Medicare and Taxes, Obama's Bargaining Chips



As he embarks on his bid for reelection, Barack Obama is cranking up the same tune  for fixing the economy -- Raise taxes on the rich, cut back on Medicare benefits.   Rich, to Barack Obama, is any one who makes more than $250,000.00 per year.   Why does he not mention the overpaid, often under talented celebrities who make outrageous amounts of money and contribute to his political campaigns.  Those people are rich!  Obama knows that  if he goes along with the Republicans' plan to cut the budget in order to bring the national debt under control, he will risk losing the support of his liberal base.

After Obama gave up $38.5 billion to the Republicans last week in order to avoid a budget shut down, liberal activists have threatened to withhold their support if he doesn't fight against any more cuts.  The Republicans on the other hand, are talking the need to slice trillions, not billions of dollars in programs in order to save the nation from impending bankruptcy.  The compromise between the parties was short lived.  On Wednesday, Obama will once again have to face the nation and deliver a speech about the looming battle over raising the debt ceiling. 

Senator Barack Obama voted against raising the debt ceiling during the Bush administration, yet now his staffers claim that the president regrets his vote and admits that it was a mistake.  This admission means only one thing:  Obama will push for raising the debt ceiling.

Obama has also promised his supporters that if he must make any  reductions in government entitlements such as Medicare and Medicaid, they will be accompanied by tax increases on the rich and cuts in defense spending.  Now that he has authorized a surge in Afghanistan and  involved our country in a very costly third war in Libya, he plans to cut defense spending? Obama's feelings for the military were made quite clear last week when he threatened to withhold military pay if the government were to be shutdown.

Obama's liberal base wants him to appear as a job creator and not one who cuts the deficit budget, but the man has been in office for two years, and the only jobs that have been created are federal jobs, while the unemployment rate in the private sector remains basically unchanged.  There is no way that Obama can sell himself to the American electorate as a "job creator," while progressives believe that the fundamental problem in our country right now is unemployment and a job crisis, not a deficit crisis.

Last year when Obama agreed to extend the Bush cuts and not to penalize those who made $200,000 - $250,000 a year by taxing them, we agreed with the decision.  We feel that to penalize those who have studied hard to receive an education, and who have worked and sacrificed to eventually make a comfortable salary is unfair.  Those are the people who provide for themselves and their families without turning to the government for help and assistance.  Such taxes kill initiative and stifle the individuals' drive to succeed.  It is those  persons who make the  seemingly high salaries, who pay the high taxes to keep those entitlement programs going. They pay the exorbitant property taxes to keep the schools districts going.  Those are the folks who pay the high income taxes to the IRS.   Now the government wants to tax them again?  They are the people who pay for college tuition for their children without asking for assistance.   They are the ones who pay their debts, who spend the money that keeps small businesses afloat.  They are America's middle class. They are not the "rich." 

The White House has hinted that Obama's speech will announce deep cuts in the Medicare and Medicaid benefits.  In speaking with doctors and other health care professionals, we know that cutting benefits will be more difficult on the elderly than to consider Congressman Paul Ryan's plan to restructure the Medicare system.  If implemented now, the Ryan Plan would not affect anyone over the age of 55, but it would give those under 54 ample opportunity to successfully adapt to the changes before the full plan is implemented.  Those now receiving Medicare would not experience any drastic changes at all. 

The Medicare system has been subject to fraud and abuse for years, which has in large part been responsible for the system being broke and broken.  According to the Center For Public Integrity, "Every year as much as $60 billion in taxpayer money is stolen from Medicare, which pays for the health care of seniors and the disabled. This massive rip-off is done through various schemes, but largely by fraudulently billing for services or medical equipment they do not provide. “The legitimate Medicare recipient is hurt, the legitimate business that’s dispensing this and serving patients is hurt, every taxpayer is hurt, and we need to come down on this with both feet." But no serious crackdown has taken place, despite calls by legislators from both parties. We urge them to address the issue ASAP.

There are many reasons why Medicare has become unsustainable.  One is that people are living longer than previously expected, another is the fraud that increases yearly and goes unpunished.  Rather than to continue to frighten the voters, particularly the elderly with cuts to the system that they have by law been forced to accept as their health care provider, the Obama administration should seek to work with Republicans to find a lasting solution to the problem.  In the year 2000, then Texas Governor George W. Bush said:  "Medicare should not be a political issue."   We agree, it should not.  Medicare is dealing with peoples' lives.  Raising taxes is dealing in peoples' living.  Politicians don't have the right to mishandle either one.
 
 

"A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned - this is the sum of good government. "

Thomas Jefferson

Wisdom From The Past: Illuminating Our Future

When the Democrats oppose proposed budget cuts and proposed ways to save money thereby saving the country from bankruptcy, their usual charge is, "The Republicans don't have a plan."  We don't know about you, our readers, we are tired of hearing their mantra and have their supporters parrot it back.  The GOP has a plan, it has always had a plan in Congressman Paul Ryan's Road Map for America's Future, which was submitted to the president, and remained unanswered, not once, but twice.   Those whose duty it is to  report the news have paid it as little attention as the Democrats have. It took Congressman Ryan going on the offensive and speaking out before anyone sat up and took notice. 

Two Sisters have been talking about Congressman Ryan and his ideas for budget reduction for quite some time.  We were impressed when we first heard about it, and have attempted to get others interested in it.  It is going to be a long, hard fought battle to get the Senate, the president, and perhaps even some of Mr. Ryan's House colleagues to sign off on such steep cuts.  They are needed.  If we are going to get our nation back on track, then we are going to have to think about the greater good, and tighten our belts a tad.    Medicare reform will most definitely affect us personally.  We are fearful about the future, but we have to do more than just pay lip service to fiscal reform.  We have to agree to support those who are thinking ahead for the future of our country and actually implementing laws that will cut back expenses.

Children have a way of making parents feel guilty about certain decisions made, by shouting, "It's not fair!"  This always reminds us of the story about King Solomon's wisdom as told in Kings 3:16-28.  When two women approach the King with one child, each claiming to be the rightful mother, Solomon must resolve a dispute that has no easy solution.  Because there were no witnesses and no evidence as to which of the two women was telling the truth, Solomon called for a sword and declared that the only fair solution was to split the child in half, giving each woman her fair share.  The true mother revealed herself by selflessly asking Solomon to give the child to the other woman but to spare the child's life.  The liar and impostor, told Solomon that the child should not be hers or the other woman's, and told him to divide it.  The real mother of course was the one willing to relinquish her child in order to spare its life.

Is it fair that our government has been careless with the money entrusted to it and has allowed us to reach a financial crisis of this magnitude?  Of course not!  The question we now face as citizens is;  Are we willing to relinquish some of our "benefits" in order to help the nation survive an eminent financial disaster, or are we going to shout, "Not Fair!" and cause the wheels of fiscal reform to come to a grinding halt?  Are we going to be like the teachers and members of organized labor in Wisconsin, and other states, not willing to give a little for the good of all?  Each of us must wrestle with the answer.  Each of us must decide for ourselves what we will or won't support.  Two Sisters can only tell you what we feel and ask you to ponder the options we are given.  In looking towards the future we think of those in the younger generations who will follow in our wake. 

The future of our offspring, is what motivates us.  We were blessed to be Americans and to live in the greatest country in the world, at a time when our moral values were strong, our faith unshaken, and our Constitution was our country's guide. Those days are fleeting.  Thankfully there are young legislators like Paul Ryan, and Marco Rubio, who are determined to help all of us restore our beleaguered nation to its former status.  As patriotic Americans we can strengthen their efforts by giving them our full support.

Our favorite Founding Father, Thomas Jefferson said :  "Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have ... The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases."  As government increases in size, our liberty is diminished.  We have a president, backed by Democrats who has dismissed the Constitution and is gradually turning our republican form of government into an imperial presidency.

We are on the threshold of the worst economic crisis this nation has ever faced.  The value of the dollar world wide is at an all time low.  The rate of unemployment in America is astronomical.  The real estate market has not been able to recover.  Small businesses are closing, and the demands placed on small business owners by Obamacare are causing many to operate on a shoe string.  All but a few are touched by this economic quagmire.  It is time to decrease wasteful spending, become fiscally responsible and learn to trim the fat!

The GOP leadership in the House is about to introduce legislation that will slash deficits by $4 trillion. " On Medicaid, Ryan will propose to block grant the program to states, which would save money, allow it to grow at a predictable rate, and give governors more flexibility over how it is implemented. This is a popular option among many governors who are struggling with Medicaid costs, and it’s a proposal that has already attracted bipartisan support (at least intellectually speaking), as it was previously co-proposed with Alice Rivlin, the former Clinton budget director."

"When it comes to Medicare, Ryan has previously proposed fundamentally reforming it to give retirees vouchers to purchase private insurance that would vary by income and health status. So, for instance, a poor and very sick beneficiary would receive a lot more than a very rich and healthy beneficiary. However, this reform would not kick in right away, as it only applies to those 55 and under. Thus, it would take time to produce savings and those wouldn’t show up in the CBO’s 10-year budget window."

"Ryan has supported the repeal of the national health care law. Were he simply to propose a repeal of the bill’s Medicaid expansion, which would add 18 million to the program’s rolls by 2021, it would save $674 billion from 2012 to 2021, according to CBO."

Brace yourselves the cuts on entitlement programs will be deep, but that is where most of the waste has been.  No one wants to see America's children go without health insurance, or go hungry, but neither do we want to see good money thrown away.  We've created an entitlement mentality in the U.S. that has stifled initiative, and willingness to achieve.  We have to look hard to see examples of the American pioneer spirit still alive.  It is the pioneer spirit which defines the American experience.  Through hardships, discoveries, struggles and perseverance, the early Americans adapted their lifestyles on the frontier and made a nation come to life.  The time has come to resurrect that spirit and face the challenges and changes that loom ahead. 

As we make decisions and prepare to  face a future of debt and uncertainty let us remember the words of Thomas Jefferson:  "But with respect to future debt; would it not be wise and just for that nation to declare in the constitution they are forming that neither the legislature, nor the nation itself can validly contract more debt, than they may pay within their own age, or within the term of 19 years." (September 6, 1789)   Words of wisdom from the past, applicable  today and in our future.

Who Is Entitled To Entitlements

Political pundits, newsmen and commentators have been quick to point out that President Obama left entitlement programs out of his "budget talk" to the nation.  The entitlement programs of which we speak are Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. 

Now that we've reached our mid sixties and receive our pensions and Social Security checks, we must admit that our ears do perk up when we hear discussions about changes in the system that will affect two of those three particular entitlement programs.

We've noticed that the man who ran an entire presidential campaign on the subject of  "Change" is suddenly reluctant to mention that word in connection to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.

The fact is that all three programs are in dire straits, and reform is needed, change is needed.  Unlike Obama, who wanted to "change a perfectly good democracy into a socialist workers' paradise," when we think of changing Medicare and Medicaid, we are thinking of making the program better.  Believe it, change can be good. 

For years we've heard about Medicare and Medicaid fraud, and doctors cheating the system.  We even knew  of one doctor in New Jersey who kept two sets of books.  The temptation to cheat the government, and  in doing so the American taxpayer, has been just too great for some. This is not to say that all doctors cheat the system, but there are enough of them doing it to make a real difference.

Our parents lived to be 89 and 88 years old.  Both were retired before the age of 65 with disabilities.  We never, ever, thought they would live as long as they did.  They never thought they'd live that long,  but they had a wonderful retirement even though, especially our Dad was plagued with illnesses, life threatening surgeries and extended hospital stays towards the end of his life.  They  were the fortunate ones, and they really benefited from their share of the entitlement programs. As we watched them lead their lives,  we graying baby boomers knew that things would not be the same when the time came for our turn.

Obama's accidentally on purpose, exclusion of  Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security from his speech,  was a very carefully planned strategy on his part and that of the political advisers who surround him. A blind man can see his simple minded ploy.  The Democrats want to appear as the saviors of the common people,  those who are in need, and the evil, moustache twirling, beady eyed,  black caped  Republicans, defenders of the rich, will be the ones who bring up the subject of the much needed reform and that dreaded word, "cuts."

Certainly, we don't advocate reductions in benefits or the fear of "death panels," but we do support a much more careful scrutiny of those who habitually "cheat" the government when filing claims.  When you cheat the government, you are really stealing from everyone else who pays taxes.

We recall our mother comparing in horror the price the hospital charged Medicare for the generic version of the same medication they used at home.  Even though they used brand name, their medications cost less than what the hospital charged.  Why?   I recall once  the $7.95 charge for a can of "faux Lysol" to be used in the hospital room, at least $4.00 or $5.00 more than if we'd picked it up at the grocery store.  Does a doctor really need to charge $90.00 for an office visit when he spends less than 10 minutes in the exam room with the patient?  We're not mathematicians but in a huge country of 300 million people, some cutbacks on those outrageous charges just might add up enough to  help out the failing system.

Paul Ryan, who will lead the Republican charge on these entitlement programs isn't speaking about changes in Social Security yet, but Medicaid is on his list. 

One must tread lightly when talking about Medicaid, lest one be considered heartless and unfeeling. Child health is very important and parents who really cannot afford to insure their children are fortunate to have a system like Medicaid.  After all, isn't Medicaid the program which provides health care for the poor?  Is it?   Not always!  I recall a year or so ago waiting for a prescription to be filled when a young woman, the mother of four, well educated, from a good family, who lives in a lovely home with her "husband" walked in the pharmacy section without a handbag, picked up her prescriptions without paying and went home.  It took a while for me to close my mouth, and then I learned that she and the children's father are not married.  He doesn't insure them nor does she?  The children are out of wedlock and they are on Medicaid.

We can list case after case of abuses of the system.  There are people who are unscrupulous enough to believe that they are "entitled" to the entitlement programs.

This writing began as a short introduction to a wonderful interview that we read with Paul Ryan, but we will feature that tomorrow.  Once one begins to think about the corruption that exists on every level, local, state and federal, it seems difficult to stop. 

Arrest for Medicare Fraud

There are two major points that we would like for you to take from this writing.  The first is that we must recognize that the entitlement programs such as Medicare and Medicaid need fixing.  Integrity must be restored, and those who are found using the programs fraudulently should be punished by the law, and lose the right to use the entitlement.

The second one is that we need to send a message to Obama that we are not idiots, and he insults our intelligence with his dime store political psychology. He tried awfully hard to blame all the ills of the world on former President George W. Bush, and he's now going to try to portray fiscally conservative Republicans as the the "bad guys," the evil doers, when it comes to correcting the problems that have bankrupt the system.  Save it for the Democrats Mr. President.  As our dear old granddad would say, "That pill is just too big for us to swallow!"

Two Sisters

Government is not a solution to our problem. Government IS the problem.   --- Ronald Reagan

Obama's Authoritarian Approach

The following letter to the editors appeared in an East Coast newspaper this week.  It was written by a friend who shares our concerns regarding Obamacare.  We have chosen to publish it anonymously in order to protect the writer's privacy.


To the Editors:

     A federal judge ruled on Monday that the Obama administration's health care overhaul in unconstitutional, siding with 26 states that sued to block it.  U. S. District Judge Roger Vinson accepted the states' argument that the new law violates  people's rights by forcing them to buy health insurance.

     Over the months since the passage of Obamacare, many people have written to this paper, some in support and some not.  These questions are for those who support the bill and presumably support the Obama presidency and his agenda.

     Although a federal judge, a member of our judicial branch and a pillar of our checks and balances system, has declared Obamacare unconstitutional,  the White House site tells us that they are ignoring the ruling and continuing to to implement the law.  President Obama has therefore told America that he is above the law, and has no regard for our Constitution, which is no surprise to those of us who opposed his candidacy. 

     My question to the Obama supporters is:  Are you OK with this?  Do   you support Obama's authoritarian approach?  Are you comfortable with his disdain and disregard for our law?  Is this the America you want?  And while we are at it, how do you reconcile the granting of 733 Obamacare exemptions to unions, corporations and even some states?

    Does it not beg the question -- why is "affordable health care for all Americans" neither affordable, nor for everybody?

For those who believe that Obamacare will save them money, they will soon receive a rude awakening. Now that I will be going on Medicare in five days, we pay more for health insurance now that we've ever paid before.  Whether  or not the benefits we receive are as good as what we are accustomed to receiving remains to be seen.

I suffer from Chronic Obstructive Sleep Apnea.  I sleep with a C-PAP because it can save my life should I stop breathing for a prolonged period of time.  I needed to replace a faulty mask and went to the medical supply office where I get replacements.  I was told that they could do the exchange because once I went on Medicare, getting my needed supplies would become a much more complicated process.  Had I waited a week, I'd not be sleeping safely as I am now.  Who was the Democrat who lied and said that the GOP wanted Granny to just die? 

Although it is true that our legislature needs to focus on the creation of jobs and reduction of unemployment, it is imperative that the issue of health care be addressed as soon as possible.  The health care law, as it was rammed down the American people's throat by the Democrats who controlled both houses of Congress, and Obama himself needs to be repealed, and the congress needs to start over again.  Below are videos of how different members of the GOP feel about the present state of Obamacare.  We urge you to write your congressmen and senators and tell them you want the matter settled, NOW!

The health care debate is alive and well.  It just needs the support of the people. 

Obamacare passed, but it wasn't for lack of trying on the part of many.  Here is Representative Paul Ryan's (R) WI, giving an impassioned speech as to why the bill should be defeated. 

Listen to Senator Jim Demint, (R) SC, Discuss how Obamacare will affect costs of insurance and Medicare, and how some are getting the waivers that were referred to in the letter at to top of this article.

Now we face the question, should the entire bill be repealed or just "adjusted" and changes made.  Freshman Senator Marco Rubio (R)FL,  addresses the issue of repealing the bill and starting over;

We sincerely urge you to write, email, call your elected officials and make your feelings known.  Senator De Mint is correct.  Many of them face reelection next year, and we can also hope to defeat Obama in 2012.  But can we wait that long to have the issue of our health care resolved?  We think not.  Are we going to accept Obama's authoritarian approach, or do we want  our government of the people, by the people and for the people to persevere.