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

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?

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.

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.

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..

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

Could we stick to the Medicare issue here, please?

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

Woo, now I see what you mean, Brandywine1949.

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.

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

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.

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.

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 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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.