AARP Accused, Fear Factor, Gingrich: Use South American Model for Social Security

AARP Not Serious

"The nation's largest seniors' lobby is not seriously at the table in the debate over Medicare, Republican lawmakers said Thursday.  While ostensibly opening a dialogue about how to address Medicare's financial woes, Republicans from both the House and Senate implicitly criticized AARP for its opposition to several Medicare proposals."

"'Unfortunately, as long as politicians obscure the Medicare program's prognosis for political benefit and stakeholders like AARP fail to publicly challenge these political calculations by educating their membership on the structural financing challenges facing the program, a national conversation about how best to save the Medicare program will not move forward,' the letter states.  AARP opposes privatizing Medicare, as proposed by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.).  It has also come out against proposals that would make seniors foot the bill for a larger share of their Medicare benefits."

AARP is just doing its job to protect older people who rely on Medicare, and the GOP is just doing its job to protect the most wealthy who rely on the GOP.

Scaring the Voters

"The top contenders in the U.S. presidential race seem to have a simple plan for the gaping budget deficit: use it to strike fear into the hearts of voters.  Republican frontrunner Mitt Romney says President Barack Obama is such a big spender that he would trigger a Greece-style crisis if re-elected in November.  Democrat Obama says Republican candidates would balance the budget by slashing social programs older Americans rely on to pay their medical bills.  Polls suggest both approaches resonate with voters."

Gingrich and Private Income Security

"Newt Gingrich doesn't shy away from taking dramatic policy positions.  But he doesn't always stick with them.  For instance, he no longer supports limiting carbon emissions through a system of cap and trade permits.  Nor is his proposal to execute anyone convicted of bringing two ounces of pot into the U.S. being featured in his presidential run (The Drug Importer Death Penalty Act of 1996).  His support of other big ideas, such as privatizing Social Security, is more enduring and particularly deserving of scrutiny.  When the topic of Social Security comes up, Gingrich has proposed the U.S. follow the Chilean model of pension reform."

For Your Information

"The election is still more than nine months away, but it's already clear that in the race for the White House, 'we the people' are running far behind 'we the one percent.'  Financial reports filed and released late Tuesday by the Federal Election Commission indicate that America's next president will take office deeply in debt to a relative handful of wealthy Americans and special interest groups, who will want something in return for their generous support."

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Medicare Savings, Florida Follow Up, Doc Fix

Thanks To Health Reform

"The Obama administration announced Wednesday that the Medicare Advantage program, which allows seniors to receive health coverage through a private insurer, is enjoying lower costs and more customers as a result of the health care reform law.  Medicare Advantage enrollment has risen 10 percent over the last year while average premiums have fallen by 7 percent, said Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. She also pointed out that similar improvements were seen the previous year.  The figures bolster President Obama’s defense of his signature achievement, and for Democrats it has the added bonus of refuting earlier Republican warnings that 'Obamacare' would gravely undermine the choice provisions in Medicare."

“'At the time the Affordable Care Act was passed, Republicans in Congress said the bill would virtually end the Medicare Advantage program,' declared senior White House staffer Nancy-Ann DeParle.  'Those predictions turned out to be wrong.  Medicare Advantage is stronger than ever -- offering more seniors better benefits, higher quality care and lower costs.'"

Long, Negative Race Good For Dems

"Perceived as the Romney alternative, Gingrich has strong motivation to stay in the race as it enters the February caucus states and heads toward Super Tuesday.  Yet, prolonging the primary process all spring, as Gingrich threatens to do, risks marginalizing the issues while magnifying the negative ads and personal attacks.  Such a campaign alienates the critical voice in the general election -- independents -- and allows Obama to skate unchecked."

"Florida voters repeatedly stated in interviews that they wanted to hear answers to the nation’s housing and foreclosure crisis, the deficit, and the instability of Social Security and Medicare.  Instead, the tactical politics of the establishment-vs.-insurgent civil war gave them only personal attacks, both in debates and on the airwaves.  Ninety-two percent of the political advertising on Florida TV stations in the past week (Monday to Monday) was negative, according to analysis by Kantar Media/CMAG, a Virginia media consulting firm."

Negotiations Resume

From Kaiser Health News -- War Savings May Be Key To Long-Term 'Doc Fix' Deal:  "KHN's Mary Agnes Carey talks with Jackie Judd about the congressional conference committee trying to hammer out a bargain on a payroll tax cut extension and the Medicare 'doc fix.'  If the conferees -- who are now discussing the possibility of a permanent 'doc fix' -- fail to agree to a proposal, doctors who see Medicare patients are in line for a 27 percent cut slated to take effect in March."

Everyone seems to taking a more serious and less strident approach, as well as a softer tone, compared to the first round.  Hopefully, this is an issue that now can be addressed in a more or less bipartisan manner.

Follow Up

Oregon Democrat Suzanne Bonamici Wins Special Election

The Republican Reality-Free Zone

Romney: 'I'm Not Concerned About The Very Poor'

Washington Lawmakers Introduce Bill Claiming The Dollar Is Unconstitutional

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Romney Whopper, Ready for Ryan, Bush Medicare Fraud, Medicare in Oregon

Even Romney Must Know This Is A Lie

Please give this your full attention:  "Mitt Romney has lied day after day on the campaign trail, but yesterday [Monday] he topped himself when he pledged to preserve Medicare and Social Security at an event in the Sunshine State.  The truth is exactly the opposite: Mitt Romney and the Republicans want to eliminate Medicare and Social Security as we know them and hand them over to Wall Street with a reckless privatization scheme."

"Romney is a staunch supporter of Congressman Paul Ryan's radical budget plan to end Medicare and Medicaid and dramatically increase health care costs for seniors struggling to make ends meet.  Ryan wants to put Medicare beneficiaries at the mercy of profit-mad private health insurance companies and force seniors to fork over at least $6,400 more per year on health care while letting billionaires and corporations skip out on their taxes.  Romney and the Republicans want to strip seniors of new drug benefits and preventive care provided by the Affordable Care Act."

MORE:  Joe Scarborough Skewers Mitt Romney's Vow To 'Never Go After Medicare' (VIDEO)  "... shameful demagoguery ..."

How does Mr. Romney say this (or other outrageous things) with a straight face?  Maybe it is a reckless privatization scheme.  But, hey!  It's only $6,400 more a year.  Gosh, that's less than -- what? -- the monthly lawn care on one of my cottages?  Not too much at all!  Wanna bet?  $10,000!

Medicare As We Used To Know It

"Democrats are licking their chops over the idea of another Republican budget that attempts to dramatically reform the Medicare program.  House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) has indicated that his budget will address Medicare and could include the revised plan he crafted with Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon.  Under their plan, seniors would get 'premium support' to help them buy private insurance coverage or traditional Medicare."

"'Here they go again -- House Republicans protecting the ultra-wealthy at the expense of Medicare and higher health care costs for seniors,' said Jesse Ferguson, a spokesman for the DCCC."

Bush and Medicare Fraud

"Jeb Bush personally lobbied the secretary of health and human services while his father was vice president on behalf of a hospital executive who would later be accused of defrauding the government of hundreds of millions of Medicare dollars, The Huffington Post has confirmed.  Miguel Recarey, head of International Medical Centers (IMC), also paid Bush $75,000 in the mid-1980s, money that Bush acknowledges receiving but says was tendered for real estate consultation."

"In 1992, as his father, President George H.W. Bush, ran for reelection, Jeb Bush denied having reached out to HHS Secretary Margaret Heckler on Recarey's behalf, a denial he maintains through a spokeswoman to this day.  ...  But now former Secretary Heckler herself, in an interview with HuffPost, has confirmed that Jeb Bush lobbied her, that she was in favor of renewing the waiver (although she left office before doing so) and that his input played a major role in her thinking.  She said she took his call, and took it seriously.  'Jeb was one that I and friends of the Bushes always thought would be president,' Heckler said."

Oregon Follow Up

Forget the Florida primary, watch Oregon on Medicare -- "The political world is squarely focused on the Florida primary Tuesday, where Mitt Romney is expected to win the latest contest for the Republican nomination.  But if you want to get a sense of where the health policy debate is going in this election cycle, the race you should be watching is all the way across the country.  In a special election in Oregon’s First Congressional District, both parties are testing out their Medicare messages for the coming year."

"Suzanne Bonamici, a Democrat, and Rob Cornilles, a Republican, are vying to fill the seat that’s sat open ever since Rep. David Wu resigned in April.  ...  the two have been trading barbs over Medicare, making it a central issue in the campaign.  As Bonamici put it in a recent debate, 'My opponent on day one of this campaign attacked me on Medicare and Medicare Advantage.'"

For Your Information

The High Cost of Allowing Health Insurers To Continue Keeping Us In The Dark

The Republican Reality-Free Zone

McConnell’s Revisionist History: Congress Gave Obama Everything He Wanted!

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