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

PunchNJudy: why don't you tell us what part of the triple R plan (Romney, Ryan, Republicans) that will do anything for the economy (other than the wealthy who live off of investments, like Ryan's mother with her Medicare safety net, 2nd winter home valued at almost one half million). Don't forget that it was 8 years of Bush who put us into this mess, with costly wars, no bank regulation, etc. Under the triple R agenda, which is against birth control and any abortions, against gun control of any kind, against increasing taxes on those who can afford to be increased, against govt programs that help the midddle and lower income, this society is going to turn into one with endless unwanted children, increasing the burden on states to care for them, including when they are abused or neglected, including increasing costs for the court system where they end up either as victims or juvenile and adult offenders due to lack of care as children. More mass klllings of our neighbors by our neighbors due to unregulated guns and ammunition available. Cuts in Medicaid, which families of the elderly and disabled who can not afford private care and have to work or who can't care for them at home have to leave them to substandard, unregulated nursing homes and assisted living facilities. I want to see more government programs like training for home health aides and day care centers which will support small business people who are creating businesses that help their community while they help themselves. Programs for the young in trades who in turn can during their appreticeship, work on projects in their community. Tax cuts for the wealthy do nothing but enable people like Ryan's mother to buy a more expensive health insurance plan along with her govt voucher hard working young taxpayers are going to be paying for while being told, sorry if you are under 55 you might be left to the priviate health insurance industry when you reach Ryan's mother's age.

Yeah...you 'keep hearing' things to make you distrust Romney, but you somehow miss the last approx. 4 yrs. of broken promises, out and out lies and the clear fact that obama wants to turn this country into the United Socialist States of Americal. Somehow THAT eludes you and you 'trust' what we have for another 4 yrs. It is remarkable.

What is a smoke screen and is shocking are all the lies I keep hearing from Romney. It's apalling! I just don't trust him!

Does that mean the premium going to be sky rocketed because someone has a pre-condition with the Obama plan? I pay a high premium because it only one that offer a little more selective speicalize physician which I need for my health. Yet, it will not pay much for name-brand medication vs generic n I understand why but, I cannot take one of them in generic form for its too risky for my health. Yet, I still pay a very high price for that particular prescriptionbecause without it I will die. They really need to tackle problems like this too.

PS If you pay attention really closely you will see that all of this is a smokescreen, this focus on Medicare--designed to take you off topic and the crisis that is the economy, joblessness, the ever growing debt, the downgrade to our credit rating, the housing crisis, etc. etc. etc. and the fact that 4 more years of this administration is going to bring us to our knees. You won't have to be focusing on Medicare by the time Mr. Obama accomplishes his agenda to destroy the U.S.A. that he hates so much. You voted in an anti-American, whether you believe it or not and one that does not give one damn about any of us. You better pay real attention to that fact and get rid of the animosity for the "other party." Like the old saying goes "you ain't seen nuthin' yet."

A very interesting tidbit on the news the other day that caught my ear and that is if Republicans were truly interested in destroying Medicare, they could have done that already--they have been saying this about Republicans for so many years, I lost count. In fact, if this were a truism, think of all the opportunities over the past years they could have done just that. Hasn't happened, though, now has it? This tactic of twisting the facts and 'Medi-scare' will be hard and heavy for the next two months. Demonizing the opposition is rampant. The onus is on the people to find reputable websites and do their due diligence in seeing exactly where the candidates stand on the issues. Americans already bought a bunch of lies hook, line and sinker and if honest with oneself, it simply cannot be denied.

I find the irony in some of these arguments quite scary. On the one hand, they argue that under a "free communist" medical care system, that people will abuse the system and overuse it. Then on the other hand, they argue, Obama wants death panels and non medical people who tell you when and for what you get treatment. VickiG it sounds like you support such panels to prevent "those other people, not you of course" from going to the dr whenever they think they need to. And they want to keep "their" Medicare untouched, when many who are getting medical care today under Medicare have never paid into the system what they are getting out of it (or to clarify, doctors, hospitals, and nursing homes are getting the money, recipients are getting the "care". Basically, these people, who actually pretend they paid for medicare are getting really close to free medical care, so are they saying Medicare is a communist system?
So, exactly what do you want, a system that let you personally, for a small percentage contribution overall to get whatever care you think you should get but you want to deny others access to the same care (who didn't pay their "share") and you don't care if in the future the changes that you think will perserve your care system will leave them without the same care when they need it?
And, it's ok to have panels for that "other guy" but not for you?

VickiG...I think the key to the story you read is "free healthcare in a communist country". You shouldn't try to make comparisons with that country or their health care system because the USA is not communist (the docs here don't work for the govt.) and the healthcare won't be free.

Actually, a better comparison is here in the U.S....the state of Massachusetts, where a very similar plan as The Affordable Care Act has been in place since 2006. It is referred to as...RomneyCare.

Americans spend twice as much as residents of other developed countries on healthcare, but get lower quality, less efficiency and have the least equitable system, according to a nonprofit study. The United States ranked last when compared to six other countries -- Britain, Canada, Germany, Netherlands, Australia and New Zealand. I think it’s time for “Obamacare”.

I read an AP article in the newspaper about free healthcare in a communist country. With people thinking it is their inalienable right to free healthcare, they end up going to a doctor every time they sneeze. They demand medical tests, medication (sometimes for their personal stash),etc. and when the doctors don't meet their demands, they get hostile and aggressive. The doctors bow to their demands because they get no respect and fear consequences. The hospitals and medical offices are in poor repair with peeling paint, etc. The $$$ for medical care has dwindled and now the country is cutting back on medical care.
It is a frightening situation when services are free.

Consistent with what I've been writing here all along...if Medicare, or any issue, will be deciding factors for how they vote, people should seek out info on the topic from: A) Independent sources (don't have a close connection to either party, or anything to gain) Or, if you don't know who that is or how to find them...B) watch/read a variety of diverse sources and compare details.

Wall Street Journal (right leaning) is not independent or unbiased in their views, nor is MSNBC (left leaning). So, in trying to find a balance...perhaps voters could get info from both and weigh the details. But, only watching a source from one side of the spectrum does tend to influence people's thinking...on both sides.

Blackandwhite, you are delusional. Stop watching MSNBC and pick up a Wall Street Journal once in a while. Maybe then you will have a better understanding of how Obamacare is destroying medicare.

If anyone is interested, there are some newspapers starting to write stories about boths sides Medicare plans. If you do a search you will find at least these two
Palm Beach Post: medicare truths elude both sides

Los Angeles Times: The Medicare feud explained: both sides would cut but GOP more

Has anyone seen any other articles trying to cut through to the facts?

I just want to remind ever one that the republican's did not want Medicare to ever start they fought it for years .So they still try to screw it up now they want to be over and feel like they are better than every one else and alway's have have weighted them self's that way

At least the Democratic Party came up with a plan. There are so few companies that offer their employees group insurance. I think it’s a good plan, especially for all the Americans who do not have insurance, or can't afford insurance. My husband and I are self-employed, and have two children in college. We pay a fortunate of insurance that is little more catastrophic. My husband has had skin cancer, and it won’t cover it because it’s pre-existing. With Obamacare his insurance will now be “forced” to cover it.

When all of Congress and Washington, INCLUDING the President AND his Family is mandated to use the EXACT SAME INSURANCE PLAN as the rest of America and be SUBJECT to the same LAWS with NO EXCEPTIONS, then I might believe that it's a decent plan. But none of the above is ever going to happen. they all have special 'Golden' plans. And from the investigations done lately, do not have to abide by the same Laws we do.

I agree!

2much, you hit it right on that, "Onlyl when we demand of our politicians (all parties) that we want decent programs and will pay our share but we want something in return (no waste, no loopholes for the rich), etc."

But RachelDevin and waddle1, I agree it would be nice if all drs were free to make decisions with their patients but again in the world of realilty, all drs are not perfect in that many drs or their staffs were taking kickbacks (money, trips, etc) to prescribe certain drugs to their patients, in some cases not needed or cheaper ones would do. We have drs who perform unnecessary tests and even operations. Some drs have investments in certain drug or other medical device companies. So we need watchdogs all around, watchdogs for the govt, watchdogs for the insurance cos and watchdogs for the medical profession. What I fail to understand and I'm not a religious person, but doesn't everyone realize they are a consumer or someone in their family is a consumer of the health care business and if you behave unethically or deny others the same care you would want or impose your religious morals on people , some day you will find yourself in that situation or someone in your family you care about and you will wish you had done something to improve, not cause or aggravate the misery of others. so i guess my answer to the question, who took my country away from me, is, we did it to ourselves, by remaining silent or not caring about others as much as we care about things and the politicians have played into this by pitting us against each other. I think someone posted that today, you contact an elected official and you get a form letter back. I remember you used to get a real reply. They don't have to worry about us, b/c now they benefit from unlilmited funding from corporations, thanks to the recent Supreme Court decision. So millions are being spent on these ads that don't address our little caregiver problems and lives other than trying to scare us.

RachelDevin...I couldn't agree with you more. I too have had too many bad experiences with insurance companies. I won't go into detail here but it was obvious they had the power to call the shots and did exactly that. Why? I've come to the conclusion...because they can. I think most people, whom belong via their employment, to a group insurance plan and therefore have very little, if any, contact directly with their provider, doesn't realize how bad the cost and demands & performance of the insurance companies can be. What a surprise and a rude awakening it would be if more consumers lost their jobs and their insurance and had to seek it out as an individual. IMO many health insurance companies, along with pharmaceuticals, are the cause of our skyrocketing health care costs and it is actually them that could be considered "death panels". It's already happening and has nothing to do with the Affordable Care Act. That law, when fully implemented, hopefully will reign-in insurance companies so that they can no longer run amuck and therefore will return the control of our health care to us...the way it should be.

I wish the answer were as easy as just saying, "I'm going to vote for Obama or Romney." The truth is we have a check and balance system in this country and no matter what the president wants, the House and Senate have to agree. The problem isn't the president, whomever he will be. The problem is insurance companies who want to maintain a hold on our very lives, by charging those of us in the USA more than they charge citizens in other countries. My daughter is a doctor, a pediatrician, and she has a list on the wall of her office of what she can and cannot prescribe, depending on the insurance company. Doctors need to be free to practice medicine. As for surgeries for the elderly, that too should be decided by the doctor and the patient together. Medical schools need to open their doors, so there will be more doctors. There is so much more I can say. The whole situation sickens me. I am an American and I love my country. Who took it away from me?

"An obvious problem and that's what the focus should be, not removal of healthcare but removal of unnecessary costs. Both politial parties should rally to this..."---AlanRBingham

I agree with you. Not sure if you're speaking of unnecessary costs as in doctors calling for tests, drugs etc. that may not be needed or if you're thinking of profit margins, fraud, unnecessary fees etc. But, one of the comparison points between the Romney/Ryan medicare plan and the Obama medicare plan is what each camp wants to do with the $700-billion that both sides include in their medicare plans. While the R&R plan would pull that money from beneficiaries (the people) to help pay for the plan, the Obama plan pulls that money from providers to reduce costs and fraud etc. I say this not for controversy but for clarity...unlike the misleading explanation that R&R is saying about the Obama plan (to "help pay for Obamacare"), the Obama medicare plan pulls that $700-billion from providers, such as insurance company subsidies, to reduce/eliminate waste & fraud and therefore cut costs for health care, which is part of the endeavor of The Affordable Care Act.

Details can be found at this site by clicking the dark blue box in the upper right corner..."Caregiver Election Guide."

If this is truly the land of the free, and we cherish individual freedom as a baseline implicit right, then a woman should have the right to choose in the issue of abortion and contraception. Its called freedom of choice and its what we all say we want, ye tthere are those who would deny a woman this fundamental right. Whether you are pro-life or not is irrelevant if you support individual right to choose - you make your decision and respect the right of others to do likewise without enforcing a different agenda.
The role of government is largely the protection of its citizens - viz the military, coast guard, border protection, police, immigration, etc. Protection of citizens easily includes the protection of their rights and health, and that's where Medicare and Medicaid kick in. They protect the right to live of the citizens who do not have the financial resources to buy that protection in this market. And this market is characterized by having an insurance intermediary issue where the costs per capita are nearly 3 times the next most expensive country but ranks only 47 in WHO outcomes. An obvious problem and that's what the focus should be, not removal of healthcare but removal of unnecessary costs. Both politial parties should rally to this, and I also vote fpr the persona and am a member of neither party. I just want to see fair and evn freedom and healthcare

bbrady----I will see to it that you are on my Prayer List. We need all the supporting friends that can find in these 'desparate times'

There wasn't even an affordable medical plan/option for most people before Obamacare. Medical care has been a long going problem and one that the Republican Party ignored until President Obama came up with his plan. It will be the insurance companies that will benefit from the Ryan plan.

playgrandma, but who will benefit from the Ryan plan? What good is boasting about having a business, making yourself a lot of money, even creating jobs when you don't pay your employees a living wage and don't give them health insurance. The home health aide businss is a perfect example, most of them don't provide insurance, treat them as independent contractors, don't give them sick days or holidays. And these are the people we rely on to help us care for our children and our parents. I respect President Obama for recognizing them health care access is a need for all and for pushing to get some program, maybe not perfect implemented. And likeamother, I know what it if like to have medicare deny some drug or some equipment (for example, they won't pay for a pressure cushiion in a wheelchair to prevent bedsores but will pay if the patient has or has had them - no preventative care), but I don't think you can blame Obama for that. I think you might find the same or worse coversage with a private health insurance program. I know b/c I have one from my work. And with the voucher program proposed by the R ticket, as I said before, those who can take the govt voucher hand out and run and have funds to suppplement a more expensive health insurance policy will benefit and the rest will suffer. And those with the more expensive choice will find themselves with increaasing premiums anyway. I see this in home insurance in my state. They don't care if you didn't make claims or have been paying for years, they will find a way to increase your rates or deny your claims should you ever make them. Onlyl when we demand of our politicians (all parties) that we want decent programs and will pay our share but we want something in return (no waste, no loopholes for the rich), etc. will we really benefit from the political process. Otherwise, as IsntEasy pointed out, they will play us with their hot button issues to manipulate us to put them into office.

and there will be somethings not so good

I couldnt believe this question was even presented to the forum. Of course you are going to very diivided answers.. With anything there are good things and not so good-you know like you can make some of the people happy some of time but none of the people all of the time. I have seen benifts from obamacare and no doubt there will be benifits from the ryan plan.

Excellent point Johnny T.

As I said the Republicans have no business getting involved with some thing they have been against ever since it started they are in experienced and arrogant and don't know what it is about except that it cost money money that they pay very little of and are against from the beginning
Johnny T.