Joe Lieberman's idea on Medicare: How Medicare can be saved

[Derechos]

snip

First, I will propose raising the Medicare eligibility age every year starting in 2014 by two months until it reaches 67 in 2025. So if you turn 65 in 2014, you will have to wait an additional 60 days before you become eligible for Medicare. That’s a small sacrifice to ask for the benefits you will receive from a healthy Medicare program for the rest of your life.

Second, I will propose reforming the complex Medicare benefit structure, which is wasteful, misunderstood by nearly all Medicare enrollees and prone to over-utilization and fraud. We can fix these long-standing problems by implementing a single, combined Part A and Part B deductible, requiring a co-pay on all Medicare services and adding a maximum out-of-pocket benefit that will give seniors peace of mind by promising them they will not have to pay more than a set amount of their health-care costs annually.

Third, it is time to reform the premium structure. When Medicare was designed, the premiums paid by beneficiaries supported 50 percent of the program. Today they pay only 25 percent of total costs. This results in an enormous drain on our federal budget and is one of the leading drivers of our annual deficits. I will propose that we raise the premiums for all new enrollees in Part B (doctor’s services) and Part D (prescriptions) starting in 2014 to 35 percent of program costs.

Asking Americans to pay more won’t be popular, but doing nothing and allowing Medicare to go bust won’t be popular either.

Fourth, we need to reform the way Medigap policies work. Many studies have found that Medicare enrollees who have supplemental coverage use as much as 25 percent more services than those with only traditional Medicare coverage. The result of this increase in utilization is a higher overall bill for taxpayers, not the holders of these policies.

Fifth, we cannot keep Medicare working for seniors by only reducing benefits or making adjustments to the premium structure. We also need to raise more revenue. I will propose that higher-income Americans pay an additional 1 percent of every dollar they earn over $250,000 to help save the program.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/how-medicare-can-be-saved/2011/06/06/AGexjqNH_story.html

[tsuki]

1. Sixth, I propose, retiring Joe Lieberman. nt

[mucifer]

2. lieberman a huge proponent of military spending. nt

[ixion]

9. And author of the USA unPATRITOTic Act.

and much more malfeasance.

[no_hypocrisy]

3. I have a proposal: take money from the military and put it into Medicare.

[OwnedByFerrets]

4. Most of your ideas SUCK, joe.

[OKNancy]

5. I've seen worse

higher premiums for richer folks is reasonable.
I really think some people are thinking backwards though. It seems to me that LOWERING the age would be better policy.
Get younger, healthier people to paying into the plan would be more logical to me.

[Derechos]

6. That would be the public option

which Lieberman blocked. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-5425530-503544.html

He also says nothing about controlling costs.

Lieberman’s home state of Connecticut is home to many insurance companies, including Aetna. Over his career, Lieberman has accepted $2,395,369 in donations from the health sector and $1,033,402 from the insurance industry.
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2009/10/13/64121/lieberman-baucus-bill/

[OHdem10]

7. Those who have supplemental coverage pay extra or buy it.

This is why they use more, possibly???

[ixion]

8. I could live a long, happy life without another idea from LIEberman.

He's a treasonous bastard, as far as I'm concerned.

[TBF]

10. Joe Lieberman is a tool of the ruling class. Medicare should be expanded -

ie the age requirement should be eliminated. All folks should be required to buy in or pay an "uninsured person" fee - just like car insurance. Sliding fee for buy in depending upon income.

Insurance companies will fold, but those employees can be hired by the government to administer Medicare. I don't think it's a perfect solution, will need tweeking, but it's a program in place and we can follow the lead of other industrialized countries (like Japan) who care for their people and don't leave something as important as health care up to the private market.

reference - here is just one site I found with info on Japan's plan: http://www.nyu.edu/projects/rodwin/lessons.html

[LiberalFighter]

11. The people in CT really need to make his life miserable.

Show up at his events and slam the hell out of him.

[RC]

12. Raise more money for Medicare?

How about getting our Living Wage Jobs, the kind that pay taxes, back into this country? Huh, ya think? That's my solution.

[surrealAmerican]

13. His starting premiss is wrong.

He appears to think the problem with Medicare is that people are getting too much health care, and thus need to be discouraged from seeking treatment. Studies have shown otherwise. A big part of the problem is people delaying care (because they are afraid they can't afford it) and needing more expensive services when they do finally seek treatment. Co-pays are part of the problem, not part of the solution.