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| Home Front: Politix |
| Reject Medicare and lose Social Security, too |
| 2008-11-30 |
| The first wave of baby boomer retirees will soon turn 66 and get their first Social Security check. But they won't get Medicare without signing up, soon. That's one Medicare requirement worth knowing. Here's another: Opting out of Medicare is possible -- if you don't mind losing your Social Security, too. Three seniors have sued to change that. They want to pay their own medical costs, and they would abandon the Medicare taxes they've long paid. They don't want, however, to abandon Social Security. Their suit would sunder the two programs, allowing seniors to cover their own medical care without losing Social Security. That, say the three plaintiffs, would ensure the privacy of their medical records and spare them bureaucrats' second-guessing whether every lab test and office visit are "medically necessary." If not, Medicare doesn't pay and the physician, by law, can't bill the patient. Don't wonder why many elderly have difficulty finding a doctor. No law mandates participation in both programs or none. The Clinton administration instituted that regulation, buttressed by Congress' ban on seniors venturing outside Medicare for any service it provides. I didn't know this. It seems there are elements in our Government who really do want to control every aspect of our lives. I would think the 3 Seniors who are suing would win, but ya never know. |
| Posted by:Deacon Blues |
| #7 Swiping 401k's would certainly justify it. Apart from there being no mechanism to do it, there would be some fairly stiff resistance from a lot of people in the form of lawsuits, riots, etc. |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2008-11-30 19:12 |
| #6 taxation without representation got us our first revolution. This might be our second |
| Posted by: Frank G 2008-11-30 19:06 |
| #5 Social Security will continue to be paid, in full, to everyone eligible under current requirements. To make this possible, private pension plans and IRAs and 401(k)s etc. will be 'merged' into Social Security. And the payouts will be far 'fairer' than those private plans for the evil rich would have been. From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs - er, voting numbers. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2008-11-30 18:57 |
| #4 Moose, is right. The current crisis means all forms of welfare will have to be slashed in all developed countries in as little as a year. The money won't be there to pay for them even as demand for things like unemployment benefits increases. I reckon government revenues will fall by 15% to 20% next year. Revenue from taxes on business profits will collapse by at least 50%. It will get ugly, especially where immigrants form a high proportion of welfare recipients, Ie most of Europe. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2008-11-30 18:10 |
| #3 No promise was made, nor contract given. It's a tax. Just another damn tax, that's all it's ever been. There is a chance that the Feds might at some point in your lifespan give you some monies, but it is from the good of their cold, cold heart only. |
| Posted by: .5MT 2008-11-30 17:26 |
| #2 Moose is absolutely correct. I've got another decade and some change before I'd be eligible and I'm already assuming there will be no SS payments in my future. I can already see the argument: "Sorry, sir, you're not eligible for Social Security. You have too much money and too many assets." "What about the promise you made me when I was paying this money in for all these years?" "Again, we're sorry but there isn't enough money to meet those obligations so we have to restrict payments to those who REALLY need them. That's NOT you, as our records show." "That's not what you promise or what I agreed." "I know. You'll just have to accept that you received your benefits in the form of lower taxes in your earlier years." In reality, that is the only way it can go. The money simply isn't there and there's no way to put it there without hyperinflation totally destroying the value of the currency. It comes from having a stupid electorate. Look at the number of idiots who voted for Bama, a lying pol who promised them both huge amounts of new benefits AND a tax cut. How in the Hell people could believe such a thing was possible is beyond me. Barnum was right, except conservative in his estimate. There's MORE than one born every minute, at least in America. |
| Posted by: Jolutch Mussolini7800 2008-11-30 17:12 |
| #1 Odds strongly favor that both SS and Medicare are going to have to be severely means tested within just a year or two. No real choice in the matter. Medicaid will be turned over to the States. Figure that all three will join Defense with about 25% cutbacks, in the first one or two years. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2008-11-30 15:51 |