Medicare for Everyone

I was chit-chatting with some friends online this morning and found myself discussing National Health Care and the Public Option. After talking with friends I found myself thinking that this was a good topic for blogging and maybe others had some thoughts on this topic as well.

Watching Washington D.C. mess around with Health Care has been terrifying and interesting. Lately I have taken to talking back to my television when I disagree, similar to when I disagree with the call the Official makes in a football game and I yell out at the T.V. Maybe you know what I mean!

So this morning, I'm trying to watch(listen to) the news and pre-make dinner at the same time - and trying hard to stop yelling at the television before someone thinks football is on during the daytime!

Joe Liebermann just got through saying:

"We're spending more than we're taking in and Medicare,according to the budget office, is going to go bankrupt within 8 years. We can't afford, with our debt as sky high as it is now, to create another government entitlement program, which this government run health insurance company would be."

When asked who would have to pay the bills - Senator Lieberman was quoted as saying, "That would be the American taxpayer."

Okay, so typing it out helped me to officially calm down from my screaming at the tv moment - so have to stop watching the news if I want to have a happy day anymore - but look at the ridiculousness of what he said!

We can't have a public option because Medicare is going to go bankrupt?

Gee Senator, make me feel better about the government being involved in health care at all why don't ya? If the government is that inept and will truly ruin any and every thing it touches, then by all means don't do anything for health care because all you will do is ruin it further!

Please, come up with a better argument - even the people at the town halls were screaming about how much they love their Medicare, so they don't even have a leg to stand on in the Medicare argument.

There is a reason seniors and anyone who is receiving Medicare doesn't want to give it up - I encourage anyone against Medicare for all to re-review town hall videos from the summer break - people love their government run Medicare and will fight for it.

Why is it going to go bankrupt in 8 years? (which, by the way, a good friend let me know that Factcheck.org is reporting that Medicare is not going to go bankrupt in 8 years. Thanks Margie!)

If it were truly going bankrupt why are/would we cutting anything from it to start a new project? I'm not buying the argument because we know it is hooey. (http://www.factcheck.org/)

If the people want Medicare they will continue to pay for it. What gets me is the non-revolt from taxpayers, especially the tea-party people (who I admire - sorry to those who don't but I see all sides and appreciate all of the arguments), but geez when you pay the tax you should be entitled to use the product or service you are paying the tax for, shouldn't you? Without having to wait 30, 40 + years for the benefit? This is what I don't get - especially from the tea bag people who are screaming about unfair taxes - scream about the unfair Medicare tax you pay and the discrimination about who is entitled to receive the public tax funded insurance! Bankrupt my left ear!!

Medicare, although taxed to all employed US Citizens of any age, currently is held back only for Senior Citizens and Disabled Citizens, and could so simply be expanded to cover all US Citizens who want to opt into it at any time by simply paying for it. Optional Medicare, with no triggers needed other than paying for it like the Seniors and Disabled Citizens do, via a lower premium than private insurance and a small monthly tax that we already pay, is really too complicated of an insurance program to institute even though it already exists and all people would have to do is opt in and pay the premium? Really? Seriously? Even if we had to slightly increase the Medicare tax- it does away with the need for mandates, force, penalties and fines and offers choice, option and freedom.

Yes, CHOICE. Yes, OPTION. Yes, FREEDOM. We already pay the tax, so why can't we enjoy the entitlement, unless we are old or disabled, as an entire united country?

Here is a basic example:

Toll booths: You pay $1.00 to pass through the toll booth but you are waved over to the side to a "wait lane" and asked to turn off your car. You ask why, after all you just paid the toll tax to drive on the tollway and that is the point of a tax which is levied in order to enjoy the privilege of a service in return. You are told that yes, of course you will be able to use the toll road, but there is a waiting period. You pay the toll tax and then you must wait in the wait lane for one week before you may use the tollway. WHAT?? Would you stand for that? You just paid the darn toll tax so you could immediately pass thru and enjoy the use, after all that is how service taxes work don't they??

Why in the world would Medicare work any differently? It is taxed to all who would be eligible to opt into it anyway - and those who opt into would have to pay the premiums just like those who are currently receiving medicare, so what is the problem? Rebublicans were arguing not to long ago to privatize Social Security. How can they be for that and not for ending the discriminatory 30+year wait lane of Medicare?

Social Security is not a tax - is a fund that you pay into for your future retirement and/or disability retirement insurance needs - which is why they send you that breakdown statement every year. They don't send you a "this is how much you have paid into Medicare statement" because it is not a fund - it is a tax.

That is my only question - why is it all Americans are not complaining about the right to opt into an insurance program they are already paying the tax for, but being held in the longest wait line of their lives to receive?

I still don't get what is so complicated about it or so horrible about letting all American Citizens in on the exclusive "old or disabled club only" government run tax payer funded public option insurance we call Medicare.


Real Medicare for EVERYONE ALREADY!!