUTURE
By Jon Christian Ryter
December 2, 2009
NewsWithViews. com
The FEC reported that 56.8% of the registered voters voted. That’s
96,992,000 actual votes cast by registered voters who voted once. But the
total number of ballots in the ballot boxes totaled 132,618,580. It appears
that a lot of people voted a lot of times, (or a whole big big bunch of
ballots in a whole big bunch of States were simply added to the mix before
or after-the-fact and counted with the legitimate ballots). Regardless how
they got there, when you do the simple math, there were 35,626,580 too many
votes counted. Obama was credited with receiving 69,456,897 votes. Subtract
the 35,626,580 “too many votes” and we find 33,830,317 legitimate votes cast
for Obama. The Progressive far left is comprised of about 31,820.000 people
who would vote for a Marxist Muslim. That leaves about 2,030,317 independent
voters who cast their votes for Obama. Four million, nine hundred
thirty-four thousand, eight hundred fourteen Independents voted for
Palin-McCain. The media claims that the Independents- all 28 million of
them-voted for Obama. Surprisingly, with all the third party rhetoric, only
1,866,000 of them voted for one of the third party candidates.
Approximately 19,158,869 of them sat out the election because the best that
I can see, their votes don’t show up anywhere. I guess when we want to blame
Obama on someone, those were the people who gave their votes to Obama by
default by not casting them for Palin-McCain
Gerry commented:
Whether or not healthcare reform ultimately passes, I think Medicare should be cut anyway. It is a drain on society shifting resources away from the productive to the unproductive. Why should the elderly get government-sponsored healthcare while millions of young, productive people go without? Why are we subsidizing an ever-growing class of people who have nothing more to contribute to society and everything to take away from it? Isn’t the fact that we’re already paying for their Social Security enough?
\\\'BB commented:
Gerry, our seniors worked and paid into these programs all their lives. They are being robbed. Their SS retirement was also paid into all their working lives. THEY paid for it. Then the gov’t took from that fund and never put it back. They have every right to every penny.
And many of our seniors still contribute. They don’t retire and sit in a chair and waste away. Most are active volunteers or still working. My mother didn’t retire until she was 72 and my father till he was 76, and now just 5 years later they are both still actively contributing to society. You obviously have no idea what you’re talking about. Do you even personally KNOW a senior citizen?
KR commented:
“What do you think they were paying into?”
- Mary
They were paying for their grandparents and parents, and so on. SS is set up like a ponzi scheme, seriously.
The money you pay in is not held in an account for you. Rather it is promptly paid out to those currently receiving SS checks. Also congress has been dipping into SS funds for other things for decades. So now SS is soon to be insolvent.
This is why governments can’t be trusted. The smaller the gov. the better. The fewer taxpayer dollars flowing through their grubby little hands the better. Cut their opportunities for corruption.
AuntieMadder commented:
Gerry
December 3rd, 2009 | 8:46 pm | #33
They paid into their social security accounts all of their working lives. Their contributions were matched by their employers. While working, they also paid taxes, some of which went to the Medicare benefits of their elders. They are much more deserving of taxpayer provided health care (the govt doesn’t provide shit; it only takes) than young, working age people, who should be paying for their own damned health care just as today’s seniors paid for their own health care during their decades of working for a living, something you lefturds find too beneath you to do.
Only asshats post comments on which they have no knowledge. Asshat.
AuntieMadder commented:
AnnS
December 3rd, 2009 | 8:46 pm | #32
Holy crap! If those numbers are real and factual, we just got Ahmadinejaded.
shibumi commented:
Seems like this is something that everyone should pass onto their elderly parents and friends, most especially the ones who voted for Obama.
Ginger commented:
Gerry how old are you? Do you work for a living because if you do you should be having a lot of money taken out of your paycheck each pay period for years and years. It’s your money and you dam well earned the fact that you should be able to get that money back. Soooooo that entitles us to recieve our money back. After working hard labor jobs the body starts to ware and needs a little help. I don’t run to a doctor I don’t even like going to a doctor. I have a daughter that is a nurse and she can tell you the type of people who runs to the emergency rooms for just a cold. It’s the free loaders that you should go after and not us hard working old people.
Gerry commented:
\\\’BB
December 3rd, 2009 | 8:54 pm | #35
The problem with paying them “every penny” they put into the system is that, taking into account inflation, what they paid into the system is considerably less than what they are now costing the system in excessive healthcare treatments and other handouts. This is made worse by the fact that the retired no longer contribute anything tangible to the system in return, or what little they do contribute is marginal in comparison to what a healthy full-time worker contributes.
And yes, I know senior citizens. In fact, I have to deal with their miserable driving skills every day I get behind the wheel of my car, I have to deal with little old ladies holding up checkout lanes at stores while they count out $3 in quarters and dimes, and I have to deal with the endless barrage of anecdotes about things that happened before I was even born every time I have the misfortune of engaging a senior citizen in conversation.
AnnS commented:
AuntieMadder
December 3rd, 2009 | 9:02 pm | #38
News with Views is a very reputable source of info. I guess there are other ways to verify.
Not surprised too that Chavez (or one of his buddies) has major stock in the diebold voting machine company.
Methinks that’s why they are so hot on the trail to get the Amnesty bill passed.
Anyone OT:
Some have compared this deathcare bill to Hitler’s T4 Program. As all things “progressive” the ripple effect could be just that.
Along with the climate change, appeasing the jihad terrorists. I guess this admin keeps coming up with ways to kill us off.
jamesdoulos commented:
Gerry
December 3rd, 2009 | 9:19 pm | #41
re: “And yes, I know senior citizens. In fact, I have to deal with their miserable driving skills every day I get behind the wheel of my car, I have to deal with little old ladies holding up checkout lanes at stores while they count out $3 in quarters and dimes, and I have to deal with the endless barrage of anecdotes about things that happened before I was even born every time I have the misfortune of engaging a senior citizen in conversation.”
It’s always a delight to read a post from a liberal progressive oxygen thief. The way this country is going, you never know when one of those senior incompetents will end your thieving days. Just sayin… most folks don’t like to have weasels roaming around in the hen house.
spayandneuter commented:
“Gerry
December 3rd, 2009 | 9:19 pm | #41″
Wow, your parents must be so proud!
–
Mike W commented:
This was part of the deal Teh Obamao cut for AARP support. AARP will furnish the insurance to fill the “Gap” created by the funding cuts.
Greg commented:
The world financial markets shuddered last week when the govt of Dubai told their creditors they could not pay the note returning borrowed money.
I have paid into Medicare since it,s beginning several hundred thousand dollars and now the dem senate is defaulting on its obligation to pay. Thats a bigger deal than the Dubai default
No one will ever support a fed program that asks for individual contribution. Social security will defaut also. You youngsters that are paying in will never see a dime returned.
Greg
The Elector of Saxony commented:
“The problem with paying them “every penny” they put into the system is that, taking into account inflation, what they paid into the system is considerably less than what they are now costing the system in excessive healthcare treatments and other handouts”
Hey, Moron. It’s exactly the opposite. I guess you went to public high school and paid scant attention in class. Seniors paid in with dollars that were worth FAR more than the dollars they are receiving in return. Inflation erodes the value of dollars. Subtract the time value of money over 40-50 years at compound interest, and they surrendered not only the more valuable dollar in the past, but all of the interest they could have accumulated.
Please play in traffic, and get your like-minded friends to join you. I’m sure you like drugs. Move on to the really good stuff, and take alot of it. Please. Please.
\\\\\\\'BB commented:
Someday, should you live so long, Gerry, someone will have to deal with miserable driving skills every day an elderly lady gets behind the wheel of a car, have to deal with an elderly lady holding up checkout lanes at stores while she counts out $3 in quarters and dimes that is the last cash in house till next month, and have to deal with the endless barrage of anecdotes about things that happened during her lifetime to share experience and wisdom of a sort with a less experienced and wise younger person and it till be YOU. I should live so long to see that happen and see you blog about it. But then, with such a cold heart, you may be one who doesn’t share or care.
GramsA commented:
Gerry – You are an imbicle. People my age have worked in excess of 50 years and forced to pay the max into Social Security and Medicare the entire time. You say you are young and productive. You obviously are young but you haven’t the first clue about what it means to be productive. Those little old ladies counting out dimes and nickles have to be thrifty because they spent all their money when they were younger raising brats like you and making sure you didn’t do without. We wouldn’t have bothered if we would have known you would have turned out to be such a jerk!
One more thing – history does repeat itself so when they tell you something that happened long ago you had better listen up because it will happen again.
Now go away.
'BB commented:
GramsA, I like you… you go, girl!
AuntieMadder commented:
GerryNo Gravatar
December 3rd, 2009 | 9:19 pm | #41
And yes, I know senior citizens. In fact, I have to deal with their miserable driving skills every day I get behind the wheel of my car…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As if you’re old enough to drive anything that doesn’t require a game console.
spayandneuter commented:
I don’t know why AARP has been on board this Health Care fiasco. I thought they had cut a deal to ensure the Medicare benefits, however it doesn’t look like that is happening. Any ideas why a senior group would be supporting all these cuts?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_health_care_overhaul
“The AARP supported the 10-year package of cuts in projected spending, giving Democrats political cover for their decision to pare back subsidies to private Medicare plans as well as payments to hospitals, hospices, home health agencies and other providers.”
–
Sojourner commented:
Gerry @9:19 #41
:>( I’m soooo glad I’m not you. :>(
Sandy commented:
Obama is targeting Seniors because he cannot mold us the way he believes he can mold the young. A Republican Congress can rescind this bill and any other crap that he and the erstwhile party of the people choose to throw at us. Even Dems are getting fed up with one Party rule.
Just_Saying commented:
“Some democrats admitted today that they are distressed with the cuts.”
Then why did they vote for them??????? Lunacy…
.
Sandy commented:
Obama feels he’s entitled to cut Medicare because its Govt Healthcare. Everyone who’s not a Senior should beware that what the Govt giveth it can also taketh.
Sandy commented:
Just Saying — The Congressional Dems want it both ways. They want to follow their leader but they also want to win next year. It has suddenly occurred to them that by attacking their voters those voters will take their revenge at the polls.
\'BB commented:
Spayandneuter, I think AARP is supporting the cuts because they can turn a profit when they sell supplement policies to seniors after the fact.
Sandy, I agree. The wool can’t be pulled over the seniors eyes and they see clearly what is really going on in DC. The regime can’t have that getting in their way. First it’s limit their health care, then it will be ending their suffering.
IMHO, the whole health care reform thing is not about health care at all but about control and power.
James commented:
ARRP is more insurance company than advocate for the aged.
Angry posts are nice, but we in an ideological civil war. We all need to make noise and become active. We must write letters to the editor, call our representatives, educate ourselves, and become active in the political process. We need to complain to our news sellers when they misreport or fail to cover a story like “Climategate.”
And if all else fails, take to the streets as during the Vietnam war and civil rights movement.
We all should live healthy lives, and get plenty of excercise.Going John Galt maybe an option. As Ben Franklin said, we must hang together or we will hang separately.
James commented:
ARRP is more insurance company than advocate for the aged.
Angry posts are nice, but we in an ideological civil war. We all need to make noise and become active. We must write letters to the editor, call our representatives, educate ourselves, and become active in the political process. We need to complain to our news sellers when they misreport or fail to cover a story like “Climategate.”
And if all else fails, take to the streets as during the Vietnam war and civil rights movement.
We all should live healthy lives, and get plenty of excercise.Going John Galt may be an option. As Ben Franklin said, we must hang together or we will hang separately.
ang commented:
Gerry is the epitome of all that is wrong and if I had the displeasure to be in the same room with her him it whatever it is. It would be choking on the teeth Id like to punch out of its ugly mug, and maybe shove a few sets of dentures down its shallow fu*** throat. I just watched my 93 year old grandmother die and in her last breath she had more value and productiveness in the tip of her little pinky than you will ever have in your entire pathetic life.