Posted on 07/07/2011 10:33:45 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
As policymakers at the state and national level struggle with rising entitlement costs, overwhelming numbers of Americans agree that, over the years, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid have been good for the country.
But these cherished programs receive negative marks for current performance, and their finances are widely viewed as troubled. Reflecting these concerns, most Americans say all three programs either need to be completely rebuilt or undergo major changes. However, smaller majorities express this view than did so five years ago.
The public’s desire for fundamental change does not mean it supports reductions in the benefits provided by Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid. Relatively few are willing to see benefit cuts as part of the solution, regardless of whether the problem being addressed is the federal budget deficit, state budget shortfalls or the financial viability of the entitlement programs.
The latest national survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, conducted June 15-19 among 1,502 adults, finds that Republicans face far more serious internal divisions over entitlement reforms than do Democrats. Lower income Republicans are consistently more likely to oppose reductions in benefits – from Medicare, Social Security or Medicaid – than are more affluent Republicans.
On the broad question of whether it is more important to reduce the budget deficit or to maintain current Medicare and Social Security benefits, the public decisively supports maintaining the status quo. Six-in-ten (60%) say it is more important to keep Social Security and Medicare benefits as they are; only about half as many (32%) say it is more important to take steps to reduce the budget deficit.
Half (50%) of Republicans say that maintaining benefits is more important than deficit reduction; about as many (42%) say it is more important to reduce the budget deficit. More independents prioritize maintaining benefits over reducing the deficit (by 53% to 38%). Democrats overwhelmingly view preserving current Social Security and Medicare benefits as more important (by 72% to 21%).
The public also opposes making Medicare recipients more responsible for their health care costs and allowing states to limit Medicaid eligibility. About six-in-ten (61%) say people on Medicare already pay enough of their own health care costs, while only 31% think recipients need to be responsible for more of the costs of their health care in order to make the system financially secure.
When it comes to Medicaid, just 37% want to allow states to cut back on who is eligible for Medicaid in order to deal with budget problems, while 58% say low-income people should not have their Medicaid benefits taken away. And most say it is more important to avoid future cuts in Social Security benefits than future increases in Social Security taxes (56% vs. 33%). On Social Security and Medicare, there are substantial differences of opinion by age. People age 65 and older are the only age group in which majorities say these programs work well; seniors also overwhelmingly say it is more important to maintain Social Security and Medicare benefits than to reduce the budget deficit. Those 50 to 64 also broadly favor keeping benefits as they are. Younger Americans support maintaining Social Security and Medicare benefits, but by smaller margins than older age groups.
Lower income people are more committed to maintaining benefits across all three major entitlement programs. This income gap is particularly wide when it comes to allowing states to cut back on Medicaid eligibility: 72% of those with family incomes of less than $30,000 oppose allowing states to limit Medicaid eligibility to deal with budget problems, compared with 53% of those with higher incomes.
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yes...and they also want to lose weight but eat as much ice cream cake as they desire....
Pew Poll huh? Something stinks.
Well, illegal aliens have bankrupted Medicare, and they are not entitled. The day that illegal aliens stop receiving the same benefits that America have earned will be the day we begin to heal! No benefits, no jobs, no school for people who sneak into our country!
Freepers should keep this background in mind anytime you see anything remotely political pushed by a poll conducted by this highly educated elite group of Libtards.
So, people agree the programs have been good but have to be substantially or completely rebuilt............
People are frickin’ idiots.
Herein lies the reason why the only substantive changes were likely to see will come through a complete collapse of the system.
Want changes but no reductions. This is called an oxymoron. People are stupid and greedy just like corrupt politicians.
How would you like the government to give you $10,000?
________ Approve ___________ Disapprove ________ No Opinion
(This, in essence is what these polls ask and why they are so misleading.)
The #1 change we need:
Medicare and social security must be made voluntary.
the #2 change we need:
Abolish the concept of a given retirement age.
The #3 change we need:
Universal Savings Accounts to encompass all major items - retirement (IRA), healthcare (HSA), education (edu IRA). Combine them into one concept that allows qualified expense withdrawals.
Seems they never ask anyone who knows what is going on.IMHO all need to be overhauled with some ending.Entitlements like welfare and food stamps need to be eliminated or restricted.It would not be much fun if all you could buy with foodstamps were staples that you had to cook yourself.No junk no pop etc.There should never be cash payments on Welfare.Social secuirty if it was still used as it was set up to be would have the age of retirement at about 80 since our life expectancy is now 76+.I don’t even know what to do with Medicare other than to blow it up too.People should be allowed to buy their own insurance no matter their age and it niot be 65 by law.
Both are proof of the dangers of a democracy. My taste buds outnumber my waistline, but that’s a personal matter, not the total destruction of the national economy.
And a magic pony that craps M&M's.
1. Keep benefits the same and bankrupt the country, thereby reducing benefits to zero.
2. Amend the programs to make them sustainable.
I have heard a retired physician estimate that eighty percent of all health care delivered in the United States could be categorized as non-essential for life-saving or even purposes of health maintaining. The idea being that just because people want something, does not make it essential or life improving.
I have heard an emergency room physician make a similar statement. Eighty percent of the cases he saw in the ER could be managed on a non-emergent out-patient clinic type visit. Worse, a large portion of the true emergencies were alcohol or other drug related incidents.
Where in the Constitution does Congress have the authority to establish Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid? Does the word insurance appear at all? Which clause of the Constitution grants Congress the power to insure banks? Other parts of the Constitution seem to deny these kinds of power to Congress:
In other words, a majority of Americans want to have their cake and eat it too... and stick someone else with the bill.
This country may be past saving.
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