Daily Kos

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  •  Well, Medicaid is bloated (none / 1)

    And I think it is ridiculous to spend so much money on old people when young people don't have health care, don't have good public transit, have crumbling schools, and almost zero dollars are being put into renewable energy sources.

    Of course, I support Social Security and Medicaid/Medicare, but no one is gonna tell me that those programs don't have billions in waste and fraud and inefficiency. With Medicaid alone, I'm sure you could save ten billion by going after doctors who overcharge, charge for unnecessary procedures, or steal from the system in other ways.

    Spending on Medicaid is gonna skyrocket over the next few decades.  On behalf of young working folk, I think keeping the costs in check is a good thing. Which is part of why I strongly opposed the Medicare prescription drug plan. It's a nice idea, but 50 million people under 25 have zero health care. I think the latter is a bigger priority.

    Old Man McCain.com - the best anti-McCain blog on the web!

    by existenz on Sat Jul 09, 2005 at 10:05:11 PM PDT

    •  Medicaid covers many children (none / 0)

      In general, I agree that children get fewer federal dollars from almost any entitlement program that is available to both children and adults. My concern is not that Medicaid should be left untouched. My concern is that Medicaid cuts will be proposed very quickly, passed on voice votes, with little public discussion. Cuts will be fashioned to appeal to the voting constituencies of the Republic party, which does not include many poor families.

      The reality is that 1) children, compared to retired persons eligible for Medicare (and their adult children) do not vote. 2) Children's parents, by and large, do not vote in proportion to their numbers in the voting age population, and 3) They are much less important and easily written off by a lot of politicians.

      by Kidspeak on Sat Jul 09, 2005 at 10:39:09 PM PDT

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    •  Goof, I ate my agreement with you! (none / 0)

      Sorry, I killed my first paragraph, which agreed with you almost entirely!

      You have an excellent point. Medicare is bloated, and the regulations work against sensible care policies for the elderly in many instances. However, I do not trust medical savings accounts to deal with long term care for the poor, especially, whether they are children or older adults.

      And the drug plans are straightforwardly hand-in-glove with Big Pharma, if they are turned over to Medicare.  

      by Kidspeak on Sat Jul 09, 2005 at 10:42:24 PM PDT

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    •  You're only young a while, but ... (none / 0)

      you're old a long time. At least, if you're lucky enough to have health care. I hate to see generations pitted against each other. We must preserve the social contract between all Americans that ensures that those who can, help others while they can. We all need help sooner or later. Think what a rediretion of the Bush tax cuts and the funds for  War for Haliburton Indepence could do for health care. Not to mention the Big Pharma mess.
      They enemy is not the old or young, it is the greedy and selfish.

      aka Teach313

      by GKMscot on Sun Jul 10, 2005 at 03:56:58 AM PDT

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