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EDITOR:
I’m in big trouble. Mitt Romney has chosen for his running mate Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin. You remember him? He’s Chairman of the House Budget Committee. He’s the guy that wants to end “Medicare as we know it.” He wants to replace it with a voucher system. You take your voucher to an insurance company and apply for medical insurance.
I am 76 years old and I have cancer. There is not an insurance company on this planet that is going to insure me. I am considered extremely high risk. On top of that, Mr. Romney promises, that on his first day in office he will repeal the Affordable Health Care Act (what he calls “Obamacare”).
The AHC Act allows me to keep my Medicare health benefits because it prohibits insurance companies from denying or canceling health care benefits due to a pre-existing condition. If these guys get elected I’m a dead duck.
You know what you can do with your voucher? Stick it where the sun doesn’t shine. Please, all of you politicians, keep your cotton-pickin’ hands off of my Medicare.
HARRY ZELINKA
Diamond Springs
The Mountain Democrat does not necessarily condone the comments here, nor does it review every post. Read our full policy
marjorieAugust 13, 2012 - 11:52 am
Oh, Henry, Henry, Henry!! Let me make it very simple for you - Ryan's plan won't have any effect on you whatsoever!! NONE!!! It will affect those under 55, Henry!! You passed that milestone almot 20 years ago, Henry!! So try actually READING what Ryan's plan intails, instead of having 'boogie men' giving you their version of the 'facts'. OK, Henry? Feeling a bit better now???
DarrinAugust 13, 2012 - 12:09 pm
Looks like Marjorie needs write her comments to the correct person. Not sure who this Henry is, but Harry is right. Regardless of your age, if you lose coverage, you are at risk of not getting insurance with another company because of a pre-existing condition. American Citizens need health care and fast. The US spends more per capita than ALL other civilized nations yet has the most with out health insurance.
TerryAugust 15, 2012 - 8:29 pm
Marjorie is correct. Ryan has stated categorically that his plan does not impact individuals over the age of 55. I also believe that there is a law in CA stating that if you have insurance and change providers (within time limits), that the previous insurer must issue a certificate of continuous coverage which the new insurer must honor thus waving any preexisting conditions. My company has changed providers several times and we have always gotten these letters which are then forwarded to the new insurer.
James E.August 15, 2012 - 9:11 pm
Terry, have you ever phased an operation? First, you change Medicare for those under 55 to a voucher system. When that phase is completed, you begin phase two: Hey, those under 55 have vouchers, why are those over 55 not getting them too? What makes those over 55 so special? Young against old -- soon those over 55 are also getting vouchers and Medicare is destroyed and health insurance companies enriched.
TerryAugust 15, 2012 - 9:27 pm
Col., Is that like ObamaCare? Make private insurance so expensive and untenable that single payer looks like a savior. So I gather you would rather talk about the scare factors rather than the actual details of the competing plans. That makes for good intelligent decision making.
James E.August 15, 2012 - 9:48 pm
Terry, does Obamacare make private insurance so expensive and untenable that single payer looks like a savior? Educate me on that that works? And, I hope it's so.
James E.August 15, 2012 - 9:50 pm
*** Educate me on how that works?
TerryAugust 15, 2012 - 10:03 pm
James, we have discussed this before. A substantial portion of my income goes towards healthcare. Next year, that portion will increase despite having good private insurance. That is because the medical deduction threshhold is going from 7.5% to 10%. Medical devices will now have new taxes on them which will either mean that new technology will not be implemented as quickly or providers will increase prices. There is a new sales tax on home sales also. The list goes on. Anyone who thinks ObamaCare will reduce costs is dreaming. If the draconian cuts in provider fees are implemented, many doctors especially of the boomer generation will just retire or go to a cash only basis. So after the first few years of seeming success, the system will become financially untenable and come crashing down. Then the only savior will be a complete government takeover. Since you have been using government services all your adult life, nothing will change for you. God help the rest of us.
James E.August 15, 2012 - 10:59 pm
Terry, as I said before I hope it's so -- Medicare for All as soon as possible. Put health insurance companies out of business ASAP.
REPEALAugust 16, 2012 - 6:45 am
James E. - What would it take to "put health insurance companies out of business??
about thatAugust 16, 2012 - 7:50 am
Current seniors would be impacted by the Ryan plan. Medicaid provides the final safety net for most seniors who become chronically ill in old age. After they burn through all of their assets and family assistance, seniors end up in nursing homes on Medicaid. If you haven't noticed, Ryan also gets rid of Medicaid as we know it, by cutting spending sharply (and soon) and block granting to states. Best would be a single payer system ....
James E.August 16, 2012 - 10:24 am
Mr./Ms. Repeal, what would it take? Medicare for All. And, Mr./Ms. About That, brings up the excellent point of all those who are, or will be, in nursing homes on Medicaid. The DNC must flood America with the nursing home/Medicaid facts so Senior America will know what they are voting for -- Ryan certainly isn't leaving those over 55 in safe harbor.
Jack MartinAugust 16, 2012 - 10:28 am
Just stop the lies. FactCheck.org gives a nice summary of Ryan's 2012 plan. And FWIW, FactCheck is primarily funded by Annenberg, which actually has a loose affiliation with Progressive bazillionaire (and Obama supporter) George Soros. So don't give me any stink about it being a right wing organization. Here's a summary of the facts. For seniors who are now in Medicare, nothing changes. They can stay with the traditional program as it is. Beginning in 2023, 65-year-olds would have their choice of insurance plans — private and traditional — on a new Medicare exchange. A premium-support payment, like a subsidy, would be sent to the plan of their choice. If the chosen plan costs more than the premium-support, the senior would pay the difference. The Medicare eligibility age would be slowly raised to 67 by 2034. All plans on the Medicare exchange would offer a base level of benefits, and they would be regulated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The premium-support payments would be tied to the second-cheapest plan, which can’t grow more than gross domestic product plus 0.5 percentage points. If the cost does grow faster, Congress would be required to step in and take some action to keep costs down. Full report here: http://www.factcheck.org/2012/07/no-end-to-end-medicare-claim/
about thatAugust 16, 2012 - 11:09 am
Ryan's Medicare plan, which, as Mr. Martin found on FactCheck, would shift future retirees to private insurance, would phase in over a decade or more. The Medicaid changes would come much more rapidly. The proposal has not been fleshed out, leaving many unanswered questions. Not only seniors in nursing homes, but those who get kidney dialysis might want to find out about their coverage under the Ryan plan before voting.
Kirk MacKenzieAugust 16, 2012 - 12:54 pm
Mr Martin -- "Premium Support" is just a fancy term for "subsidy". As free market zealots, we both know what happens when government subsidies artificially inflate demand -- prices will rise to absorb the extra cash and reach equilibrium at roughly the starting point plus the subsidy. Correct?
James E.August 16, 2012 - 2:31 pm
Mr. MacKenzie, exactly.