proposed medicare budget 2012=468 billion
number of medicare beneficiaries =47 million
This means that Medicare budget has allocated 9800/year per beneficiary =816 dollars/month
Lets eliminate medicare in its entirety-shut down the whole damn program-then take 50% of the budgeted expense =408 dollars/month and give that directly to each medicare beneficiary in their social security payment each month. Tell them IF THEY CHOOSE to do so-go and buy a health insurance policy with the money.
Instant, effective “50% cut in Medicare” -with a potentially better outcome with a private insurer for anyone over 65 -67 who wants health care.
Hot Air is for it.
http://hotair.com/archives/2011/07/12/mcconnell-announces-fallback-plan-lets-give-obama-the-power-to-raise-the-debt-ceiling-himself/
Pass that to the Repubs. I would go for that...the way you wrote this looks like everyones a winner and gets what they want.
The problem with that is simple (and an illustration of why Medicare is going broke in the first place):
Good luck finding an insurance policy for a 65 year old for $408/mo.
I’m NOT disagreeing with the problem, just throwing out a wrench in your plan.
Because Mo you make too much damn sense for anyone in the RINO Senate to understand!