Democracy Has Prevailed.

August 16, 2012

Now, On That $716 Billion

From Politifact.
  • That Obama "robbed" Medicare of $700 Billion: Mostly False.
    First things first: Neither Obama nor his health care law literally cut a dollar amount from the Medicare program’s budget.

    Rather, the health care law instituted a number of changes to try to bring down future health care costs in the program. At the time the law was passed, those reductions amounted to $500 billion over the next 10 years.

    What kind of spending reductions are we talking about? They were mainly aimed at insurance companies and hospitals, not beneficiaries. The law makes significant reductions to Medicare Advantage, a subset of Medicare plans run by private insurers. Medicare Advantage was started under President George W. Bush, and the idea was that competition among the private insurers would reduce costs. But in recent years the plans have actually cost more than traditional Medicare. So the health care law scales back the payments to private insurers.

  • That Ryan includes the same reductions in his budget plan: True.
    Does Ryan’s budget keep the reductions in Medicare spending? The short answer is yes.

    Here’s what Ryan said in an interview with George Stephanopolous of ABC News in June, before his selection as Romney’s running mate:

    Stephanopoulos: "You know, several independent fact-checkers have taken a look at that claim, the $500 billion in Medicare cuts, and said that it's misleading. And in fact, by that accounting, your budget, your own budget, which Gov. Romney has endorsed, would also have $500 billion in Medicare cuts.

    Ryan: "Well, our budget keeps that money for Medicare to extend its solvency. What Obamacare does is it takes that money from Medicare to spend on Obamacare. ..." (Read the full exchange.)

    So Ryan has confirmed his budget includes the Medicare savings.
Just sayin'

4 comments:

Social Justice NPC Anti-Paladin™ said...

I remember back in the 90s when the Republicans tried to reduce the rate of increase in the budget and the Democrat demagogued it as cuts.

Laughing now that the shoe is on the other foot.

EdHeath said...

HTTT, you mean the nineties when Bill Clinton ran surpluses?

Are you saying healthcare costs should be increased? Are you trying to contribute anything useful to the discussion? Next time you whine about police unions, I will remind you when you laughed at the idea of the idea of adding to the national debt, 'kay?

Social Justice NPC Anti-Paladin™ said...

you mean the nineties when Bill Clinton ran surpluses
when he had a Republican Congress. And the Democrats screaming we have a surplus, we can spend more on Social Programs.

As for police unions, do you support banning people from suing the Police for misconduct to save Police departments money paid out in settlements?

EdHeath said...

So apparently the Republicans did more than just "try" to reduce the rate of increase, they apparently succeeded. And the Democratic President signed the budget into law, so not all Democrats "screamed".

As for police unions, I have never, ever said anything about banning people from suing police departments for the misconduct of one or more of their officers. As usual you make shit up.

What I don't support is the banning of trade unions, both public and private, which when I have asked you in the past about you have pretty said that is what you support. That and the elimination of all benefits for police and a reduction in their pay (probably to minimum wage, if you had your way). Because the people who were/are willing to run into the burning twin towers, many to their death, are blood sucking union leeches who are trying to take money from the rich, the real true patriotic Americans. According to you.