SGR Repeal Could Have Damaging Side Effects

[goillini52]

They need to act first to see if they can cut illegal immigrants and foreign "citizens" who never contributed a dime in this country before they come after people that actually did work for a living.
I enrolled a 66-year old immigrant into a PDP who didn't work the required number of quarters in this country, yet qualified for Medicare A & B plus Medicaid and SSI CHECK. Why doesn't his OWN country care for him? It is morally wrong to give these ppl benefits when our own citizens are given reduced benefits and higher costs.
Another thing... STOP the Medicare SNP gravy train!!! Medi-medis are given FREE DENTAL, FREE VISION, FREE TRANSPO, FREE OTC catalog, etc. these MA greed monsters are given 20-25% extra comp to "care" for them- too much.

If you really feel this way.....why did you help him take advantage of the system? You're contradicting yourself. I agree with you, but I wouldn't have helped him.

 

[axeman462]

Number 1 - the private Medicare supplements are not the cause of overutilization of medical services, and adjusting them to offer clients fewer choices is no way will "reign in" Medicare expenditures. There are other ways to "reign in" those expenditures and they include things like - entering the system at an older age, containing fraud, possibly looking at what Medicare actually covers, etc.

Most of these items aimed at the fundamental program are political hot potatoes, so our Congress simply wants to play "around the edges" to make people believe they are doing the hard work, when in fact, they are simply limiting the consumers choices of how to protect themselves financially.

If they start these discussions and get anywhere, they will hurt agents. You may have nothing to sell and all of the business you've built could go away. In addition, if you eliminate supplements from the Medicare insurance landscape, you will only have basic Medicare and Medicare Advantage. The insurance companies could very well decide that agents are not necessary since there will be virtually no other option for financial protection. On top of it, the private insurers are drawing huge amounts of money out of the existing fund to produce programs that surely don't pay out anywhere near what they collect.

Eliminating Medicare supplements, or changing them in such a way that consumers have less choice will be devastating to agents, consumers and will not solve the issues around prolonging the Medicare fund through cost containment.

There is a very simple way to have your business not be hurt by cutbacks...

stop building a business built on government programs

Me personally I dont care. I am not willing to bankrupt my kids and grandkids so I can make a buck today. That is morally wrong.

Besides, if medicare is eliminated, that wont be a big deal. I am a salesman. I can sell anything. If you are worried, maybe you should think of a different business, because sales must not be your strong suit.

 

[somarco]

phasing medicare out permanently over the next 10-20 years has to happen if we dont want the country to go completely bankrupt,

Technically the country is already bankrupt with a deficit that exceeds 100% of GDP and unfunded liability that is at a minimum 4x GDP. In other words, the country cannot pay their liabilities without more borrowing.

No doubt something has to be cut but the cuts need to come in pork handouts and entitlements.

And FWIW, SS and Medicare are not entitlements.

There also needs to be a revenue shift where more of the tax is paid by the middle class.

In truth, the income tax should be scrapped and replaced with a consumption tax but that's an entirely different discussion.

 

[axeman462]

Technically the country is already bankrupt with a deficit that exceeds 100% of GDP and unfunded liability that is at a minimum 4x GDP. In other words, the country cannot pay their liabilities without more borrowing.

No doubt something has to be cut but the cuts need to come in pork handouts and entitlements.

And FWIW, SS and Medicare are not entitlements.

There also needs to be a revenue shift where more of the tax is paid by the middle class.

In truth, the income tax should be scrapped and replaced with a consumption tax but that's an entirely different discussion.

i concur, except cuts do need to be made from SS and Medicare

 

[bluediamond]

The only cuts that need to be made to ss and medicare are to the ones that are not really disabled under 65. I concur this is not an entitlement for the ones who paid in all their life.

 

[somarco]

i concur, except cuts do need to be made from SS and Medicare

Any cuts, especially to SS, will be made for FUTURE retirees. That's what they did in 1983 when the NRA was changed from 65 to a graduated NRA based on your year of birth.

A major change to Medicare for existing beneficiaries won't happen.

Axe, how old are you? My guess is under 35, probably under 30.

 

[wehotex]

If you really feel this way.....why did you help him take advantage of the system? You're contradicting yourself. I agree with you, but I wouldn't have helped him.

Well, I guess that you're right. But it was a docs referral and I wouldnt want to mess that up. The system makes it too easy for no citizens to qualify for these bennies. I'm not sure why they didn't think of this when they designed it.

 

[cadylou]

There is a very simple way to have your business not be hurt by cutbacks... stop building a business built on government programs Me personally I dont care. I am not willing to bankrupt my kids and grandkids so I can make a buck today. That is morally wrong. Besides, if medicare is eliminated, that wont be a big deal. I am a salesman. I can sell anything. If you are worried, maybe you should think of a different business, because sales must not be your strong suit.

I've been in sales my whole life, but enjoy what o do and hate to lose it through thoughtless approaches to rules that hurt consumers. I didn't build a business built on government programs. Individual insurance was private when I started.

 

[axeman462]

Any cuts, especially to SS, will be made for FUTURE retirees. That's what they did in 1983 when the NRA was changed from 65 to a graduated NRA based on your year of birth.

A major change to Medicare for existing beneficiaries won't happen.

Axe, how old are you? My guess is under 35, probably under 30.

I agree we cant take away the retirement of people currently on medicare and ss now. I have said several times on this forum that we need to phase out medicare and ss over the next 25 years or so.

What difference does it make how old i am. Facts are facts no matter how old someone is.

 

[aheff]

There will be no major changes to Medicare. Congress sees what happened to those congressmen that voted in Obamacare. Changes will not be happening anytime (soon).