How do we fix social security and medicare?

[Drachen]

And why not? Remember, once upon a time, us "boomers" were the "younger generation" that was bearing the brunt of the expense.

I am part of the current "younger generation" so I am not sure how you will take this, but the boomers had a built in advantage in that not only did a large amount (though not extremely large) of those you were going to support die right before you were born (WWII), but the name of your generation should offer a clue as to why your "bearing the brunt" does not equal our "bearing the brunt." Our ONLY option as the system is presently constructed is to be the most innovative generation in the history of the world. Thereby growing our economy at rates never before imagined and creating wealth left and right... just so we can stay in the same place. Also, if you want to really go with generational warfare, the boomers were responsible for most of the theft from the social security "box." I don't think you will see us doing this at all (though not because we are better, but because that box is empty and we cant steal from it any more - lol).

As to the original topic, the benefits age needs to be raised, then indexed to the average age of death of the american citizen (should have been a long long time ago).

I REALLY like the individual accounts. I do think that it needs to continue to be forced, because as was said before, some idiots wont save, then will want a handout in retirement.

Medicare is unclear until we do something about the overall system.

But, as has already been stated, no one is going to do anything until there is a crisis and then the cost will be far more expensive and it will be shoved on down to the next generation, until eventually, we can't borrow anymore to shove it down to the next generation. A rebellion will occur and America will be no more.

[mogrovejo]

The SS will be fixed the same way every similar scheme was fixed in the past - by implosion. If not, it'd be the first of its kind. If SS was a private enterprise, its promoters would be in jail by now. I like Paul Ryan's "solution" for the SS though. It's not a definitive solution, but it can keep SS system sustainable for long enough, allowing the economic growth to make its final destruction politically acceptable.

Medicare will be fixed the same way socialized health-care systems have been fixed - by rationing. Either by the providers (it's already happening) or by the government. Either by restricting access openly to some services or by using methods like waiting lists. There's no other way out of it. Btw, I strongly suspect that people don't really get the consequences of subsidizing.

[Winehole23]

Now costing more than $500 billion per year, Medicare is central to the United States’ fiscal predicament. For this complicated problem, there are many complicated proposed solutions. But what if we try something simple, like journalism?






In essence, that is the argument that Dow Jones, publisher of the Wall Street Journal, is pressing in a federal court in Jacksonville, Fla. Dow Jones is asking District Judge Marcia Morales Howard to lift a 1979 court order that exempted from the Freedom of Information Act all provider-specific data on Medicare payments. Arguments ended in August, and a ruling could come at any time.


Thanks to the 33-year-old injunction, the press and the public cannot examine the treatments individual physicians billed to Medicare or — most important — how much Medicare paid for them. Yet this is a matter of obvious public concern, given that Medicare made $28.8 billion in improper payments in 2011, according to a Government Accountability Office report last February.


Media coverage could be a powerful weapon against waste, fraud and abuse, Dow Jones argues — plausibly, given the Journal’s recent work.
In 2009, Dow Jones and the nonprofit Center for Public Integrity sued the Department of Health and Human Services for access to its database of physician fee-for-service claims. HHS resisted but ultimately agreed to supply a small portion of its information in return for a fee and a promise not to reveal individual physicians’ names.


Even with those limitations, the Journal produced articles in 2010 and 2011 do enting many millions of dollars’ worth of excessive spinal*fusion surgery, questionable prostate-cancer treatments and dubious billing for home health-care services.
More irregularities might turn up if all journalists could comb through Medicare’s records using data-mining techniques. And imagine how many irregularities would be deterred if providers knew that they might be named and shamed.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinio...565_story.html

[boutons_deux]

Some Say the solution already happening as more doctors become salaried in clinics and hospitals. But those are all for-profit companies putting pressure on the docs to generate revenue. iow, NO SOLUTION

[Winehole23]

more transparency in health care billing couldn't possibly hurt, even though it is not a complete solution unto itself.

[boutons_deux]

the complete solution, which for-profit health care will never allow, is non-profit health insurance and health care by salaried, govt staff in govt hospitals,paid for by a hard core public insurnace option deducted from ALL incomes.

[Winehole23]

politics is the science of the possible. so for the moment that's out

[boutons_deux]

politics is the science of the possible. so for the moment that's out

for-profit health care buying politicians makes it impossible.

So the health care industry will continue indefinitely to redistribute $Ts in wealth from the 99% to the 1%. Just another front in the Class War, with the 99% losing non-stop.

FOR SIXTEEN YEARS, EVERY YEAR, Congress has refused to implement a 27% reduction in pay schedule for medicare/medicaid treaments, while whining about how much Medicare/Medicaid cost.

[CosmicCowboy]

for-profit health care buying politicians makes it impossible.

So the health care industry will continue indefinitely to redistribute $Ts in wealth from the 99% to the 1%. Just another front in the Class War, with the 99% losing non-stop.

FOR SIXTEEN YEARS, EVERY YEAR, Congress has refused to implement a 27% reduction in pay schedule for medicare/medicaid treaments, while whining about how much Medicare/Medicaid cost.

They won't do it because doctors would quit taking medicare/medicaid. I already know some that quit taking it at the current rates because it's not profitable.

[ElNono]

They won't do it because doctors would quit taking medicare/medicaid. I already know some that quit taking it at the current rates because it's not profitable.

I'm ok with that. IMO, there's not enough non-medicare/medicaid patients for all doctors to go that route.

And if we need to start importing doctors from India to fill up clinics that will take medicare/medicaid and compete with American doctors, then I'm ok with that too. Free market, right?

[Th'Pusher]

I'm ok with that. IMO, there's not enough non-medicare/medicaid patients for all doctors to go that route.

And if we need to start importing doctors from India to fill up clinics that will take medicare/medicaid and compete with American doctors, then I'm ok with that too. Free market, right?

Yep.