Many seniors worry health reform could hurt instead of help ("RATS have a senior citizen problem")

Medical net ^ | 8/12/09

[Libloather]

Many seniors worry health reform could hurt instead of help
12. August 2009 16:37

"Democrats have a senior citizen problem," Politico reports. "Frustrated older Americans are packing the town halls on health care. They are incredibly passionate about their Medicare benefits. Polls show senior citizens largely disapprove of health care reform ideas so far. And of course, they vote — in larger numbers than any other demographic."

For the most part, Democrats have focused on appealing to middle-class Americans and the uninsured, but at his New Hampshire town hall meeting on Tuesday, "President Barack Obama made a point to reach out to seniors, noting the low support in polls for his health care proposals." He told them "we're not talking about cutting Medicare benefits." There is, however, talk of "finding hundreds of billions in savings from Medicare — cuts supporters say will trim fat from the program — including slashing $156 billion in subsidies to Medicare Advantage, a privately-administered Medicare program."

"A July 31 Gallup poll found that just 20 percent of Americans aged 65 and older believe health care reform would improve their own situation, noticeably lower than the 27 percent of 18- to 49-year-olds and 26 percent of 50- to 64-year-olds who say the same. The senior citizen problem could pose a serious problem for the 2010 election cycle." Beyond those statistics, "look at the faces at these chaotic congressional town hall events across the country. They are the faces of older Americans who paid into Medicare most of their working lives and are now enjoying the health care benefits they believe they’ve earned." Cuts to Medicare Advantage are a real possibility, but "Democrats are also fighting full-blown myths that have gained traction, attacks claiming that reform would create government 'death panels' authorizing euthanasia" (Frates and McGrane, 8/12).

The Los Angeles Times: "Members of Congress have reported an outpouring of concern from their senior constituents. Rep. Eliot L. Engel (D-N.Y.) said his offices had received 'hundreds of calls' from older people eager to understand how they might be affected." Many seniors wonder how it is possible to cut from Medicare without affecting their health care, and "the proposed creation of a center to study the effectiveness of medical treatments has prompted some critics to allege that results would be used to discourage or deny care not deemed effective. Supporters have said the research would help doctors and patients make better decisions" (Graham and Hook, 8/12).

[Libloather]

The Democrats' senior problem
By VICTORIA MCGRANE & CHRIS FRATES
8/12/09 4:35 AM EDT

Frustrated older Americans, like this unidentified man shouting at Sen. Arlen Specter during a town hall, are packing meetings on health care. Photo: AP

Democrats have a senior citizen problem.

Frustrated older Americans are packing the town halls on health care. They are incredibly passionate about their Medicare benefits. Polls show senior citizens largely disapprove of health care reform ideas so far.

And of course, they vote — in larger numbers than any other demographic.

But so far, Democrats have focused much of their health care sales pitch on middle-class Americans and the uninsured — a slight that has been noticed by senior citizens, who hold great influence with members of Congress.

At his Tuesday town hall event in New Hampshire, President Barack Obama made a point to reach out to seniors, noting the low support in polls for his health care proposals.

“We are not talking about cutting Medicare benefits,” Obama said, trying to assuage the audience.

But Obama is talking about finding hundreds of billions in savings from Medicare — cuts supporters say will trim fat from the program — including slashing $156 billion in subsidies to Medicare Advantage, a privately administered Medicare program.

“Seniors are one of the most attentive and engaged constituencies, especially on health care issues, and we’ve seen that in the Medicare Advantage programs,” said Robert Zirkelbach, a spokesman for America’s Health Insurance Plans.

This is an excerpt.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0809/26027.html

[Always Right]

He told them "we're not talking about cutting Medicare benefits." There is, however, talk of "finding hundreds of billions in savings from Medicare — cuts supporters say will trim fat from the program

Just hope your care is not part of the fat....

[353FMG]

The all-important question at any townhall meeting should be why, if ObamaCare is such a blessing for the citizens, congress critters don’t jump on the bandwagon and sign up in droves.

[londonfog]

I can assure everyone that this euthanasia by omitting treatment is deader than michael jackson. The impact of seniors at these town halls has been devastating to these nazis. They have been exposed and routed. There will be no “public option”. There will be portability and federally mandated cross state select ability of insurance programs which will be struck down quicker than a 65 year old man runs to a urinal as a violation of 10th amendment states rights to control insurance. We have free health care for the uninsured now in emergency rooms all over the country. If you don’t want to wait with these bottom feeders, get a job and buy insurance.That is the American way but get the illegal aliens out of there.

[Iron Munro]

This whole bill has to go.
There is so much wrong with it there is no way to clean it up.

Obama and the democrats want it all but won't be disappointed if they just get a bill passed now with language they can reinterpret and add on to as time goes by.

Here is another problem area that is hidden away in this monstrosity:

Racial Preferences in the Democrats' Health Care Bill

[sport]

It won’t hurt for long.

[sport]

I will believe it when I see it die.

[B-Cause]

WOW! Check this one out.

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Little Gems From the Obama Health Care Bill
• Page 16: States that if you have insurance at the time of the bill becoming law and change, you will be required to take a similar plan. If that is not available, you will be required to take the gov option!
• Page 22: Mandates audits of all employers that self-insure!
• Page 29: Admission: your health care will be rationed!
• Page 30: A government committee will decide what treatmen ts and benefits you get (and, unlike an insurer, there will be no appeals process)
• Page 42: The "Health Choices Commissioner" will decide health benefits for you. You will have no choice. None.
• Page 50: All non-US citizens, illegal or not, will be provided with free healthcare services.
• Page 58: Every person will be issued a National ID Healthcard.
• Page 59: The federal government will have direct, real-time access to all individual bank accounts for electronic funds transfer.
• Page 65: Taxpayers will subsidize all union retiree and community organizer health plans (example: SEIU, UAW and ACORN)
• Page 72: All private healthcare plans must conform to government=2 0rules to participate in a Healthcare Exchange.
• Page 84: All private healthcare plans must participate in the Healthcare Exchange (i.e., total government control of private plans)
• Page 91: Government mandates linguistic infrastructure for services; translation: illegal aliens
• Page 95: The Government will pay ACORN and Americorps to sign up individuals for Government-run Health Care plan.
• Page 102: Those eligible for Medicaid will be automatically enrolled: you have no choice in the matter.
• Page 124: No company can sue the government for price-fixing. No "judicial review" is permitted against the government monopoly. Put simply, private insurers will be crushed.
• Page 127: The AMA sold doctors out: the government will set wages.
• Page 145: An employer MUST auto-enroll employees into the government-run public plan. No alternatives.
• Page 126: Employers MUST pay healthcare bills for part-time employees AND their families.
• Page 149: Any employer with a payroll of $400K or more, who does not offer the public option, pays an 8% tax on payroll <>BR • Page 150: Any employer with a payroll of $250K-400K or more, who does not offer the public option, pays a 2 to 6% tax on payroll
• Page 167: Any individual who doesnt' have acceptable healthcare (according to the government) will be taxed 2.5% of income.
• Page 170: Any NON-RESIDENT alien is exempt from individual taxes (Americans will pay for them).
• Page 195: Officers and employees of Government Healthcare Bureaucracy will have access to ALL American financial and personal records.
• Page 203: "The tax imposed under this section shall not be treated as tax." Yes, it really says that.
• Page 239: Bill will reduce physician services for Medicaid. Seniors and the poor most affected." • Page 241: Doctors: no matter what speciality you have, you'll all be paid the same (thanks, AMA!)
• Page 253: Government sets value of doctors' time, their professional judgment, etc.
• Page 265: Government mandates and controls20productivity for private healthcare industries.
• Page 268: Government regulates rental and purchase of power-driven wheelchairs.
• Page 272: Cancer patients: welcome to the wonderful world of rationing!
• Page 280: Hospitals will be penalized for what the government deems preventable re-admissions.
• Page 298: Doctors: if you treat a patient during an initial admission that results in a readmission, you will be penalized by the government.
• Page 317: Doctors: you are now prohibited for owning and investing in healthcare companies!
• Page 318: Prohibition on hospital expansion. Hospitals cannot expand without government approval.
• Page 321: Hospital expansion hinges on "community" input: in other words, yet another payoff for ACORN.
• Page 335: Government mandates establishment of outcome-based measures: i.e., rationing.
• Page 341: Government has authority to disqualify Medicare Advantage Plans, HMOs, etc.
• Page 354: Government will restrict enrollment of SPECIAL NEEDS individuals.
• Page 379: More bureaucracy: Telehealth Advisory Committee (healthcare by phone). • Page 425: More bureaucracy: Advance Care Planning Consult: Senior Citizens, assisted suicide, euthanasia?
• Page 425: Government will instruct and consult regarding living wills, durable powers of attorney, etc. Mandatory. Appears to lock in estate taxes ahead of time.
• Page 425: Goverment provides approved list of end-of-life resource s, guiding you in death.
• Page 427: Government mandates program that orders end-of-life treatment; government dictates how your life ends.
• Page 429: Advance Care Planning Consult will be used to dictate treatment as patient's health deteriorates. This can include an ORDER for end-of-life plans. An ORDER from the GOVERNMENT.
• Page 430: Government will decide what level of treatments you may have at end-of-life.
• Page 469: Community-based Home Medical Services: more payoffs for ACORN.
• Page 472: Payments to Community-based organizations: more payoffs for ACORN.
• Page 489: Government will cover marriage and family therapy. Government intervenes in your marriage.
• Page 494: Government will cover mental health services: defining, creating and rationing those services.


Listed above are some of Obama's "Changes"

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Watch This Short Video Clip!

Click Here

to watch a short video clip on the "Death of Democracy in America"

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[londonfog]

thanks. really good link.