Fifty years ago, Medicare was sold on the promise that it would unite the nation. But with Medicare’s unfunded liabilities approaching $100 trillion — a shortfall equaling almost six times the size of today’s economy — the question is whether Medicare will instead tear Americans apart.
Though many people know that Medicare is unsustainable, the program remains a third-rail issue in politics — untouchable in the minds of many Americans and political suicide for politicians who dare to approach it. In this live presentation (recorded February 18, 2015, at the Ayn Rand Institute’s headquarters in Irvine, California), ARI analyst Rituparna Basu explains why Medicare has attained this political status and what can be done about it.
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All of the entitlements grow exponentially.So Medicare and all rest have to
be handle together.
Fifty years ago, Medicare was sold on the promise that it would unite the
nation. But with Medicare’s unfunded liabilities approaching $100 trillion
— a shortfall equaling almost six times the size of today’s economy — the
question is whether Medicare will instead tear Americans apart. In this
talk, Rituparna Basu explains why Medicare is seen as untouchable and what
can be done about it.
Just crack down on Medicare fraud, and watch the political firestorm.
Thank you! Medicare is the program that started ALL the problems with
healthcare, and it should be DESTROYED.
In every other developed nation healthcare is ranked better than America
Nationalized health care EVERYWHERE suffers from the EXACT same issues I’ve
mentioned. Costs are climbing everywhere measured. Services suffer. Where
is the innovation in healthcare occurring, anyway? Not China, certainly
very little out of the EU. However, the US continues to lead the world in
innovation, UNTIL Obamacare determines that innovation takes a second place
to the defined parameters of Obamacare, and it’s already happening. I’ve
spoken to many doctors over the last several months, my wife is a hospital
nurse…the problems we face will NOT be cured by Obamacare, in fact, they
will increase, and until we bring back the Free Market and its inherit
benefits regarding personal responsibility, costs will rise and services
will fall.
You don’t have to believe me, just go volunteer at an area hospital, and
watch for yourself. If you have no money, under Obamacare, you will become
a Medicaid beneficiary, well, that’s NO different than before…Obamacare
has made everything more expensive and hasn’t controlled rising costs. It’s
simply common sense, you can’t point to a SINGLE social policy that has
worked from the Federal Government, not one.
In fact, I’m going to encourage you, go volunteer at your closest hospital,
they will welcome you with open arms…you can always tell me I’m wrong,
AFTER you go through the process and see it for yourself. Otherwise, all
you’re doing is basing your position on another government liar.
Social Security is the best government program Republicans and Democrats
both agree with that before Obamacare people could have got turned away
because of pre-existing condition before Obamacare people could had lost
their healthcare because they ran out there lifetime cap Obamacare just
reduce the cost of healthcare 16 million people now have health care thanks
to Obamacare. Do you believe health care should be a privilege only for
those that can afford it or do you believe it be a
Human right
Do you know how much America pay for healthcare compared to other European
countries it is unbelievable high.
just watch the HOLE video
In reality I paid ‘elevated’ health care premiums for 40 years (‘cost
shift’) to make up for medicare shortfalls to doctors and hospitals. I paid
the inflated prices caused by socialized medicine. In essence, I paid
‘medicare’ twice; once through withholdings and again through higher
private insurance premiums. So, my ‘contribution’ was not JUST from
medicare taxes! I subsidized medicare for 40 years!!!!!!
“Progressive Elaboration” is how they do it. Just the facts about what is
going to happen won’t help at all. The government creates the problem them
jumps in and sells a solution, that creates the next problem.
You can’t repeal it, you can’t repeal social security. Grandma will be
pushed off the cliff in the commercials. A larger group is now relying on
medicare and social security. A huge voting block. The alternative is
their children caring for them even after all of us have paid 17% of every
dome we make into social security and medicare.
Taxpayers are NOT footing the bill, not even close. The federal reserve is
footing the bill through the printing of new dollars. There are not even
close to enough tax dollars and no, it is not at the expense of anyone else
since there is absolutely no plan or desire to ever pay the debt, WWIII
eliminates debt and that will square it all away.
The next step is student loans are 100% provided by government now so those
payments will be “forgiven” if students start working in government
healthcare and single provider is next..absolutely guaranteed…Ayn Rand
Institute needs to get out in front not chase ghosts.
I just want to say this to everybody that saying to get rid of Medicare how
will you take care of the elderly. the World Health Organization has came
out and said the best form of health care is universal health care if you
are againt universal health care then you should also be against universal
Police Department you should also be also against universal fire department
you should be also again Universal library you should also be against
universal public school you should also be against universal public road in
highway. just think with logic and not with small government dogma. try
thinking with common sense.
+BobWidlefish name me one country where your form of government has worked
in real life?
+BobWidlefish and how do you plan on phasing out the government social
safety net?what do you plan on replacing it with? government jobs?
+Reggie Richards “name me one country where your form of government has
worked in real life?” The United States of America. The excessive
intrusions into individual lives is a fairly modern phenomenon. The period
of greatest growth and raising of standard of living was prior to a welfare
state.
“how do you plan on phasing out the government social safety net?” There
are many approaches to this I would support. An initial step might be
means-test all welfare benefits (many already are). A later step might be
to consolidate the many (80+) welfare benefit programs into a single direct
cash payment program — this would eliminate much government overhead and
give people more flexibility. A later step would be to reduce the amount
paid over time. Though these are just examples: there are many strategies
I would support. The intention would be to let people know what’s changing
long in advance, and phase it out slowly. There might have to be some
benefits grandfathered in for the lifetime of anyone above a certain age —
I would be okay with that. The key thing is that the welfare state get
phased out. It doesn’t need to happen tomorrow or all at once. As soon as
possible I would also want to eliminate many of the current barriers to
employment (various government intrusions that reduce employment).
“what do you plan on replacing it with?” Freedom and personal
responsibility. I would also support local communities and states working
out their own strategies. This would likely result in some welfare
benefits being preserved and transferred to local governments.
Here are some things I bet you’d agree with even if you don’t agree with my
end-goal:
1) It’s not necessary or desirable to have 83 separate and partially
overlapping federal welfare programs — this is a huge source of waste that
means less money goes to people that need it.
2) One-size-fits-all programs at the federal level don’t make sense when
the cost of living in rural Arkansas and downtown New York City are vastly
vastly different. It’s also clearly the case that local cities and states
know what’s really needed to help much better than any distant bureaucrat
in DC writing one-size-fits-all programs possibly could. Local help means
better help, and less waste.
3) Government rules that create barriers to employment are bad.
http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2014/10/28/how-the-safety-net-cuts-poverty-rates
read this.
+Reggie Richards I don’t deny for a second that some safety net programs
are currently keeping some people above the federally defined poverty
level. That’s plain for anyone to see. However:
1) I deny that federal welfare programs are the only solution.
2) I deny that forced wealth redistribution is morally good.
3) I deny that welfare programs have achieved their goals of eliminating or
even significantly reducing poverty. I think they’ve caused stagnation and
essentially subsidized poverty.
Think of it this way: one goal people might have is to provide emergency
funds for people in desperate situations right now. A separate goal is to
get people *out* of poverty, and make it so there aren’t people who *depend*
on welfare. The current programs have clearly failed to eliminate poverty
and have created incentives that cause many people to depend on welfare
programs rather than incentivizing people to become independent.
Read this:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/louiswoodhill/2014/03/19/the-war-on-poverty-wasnt-a-failure-it-was-a-catastrophe/
you know the irony in watching this is that ayn Rand took Medicare later in
life just like the hypocrite she is. you guys need to wake up I mean no
disrespect