Will the debate over Medicare sway your vote in the 2012 election?

Yes - I am not in favor of the changes the R are suggesting. Although the current system is in no way terrific it does provide a comprehensive across the US availability to emergency and hospital care.If that is allowed to change to state control by changing the $$ to one administered by community based grants then it will all be about who has the most seniority in the legislature and voter demographics for who get's funding. $$ to go to whatever companies have the best lobbyists even more than what happens now. Rural areas & with more kids than adults who vote will be even more screwed than they often are now.

I'm going to digress on this issue a bit....I am constantly astounded at the costs of care and med's in the US vs. the rest of the first world countries. For the US to be spending all this $$ & have such a poor uneven level of care is a national shame.

I think that the US will see a huge exodus of those with money & resources to other countries for retirement because of the cost of health care. Much along the current lines of companies moving their operations out of the US to other countries. Maybe keep an address in the US but spend and live elsewhere.

For those of us on this site, we have seen first hand the maze of Medicare, Medicaid and frustration of getting simple answers for simple questions for our parents health care and the huge cost of care that we have no control over. I don't want to spend my 80's and 90's in this maze when there are other places to live.

I'm Debra. I'm a brittle diabetic. I have circulation issues among other things. I am so pissed off about this even being a question. Why the hell would you take away from the elderly and disabled? Who would even suggest this????? Why not get o the doctors and pharmists who OVER CHARGE MEDICARE???? It's not the americans that are doing damage to our nation... ITS THE FLIPPING SO CALLED POLITITIONS. It's not our fault we are ill or in need of the help. You all sadly make me sick. Keep spending money on druggies. Keep voting for crooked politics. Keep spending money like no ones going to ever need it again. Sick..... our government is SICK !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Unfortunately, there is not enough impartial information out there for the public to make an informed choice about what either side plans to do. But I find it interesting that one of the parties complains about govt funding for programs and letting free market competition take over yet when they get into office they hold on dearly to their govt health insurance (how many have refused it?) and those in the private sector who got claim that govt should not be involved are screaming that Obama is going to cut their Medicare - which is govt help. Those getting Medicare today did not pay enough into the system to cover all the medical bills that Medicare is paying and will pay. So you can't have it both ways . Either give up your Medicare beneifts or admit this has been a good govt program for you. And don't begrudge others access to health care also. Yes, maybe if you are wealthy, getting a voucher will be icing on the cake for to pick a health insurance program that maybe you should be paying for yourself if you have so much money anyway. But for the lower income seniors, this sounds like a disaster to me. They will be stuck either not being able to afford a good program or left in a Medicare program where no doctors will participate in, like Medicaid, b/c they will get more in those other programs that were bought into by those with bonus voucher money and their own funds.

Medicare is a huge consideration for me. I don't think the system itself needs a giant overhaul, but I do think that costs need to be contained. Some people overuse their Medicare. My mother is a prime example. Perhaps capping it would be useful. Another consideration is how to get the price of medical care down. I mean, really do we really need all the blood work and MRIs that are ordered now? And why are medications so expensive in the US? They cost much less in countries with single-payer programs in place (e.g., Canada).

I also have personal dislike when drugs, e.g. ones for Alzheimer's, that have not been shown to show a clinically significant improvement in clinical trials are still put on the market. These drugs are very expensive and people are repeatedly disappointed. What a waste of Medicare money.

I don't want to talk politics here. I get enough of it elsewhere.

I get to talk so little about politics. My mother knows zilch about it and is not interested. It is kind of refreshing to read the thoughtful responses of people, particularly those who are going to be affected by decisions made.

Woo, now I see what you mean, Brandywine1949.

Wow is right! Sunnyshine writes all that...and not one word about Medicare. lol

Could we stick to the Medicare issue here, please?

Yes, what a candidate says about Medicare will influence my vote.

I am sorry I failed to mention the problem with Medicare. But, there is nothing Obama could do for Medicare to make me want to vote for him. And when he successfully turns us into a socialized nation with his national medical program, it will be a moot point. None of us will have decent health care. If you believe in Socalized Medical system I would suggest you discuss what is happening to the poor people in Canada. They can tell you horror stories you will not want to hear and it can happen to us. We are much too close for comfort..

I am truly afraid of what Obama wants and it is not going to be good for any of us. Just check some of the approved pending tax bills waiting to be implemented as soon as the election is over. How about a nice tax on our checking, savings and other little monies we may have in the bank?? Not the interest. But, tax on every dollar we deposit. And that is just one small item. There are many more. You can look them up. I don;t know how they have been kept such a secret? If you are still in the Middle Class America, after Obama is re-elected, we will be done away with and become part of his new system of the poor. And without the rich we have no country. There will be no more freedom. But, it is sad to know that people cannot see the truth and will not know any of this until it is too late. What Obama says and does are not always the same, if you get my drift. And if you believe he cares about our country, just do a little more research and you will find the truth for your own edification. And if you don;t check it out soon, it will be too late for all of us. And I have never been afraid of a president before now..

do these people on Medicare saying the govt should stay away from their medicare realize medicare is a government benefit? or do they think they paid for this themselves? Otherwise I find it somewhat selfish of those who base their entire misguided political decisions on what will happen to their Medicare benefits. If prior generations thought this way, there never would have been a Medicare program. As voters, we need to educate ourselves and think of the future of our entire country b/c if we don't take care of everyone, we will pay one way or the other. Like in high crime rates for those left out. Giving me a voucher to buy my future old age insurance is not gonna work for me. Left to the free market, the health insurance companies are going to eat us up alive, at a time when we are weak and vulnerable, just like the mortage loan companies did. Home owners ended up financially ruined, foreclosed and banks ended up giving themselves a bonus. I have a health insurance plan thru my work now. It states it covers wisdom teeth removal surgery under a medical benefit. Yet when I tried to make a claim under my policy, all their oral surgeons under the program are contracted under dental care. Thus my claim was denied since the provider was a dental provider and not a medical provider. The catch: they have no oral surgeons contracted as medical providers. So when I signed up for the policy thinking it covered this benefit, I never would have suspected this trickly little loophole they created. And other than suing the company, paying more to sue than to pay the bill, what can I do? No, i don't want to be thrown to the free marketplace of health insurance. Especially since no one wants govt agencies regulating anything.

My input is a bit more personal. I am so against the new Obamacare. At least our elderly 55 and over will not have any changes in their benefits with the Ryan plan BUT I am already seeing them with ObamaCare. My Aunt take monthly procrit injections to keep her blood levels normal so she doesn't need blood transfusions. Her kidney failure causes the levels to drop and she is weak and tired when they are low. They have been giving them to her previously IF her levels were under 11, normal is 12. Since the first of the year, one of the new rulings from the new Health Plan, says that Medicare can't pay for the Proctrit unless her levels are below 10, so she is never at Normal anymore. The Cancer Center that gives them told me, they are allowed to give just enough now to keep from having to do a blood transfusion.
Another bit of data. Soon, anyone over the age of 80 will be qualified by a Panel if they need an expensive surgery, such as my 96 yr old Aunts Hip replacements, and if the cost doesn't justify the benefits, Medicare will refuse to cover the surgery. If they do get the surgery, their implant devices will be taxed. This was told me by her Dr. She is lucky her surgery was this year instead of 2013 or 2014 when some of this takes effect.
There are an additional 27 taxes in that bill we haven't even been told about yet.

Do I want this? NO, sorry I don't. Not for my elderly loved ones. For those younger, they have time to set up a fund or annuity to help them when they retire but those over 55 do not. They need to have their Medicare left alone and Ryan has promised this. Obama is already taking benefits away from them.

This is all I will say on this subject. It's not a pleasant one and Politics probably shouldn't be discussed here.

Yes, we should leave Medicare alone to protect people like VP candidate Paul Ryan's mother who appeared at a campaign rally for her son. he is quoted in the paper as saying Medicare is there for his mom and he also stated that she winters in Florida. Maybe she shouldn't be on a govt insurance program afterall if she can have two homes. re the poster about the supposed changes affected her aunt. not gonna touch whether her statements are true or not, but does she think that under a free market health insurance program she is not going to be affected? Of course for profit health insurance will never deny care or cut benefits to increase their profits, will they?

Since I've already experienced Medicare discrimination I don't see how we can win either way. I was told by a dermatology office, "she no longer accepts Medicare." When I went for my annual physical I was given only one blood test, "because I'm healthy." What's the point of an annual, preventative physical if the doctor can pick and choose who gets what?! I could be developing diabetes or leukemia and I guess I have to get sick before I get treated. I have good secondary insurance so there is no need for this. What irritates me about the Medicare and Social Security debates is that I WAS NEVER ASKED IF I WANTED TO PAY INTO EITHER SYSTEM. I worked for 47 years and both were simply deducted from my paychecks. Suddenly what was a benefit is now and entitlement and we are treated like pariahs. I'm tired of both parties. I don't believe anything they say because in the end they do what's expedient for themselves and not the people. Sorry for the rant. I'm just tired and scared of the future for everyone 65 and older.

Well-stated, Sunnyshine. I am with you. Another 4 years of Obama and there won't be any $$ in Medicare or Social Security, because he will have either spent it or given it away to illegals or foreigners. So sad for what is happening in our country, especially for the elderly who have built this country from scratch, fought wars, and used their creative skills to make this nation strong and plentiful with work and resources. And now the young politicians are going to throw our elderly people under the bus.

The reality is that Medicare does work and delivers a level of essential care to a large segment of the population. We pay for Medicare with a 2.9% income tax levy of which we pay half and the employer pays half. The part of Medicare the R's want to disembody is a part that works well and is efficient. A simple way to enable Medicare to have financial relief would be to lift the embargo on acquisition of drugs in the free market allowing medicare to buy the way the VA buys instead of at premium prices. Also, take the lawyers out of the equation. Australia has a single payer based system and litigation has caps and also penalties for frivolous litigation against the plaintiff if they waste the courts time. These would be huge steps to reducing unnecessary costs.
Also, do the R's have mothers who could take them aside and give them a dope slap?
Maybe we need a smaller military and fewer wars and spend that money instead on the health and welfare of our citizens........ Me

How Medicare is handled is just one of many considerations in the 2012 election, of course, but is near the top of my list. I've got an aged Dad, an aging husband, and am myself a late baby-boomer approaching retirement age. The stability of Medicare is important to me and my family. My understanding of the Republican approach is that while it might save a few tax-dollars, it would de-stabilize the program and reduce or eliminate access to many seniors. Perhaps the solution is twofold: better policing of fraud and over-billing, and requesting that the top-earners in our country pay their fair share of taxes. I enjoy living in a country where we all pitch in to educate our children, build infrastructure, and care for the sick and elderly... but it only works if we all chip in. I think the Democrats' plan supports this, while the Republican platform seeks to protect the wealthy at great cost to our nation as a whole.

I think we have to research exactly what Romney and Obama are proposing, and not just listen to the TV ads. Medicare is not my concern as much as the fact that we live in a country that will deliver a baby entirely except for the head and then stick an instrument in the back of the head and kill the baby (partial birth abortion). And this is legal. What in the world has happened to our country? How can we vote for people in authority that agree with this insanity? Medicare is a problem, but that issue doesn't compare with a human life, an innocent baby. How tragic. If we get politicians in there that respect human life, I think they will also try their best to do what's right for all people in all situations ... hopefully. That's my 2 cents. :-)

In NO WAY will I ever vote for this Republican agenda made by fat cats who have NO care for anyone who doesn't believe in the US governemnt privatising medical care, whether it is medicare or the rights of a woman -or a man for that fact, to have control over personal medical decsions. Guess who will have financial interests in the private medicare type plans that will be developed if the Republican get into office. You got it, it will be the Romneys and the Kochs...ready to jump and make more money while the voters will not be able to afford enough coverage. The middle class is being pushed to accept a lower standard of medical care without a care, as Romney is obviously out of touch with elders' or women's needs. He may hug all the senior citizens he wants in a well funded campaign, but where is he in the inner city? Does he really care about the middle class? I haven't seen it. Shouldn't that money go for education of the public to know preventative health care and medicare and not endless private finding by the Koch brothers to set their Republican agenda so they can keep their millions? By the way, here in New England, we think Romney is joke since the health care program here was partially implemented by him. What a hypocrit!

absolutely not .Every single lie that i hear from the democrats just emboldens me to see through their fear tactics.It is time for both parties to realize that it's our money !

I am disappointed in the inability of government to see the problems and find the solutions. No point in "blaming", that does nothing positive. Let us VOTE and DEMAND that real progress be made on better healthcare for all, paid for by ALL, and not making exceptions for the wealthy and powerful because they are wealthy and powerful. States may need to take the lead if Wash DC cannot. Citizens must SPEAK OUT!

We all have preexisting conditions, sometimes known and sometimes unknown. They are in our genes. And many of us live with the potential financial devastation of a long term illness. It's a fear not possessed by those in countries with health benefits provided by the government, such as the UK and Israel. It's not surprising that in those countries the cost of health protection is lower than in the US. Insurance companies exist to make money, not pay out claims. My vote will be decided by this major issue.

I'm worried. I saw in the last election how seniors were manipulated into holding town meetings and protests against "socialized medicine." How can anyone who is benefitting from Medicare be against socialized medicine? Medicare IS socialized medicine! That made it shockingly clear to me that it is easy to make people vote against themselves. Cloud the real issues affecting them with 'hot button' non-issues (like gay marriage, abortion, etc.) and you can lead them like sheep, right off the cliff.
Medicare has never been more important than right now. Companies have largely abandoned their retirees to their own devices. We have the largest demographic in the country about to enter their golden years, many pensionless and with insufficient savings and many without health insurance. Imagine what this country will be like when the baby boomers are retiring in record numbers and they have no health coverage. The politicians won't be able to frighten them out of their vote with nonsense about 'death panels' when they'll see people dropping dead from simple, treatable conditions.
I think the only way to turn things around is for citizens to be as self-serving as politicians. The middle class is still the largest class and if they voted to improve their own lot, the whole country would benefit. Ironically, the rich would benefit the most. The thing that many politicians don't seem to get is that if the middle class can't afford to buy things, nothing else really matters. The economy literally cannot improve. I actually felt for Romney when he was lambasted for saying "I don't care about the poor." Obviously, it was a major gaff as a statement, but I know what he meant. There will always be poor people, we must have a sufficient safety net, but you don't set economic policy around the poor because they have so little buying power. I believe that's what he meant. What he would never say is that the rich don't matter either. Despite their stockpiles of money, their buying power is miniscule when compared to the middle class. As a class, they don't create jobs and their numbers are so small, they don't buy enough stuff to keep the economy going. They can afford private insurance or even private pay, so they aren't a consideration in that debate either.
Medicare is a real voting issue for me this time around. I'd vote for a candidate who's not going to address it at all before I'll vote for someone who I know will make moves to privatize it. That would be a disaster of epic proportions. The people who use it now or who will use it in the future need to vote to protect it.

We focus so much on the presidential election. The most important elections, really, are for the Congress. It is strange how states can elect the same people year after year, then expect things to change. Bills have to pass the floors of both chambers of Congress before getting to the President. If something doesn't make it through Congress, it won't happen.

I live in a state right now that there is only one issue that decides if candidates win or lose -- pro life vs choice. A candidate can be a total money-grubbing thug, but if he/she says they are pro-life they will win the majority of votes in the state.

On the personal side -- I don't know what we would have done without Medicare for my parents. The cost of insurance is very high. I am self-employed, so pay a good bit every month for basic coverage. It doesn't matter if I have a good month or bad month in sales, the insurance payment rolls around every month. I pay it because I know the health care system will wipe me out financially for the rest of my life if something were to happen. Isn't it sad that we have gotten this frightened of the devastation that the health care system can cause with its high cost. Would I want to lose the security of Medicare as I get older? Of course not, and no one is going to convince me to vote against my own best interest.

So many of the messages here remind me of the viral emails that are forwarded by elderly people. My ex used to get all these hate messages every day. It turned him very bitter. I don't know why people believe all that garbage. These emails are started by people in the parties, then sent out to enrage people against the other party. Viral emails are effective for the elderly population. Not so much for the younger people, since it is socially unacceptable for them to forward emails like this. Kudos to the young people for this. It stops the chain of hate and bitterness.

My only question when I vote is who is looking out for my best interest in the upcoming years. Medicare and social security are currently top on my list, because I am 60 years old, and my retirement savings are looking smaller as the cost of living keeps going up, the mutual fund market stagnates, and the bank interest rates plummet. And I have to ask myself if I am a poor person or a rich person. I will pay particular interest to Congress, but it won't really matter. The only thing that will determine the majority vote in the state is the pro life or choice issue.

for those who are experiencing trouble finding doctors who will accept medicare, I can only image it will be worse under a voucher plan, especially if you are not in the same class as Ryan's mother who is apparently wealthy. wintering in her 2nd Lauderdale-by-the Sea florida home. Just like there are some doctors now who have created concierge medicine where they charge patients a set annual fee to get "extra special treatment" and although they silll take medicare, how many seniors can pay their extra fees which now are about $600 to $5000 depending on the dr. and that's just an annual fee to get special access, like the dr's cell phone and priority appointment. . So I envision doctors only pariticpating in those better insurance programs that the wealthy will be able to afford, taking their govt voucher and supplementing it with their own money and leaving the middle classes and lowers with Medicaid type of Medicare options where it is almost impossible to find a dr, ,much less a good one.

Some of these posts lead me to another issue I've been thinking about lately. I wonder if anyone has 'run the numbers' on the solvency of Medicare and Social Security if there was an asset requirement to collect. Years ago, I was at a kids' sports function at a swanky golf club and there were three older men chatting at the table next to me. They had just finished talking about their recent travels (one on a month-long trip to Asia and the other who'd rented a yacht and sailed around the the French Riviera). That gave me a rough idea of the status of their finances. They then started talking about Social Security. One mentioned that he sets aside his check for his car lease payment and that the size of the check determined the car he leases. Meanwhile, my grandmother was struggling to live on her $900 social security check.
Why does everybody get a Social Security? Why does everybody get Medicare? Shouldn't those programs, like welfare and food stamps, be for those who need help? Don't try the argument that "I paid into it, I should collect from it." That doesn't hold water. The taxes you pay aren't a personal savings account.
Why, if I retire with millions of dollars in the bank, do I get to collect from a social welfare program that was intended as a safety net for those in need? I think it's time to implement an asset test for those applying for Medicare and Social Security.

Social security is in good shape as far as the numbers. The trouble is that much of the fund is in treasury notes and bills -- the result of the government borrowing from SS to put in the general fund. If SS were to have to call in all the notes, it would be terrible for the general fund. The bad thing is that the government starting borrowing from SS during Reagan's administration and has yet to repay it all. A large part of our national debt is owed to SS, a major holder of Treasury notes.

BTW, the borrowing wasn't all during Reagan. The fund has been repeatedly used as a lender. We were starting to pay some back in the 90s, but I don't know how much has been paid back (or borrowed in addition) since then.

Well, the question will be moot if Obama is re-elected. The Administration has said, Medicare will go broke in a very few years and we won't have to decide if the other party could have done something to preserve some of it or set up an alternate system to at least help.
The top 1% is paying 80% now and soon the % of people 'receiving' will exceed the % of people. 'available to 'give'. What happens then? GOD help us.