Democrats Take Aim At GOP Flip Flops On Medicare

Yes, we old folks will not be around forever, so the need for Medicare will soon vanish. Great comment! And, I'm amazed that it has taken so long for anyone to notice this.

Yes indeed!

You're missing a major component, David, and that's timely payments. I have been fighting with UHC to pay bills they are responsible for, including some from March. How would you like to be a healthcare provider and have your bills paid net 270+ days? Yeah, that's just GREAT for your cash flow. We have had zero problems with Medicare.

The practice that our primary care doctor was in was driven out of business by a single insurance company who refused to pay. They disputed all of the business's records with a simple letter, and produced no evidence to the contrary at all. A small business with $1.8 million that is 180 days past due can't function, and they didn't. That's private health insurance. It was more profitable to not pay and hope that either the bill would go away, or at least payment would be delayed by court proceedings. It was a business decision. I don't know about you, but I don't want profit motivated business decisions getting between me and my doctor.

Finally, private practices and individual physicians can choose not to accept Medicare. Why don't they just refuse? Because it's a lot of money to leave on the table, and it's generally paid on time. There's a lot of value there.

yes, the republicans should start honestly talking about eliminating medicare and stop the unfair treatment towards the insurance industry. run with that, please.

And just what is "cost" for health care services? No one knows, because everyone pays a different price for the same procedure. That's why our system is so messed up.

Tell you what. Let's get the wars and Dubya's tax cuts canceled and then maybe I'll listen to your argument.

Thanks Canadian! What you understand is what most Americans cannot get through their thick skulls even though it costs thousands and thousands of them their very lives every year. The debate in this country is shameful because so much misinformation is thrown out to confuse the truth about where the money goes. The truth is that insurance corporations provide absolutely no benefit whatsoever to anyone's health. They are a middle man skimming billions and billions of dollars out of the system and they protect this extortion racket with huge payments to politicians to keep the crooked system in place. America is a fascist country run by corporations to the benefit of wealthy investors. Even the most basic human decency of taking care of the sick and dying is seen as an opportunity to entrap innocent victims and bankrupt them and/or just milk them until they die. That does not happen in Canada. I wish Americans would wise up for once.