The GOP plan to destroy Medicare is moving right along...

[antigop]

http://kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=38472

>>CMS on Monday announced a demonstration project that will allow
insurers to offer Medicare beneficiaries health plans with components
similar to health savings accounts, The Hill reports. Medicare law
does not permit private insurers to offer HSAs to beneficiaries, but
" more limited precursor health insurance product known as medical
savings accounts has been allowed in Medicare for almost 10 years,"
The Hill reports. The products "have never been offered to
beneficiaries," according to The Hill. Under the demonstration
project, insurers would offer modified MSAs to beneficiaries enrolled
in Medicare Advantage plans. The modified MSAs would have lower annual
contributions and more spending restrictions than typical
private-sector HSAs, The Hill reports. CMS is accepting applications
from insurers thorough July 21, with final bids due on Aug. 10. The
agency "provided few details about what the new plans would look
like," according to The Hill. HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt said in a
statement, "We are giving Medicare beneficiaries the option of
health-savings-account-type plans, as an additional choice among other
health plan options in Medicare."
>>


http://www.hillnews.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/TheExecutive/071306_hsa.html

>>
This week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) unveiled a demonstration project that would allow health-insurance companies to offer products similar to HSAs to Medicare beneficiaries.
>>

[Ian David]

1. Only those of us who will be Left Behind are going to need it anyway. n/t

[rodeodance]

2. which will be MANY

[CantForget]

3. Congress Needs More Money

Leave the Social Security alone. If, someday, the wage earners contribution falls short, call on the government IOU's to make up the difference. We have $1,695,316,012,816 in IOU's. If the government cannot pay its dues, we are in bigger trouble than Social Security going broke. This was noted by someone in Springfield,MA Congress keeps raiding SS then issuing low interest rate IOUs to make the deficit seem smaller. Believe me, we are in deep trouble because of our "leaders." It's a case of the blind leading the blind and both shall perish.

[Penndems]

4. The Administration plans to abolish Social Security

and institute personal accounts beginning in Fiscal Year 2010. The funding has already been set aside for the new accounts. The Congressional GOP is, no doubt, waiting until after the November elections to vote on it (they're counting on being reelected, I assume). ;)

It's on Page 39 of the Office of Management and Budget's Fiscal Year 2007 Mid-Year Review, which was released last week. Scroll halfway down ("Social Security Private Accounts"):

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2007/pdf/07msr.pdf

[barb162]

5. The people don't run this country any more

The corporations and rich do. congress is SO bought off