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Patriot Update

Medicare Eligibility Age Needs to Rise to 67, Health Chief Executives Say

Thursday, September 15, 2011

A congressional panel negotiating U.S. spending cuts should raise the age when people become eligible for Medicare to 67 from 65, a group representing health-care chief executives said today.

The Washington-based Healthcare Leadership Council included the recommendation in four proposals it said would save $410 billion in a decade, along with having private health plans to cover additional Medicare recipients and make people earning more than $150,000 pay for the full cost of the program’s premiums. Pfizer Inc. (PFE) and Merck & Co., the two largest U.S. drugmakers by revenue, are members of the council.

Medicare, the U.S. health program for the elderly and disabled, currently covers 47 million people and spends $519 billion a year, according to the Menlo Park, California-based Kasier Family Foundation.

The program is a prime target for the debt panel, which is made up of six lawmakers from each party. Unless members reach a deal to cut $1.2 trillion from government spending, a mechanism will automatically trim 2 percent, or $123 billion, from the $6.1 trillion the U.S. is projected to spend on Medicare in coming years, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

Post Continues on www.bloomberg.com

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Hubcap

What needs to be done is to stop borrowing Trillions of dollars and giving it to the thugs at the unsustainable United Nations. Of all the obsolete organizations this one is at the top of those that serve no good purpose for anyone but the thugs that show up and the the other wimps who collect kickbacks.
patriot77

Meanwhile, the bottom feeders get their Medicaid at ANY age!! What we need is for more people to declare a “war on welfare”. Why is the discussion always on ways to save by somehow cutting social security or medicare (programs that were paid into by the beneficiaries), but never cutting welfare benefits? We, the people, need to start a campaign demanding lawmakers include the welfare state in their budget-balancing endeavors!! I, for one, have had it with attitude that the working, tax-paying citizen should shoulder all the pain and burden brought on by these irresponsible morons in DC!!
- Whackajig
  
  Many of the working, taxpaying citizens in the higher brackets are tired of supporting those who pay little or no tax.
  
  The top 1% of the workers who file a federal income tax return, pay 38.02% of all the federal income tax collected. The rich guys are carrying this nation, it is they who should be really pizzed. The top 10% pay almost 70% of the tax.
- Rex
  
  I think, anyone on welfare should have to take a blood test, to check for drugs or booz,food stamps should be for food only, no junk food. Anyone on unimployment should have to show writen proof that they are looking for work.
  - cheryl jessup
    
    That’s one of the reasons unemployment benefits should not be extended. about 50% of people on it will not look for work until it runs out. I know people on it who do side jobs for cash and claim they are living better now. These people will set home if they are paid to. Unemployment has just turned into another welfare probram
  - willowspring
    
    All they have to do is call in and TELL the employment office they are looking for work. There is almost universal fraud going on. I personally knew one person, my ex son-in-law who was out of work for almost two years so he could avoid paying child support. Another man claimed a back injury, but when the payments stopped after a number of years he got a job; he was supposedly “disabled.”
- willowspring
  
  Ronald Reagan said:
  “Welfare’s purpose should be to eliminate, as far as possible, the need for it’s own existence.”
Joe Mmm

You have that right. The fat cats have the gonads to tell SS and SSI recipiants that for the fourth year they don’t have a COLA coming then turn right around and vote themselves another $3,000 pay raise.I am getting sick and tired of the DC cats getting fat while my grocery bag keeps shrinking.
- http://gusry904@nctv.com G
  
  O.K. Now Is The Time For The Voters & Tea Party to tell Politicians That beginning in 2012, They Will Be On Social Security and Medicare Like The Rest of us. No More Elaborate salary structures. their pay Will Be Commensurate with the average U.S. Citizen, Then, Lets See What The Comments Are. and How Many Want To Spend Millions, Perhaps Billions To Get One Of Those Government Jobs. SEMPER FI.
http://none Carlos J. Negron

Raise The Medicare eligibility age to 67 and it is no longer a health care plan. Come on just like raising the retirement age raising the Medicare eligibility age is nothing more than putting make-up on an ugly face to make it presentable.
My suggestion is to have those who wish, reinvest the equivalent of what was their Medicare tax while working into the Medicare trust fund and be given an annual dividend plus the possibility of bequeathing BOTH on a TAX FREE basis.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SY63KTMrkTM Gas Passer

Illegals just walk across the border to get every thing for free. They need to wait for ten years before they get anything for free and it would be nice for the illegals wait until they are 67 before they see anything from Social Security and Medicare or how they’ve been getting free medical care.
- LadyLiberty
  
  Gas, very good idea…that should stop them from coming over here. Also, no more citizenship for anchor babies.
- dodi
  
  Gas Passer ~ to hell with the illegals waiting 10 years before they can come here and get a hand-out. They crossed the boarder to get it, make them cross it one more time and go home. We’re not only giving a handout of food stamps etc., we’re also giving them and education so the can get better jobs here and take those jobs away from those that are here legally! SEND THEM HOME NOW! They can come back when they are here legally!
  - 2martin2
    
    Make the border/river a practice bomb area for our military. Itll be a scary swim hole.
- Tom Stewart
  
  Right-On Gas Passer Finally You Hit The Nail On The Head All We Have To Do Is Convince The Illegals That When They Come Across The Border They Are Still Illegals And You Get “Zero Help”–Just Like If The USA Citizens End-Up In Mexico, “Zero Help”, Yikeess, God Bless America And The Tea Party Patriots With Sarah Palin.
Bryan Smith

Why don’t they just raise the age to 99. Then they could steal all the funds available (or not)and continue lining their pockets and petty projects for future days when there will be no one left alive to complain about misappropriations in Washington.
- GUEST ON THIS PLANET
  
  Except the politicians , welfare class and illegals will still be taken care of
Pitts

Leave Medicare at 65 like it is now. Make all the illegals wait 10 years before they can draw anything. Make all Congressional Pay Raises be approved by the vote of the people that they represent. No more of these secret pay raises that the general population doesn’t hear about until six months after they get their raises. The days of secret pay raises is over. You vote yourself a secret raise, come your election time, your disqualified from running for office again.

It’s time the “People Take Back Control”.
- LadyLiberty
  
  Pitts, I agree with you 100%. Leave the medicare age at 65; Obama took out 500 billion from medicare to pay for his new entitlement (ponzi scheme)Obamacare and now they want to raise the age to 67. NOT
- 2martin2
  
  I agree on the age 67. We’re living longer and more healthy, so put on a sliding scale.
  Age 64 gets MC and SS at 65 + 3 month. Age 63 gets MC & SS at 65 + 5 months. Age 63 gets MC/SS at 65 + 7 months…………etc. age 55 gets MC/SS at age 67. Or something on this type of plan.
am2sweet

We can think of it this way. If you’re anywhere close to retirement age or medicare age if they pass this anytime soon you’ll have yet another two years to wait. If you had say 3 years to wait anyway now you would have 5 years instead. During that 5 years we’d have to hope they didn’t decide to raise it yet again. That shows we need to have more say in what the government does rather than sit back letting them run things into the ground.
LadyLiberty

I’m with you Patriot77; something has to be done…and quick!!!
mark111

If I understand the Congressional payraise issue correctly, it is set up so the raise is automatic. They have to vote against giving themselves a raise. Wonder how many vote “absent” or “present” to avoid “voting for” their raise. That way they are automatically innocent of voting themselves a raise.
- cheryl jessup
  
  All politians should be paid by the hour. They should be like Tx and only convene twice a year for 2 months.
  - Byron
    
    Hi Cheryl, think about this. If it were not for Air Conditioning Congress would only meet when it was comfortable in DC.
Byron

I have a question. If Medicare is so great a program why do you have to purchase Medicare supplemental Insurance from a private company to cover what Medicare doesn’t cover? You pay about 100 buck a month to Medicare at 65 and about 25 bucks a month to private Insurance. Just before my Mom died she was in the Hospital for 3 days. Total bill $5000. Medicare paid $1000
private insurance paid the remaining $4000. So for $25, 80% of the bill was covered and for $100, 20% was paid. So why is Medicare so great?
- http://gusry904@nctv.com G
  
  Your Dollar Figures are wrong. Everyone except politicials are forced onto social security and Medicare @ Age 65, Here is What I Pay SS= $96.40, Blucross Med Suppl = 181.00, Med Part D = $94.80. That totals to $372.20 per month. also Your Payouts are not correct, Medicare Pays 80% private insurance pay 20% these payouts are based on a plan made up by Medicare about what is covered. The Plan isn’t too bad but there are strict rules you must follow, when you need doctor referals and items not covered. Etc. You Make It Sound like it in medicares favor it’s not it’s in the private insurance company’s favor the rate of plan payment annual increases are much greter by the private insurance co. and don’t worry every year they will come without fail. Cheers, You sound young well you have a lot to learn, Cheers SEMPER FI.
lyudmila

Just published in Boston Herald: “Romneycare” — has cost Massachusetts more than 18,000 jobs…see link here: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view/2011_0915report_romneycare_a_killer_study_finds_bay_state_lost_thousands_of_jobs/srvc=home&position=0
Report is produced by respected Beakon Hill Institute: http://www.beaconhill.org/BHIStudies/HCR-2011/BHIMassHealthCareEcon2011-0915.pdf
That is what potential candidate Romney did with jobs vs. his proclamation on job creation over 20 years as Venture Capitalist – none could even count how many he supposedly created…Do not think that even close to what was lost due to his efforts in only one state, Massachusetts with work force of about 2,5 Million people and only for the last 4 years…Thus, Obama is his student and we do not want such GOP candidate who mandated us MA residents to buy Health Insurance, but for some unclear reason claims that US citizens/residents should not be forces to buy…That is what politicians usually do…and Romney is such politician…Do not vote for such, please.
God help America to see that all through – the TRUTH will set us FREE. Return to Constitution and limited government that serves the People…
Bill

This is idiotic. Leave Medicare alone at 65. The cost for Private Medical insurance is so high, medicare is the only benefit thing I look forward to when i reach this age. I might have to struggle with savings and figure out how to survive on what little i will get from SS, but at least I can take the heavy weight of Medical Bill Destruction off my chest. Of course the drug companies want to extend it, because government tells them straight-up, we will only pay you this much for the drugs. They get move money from the Private Insurers.

Politicians, need to keep their fingers out of the medicare and social security pot. Take the 800 billion crappulous package and put it back in the SS/medical bank account and appoloigize to the American people for stealing from them. Then come after all the medicare/medicaid fruadsters. 75% of them will be cuban in South Florida (already proven fact so no need to roast me)
Byron

Sorry, took care of all moms finincial the last three years of her life. Still have all the documents. I rounded of the figures just for ease. $98.26 was deducted from her SS every month for medicare, $24.72 cents paid to Universal Health care through AARP. Last hospital bill was for $5012.22. Paid by Medicare $1001.06 less the $100 deductible which I paid when she was released the rest paid by Universal. Can only go by the documents I have in hand.
Carol

Due away with Medicare fraud and take illegals off Medicaid. When companies layoff older workers (sometimes over 50), what are they supposed to do until they are 67?
- Tom Stewart
  
  Right-On Carol If All Illegals And Only Illegals Get Off The Medicare List The USA Tax Payers Could Balance The Books At 62 Yrs, For Only USA Citizens With Plenty Of Social Security Funds Left-Over. God Bless America And The Tea Party Border Patrol Patriots.
willowspring

According to this article, Medicare currently covers 47 million people at the cost of $519 billion yearly. My question is, how much money is paid INTO Medicare by the people who are under the Medicare plan. It isn’t an entitlement as has been force fed to the American people, it is a paid insurance. When it is referred to as an entitlement, it is misleading. I feel since the age of retirement is or will be raised to 67 for Social Security, the age for Medicare should be as well. It will be harder for those who are not in good health, but there should be a stop gap measure in place for them. The cost analysis would give us a better understanding of the issue.
http://adrianvance.blogspot.com Adrian Vance

Social Security should be raised to that, or higher, as part of the plan to save it. We have to fix it or forget it. No other choices remain.

The Two Minute Conservative at http://adrianvance.blogspot.com has political analysis, science and humor. Daily on Kindle.
Wolf-Talker

Lets see, raise the age for Medicare from 65 to 97 the same for Social Security. That way the people who would normally be eligible will most likely die off before they could begin to take the money out of the national coffers.
Also raise the Social Security Tax to about the same as the current Income Tax rate (27 -30 %) then the money can come rolling in and then the politicians will have all the money.
Eric

People have paid into Social Security for our working lives. Medicare is agovt healthcare insurance plan that would start when people get SS. My SS kicks in at age 66 but I was laid off of FT job at 59 so now I am lucky to have a Part Time job that I need to pay the Medicare healthcare insurance until I reach 65. My healthcare COBRA for wife & I is $928mo + $1500 deductible each so about $14,000 year. That is hard for most people to pay. Unless you worked somewhere for 25 years or are retired govt employee with healthcare most oif us have to get another job for the healthcare. I understand the rational about raising the Mcare age to 67 cause they raised Soc Sec but as most people get in their 60′s that’s when they need the healthcare benefits. With age comes illness.
- Tom Stewart
  
  Right-On Eric As A Senior Living On The Arizona Border, If You Could See The Abuse Of Benifits To ALL Illegals, Yikeess, Once They Get Into The System It Never Ends Freebies For Everything From Medical, Schooling, Free Lunches, Free Rent, Free EBT Cards Per Person, These Illegals Live Better Than Retired US Citizens. Plus These Illegals Lie And I Was Told By My Clerk That We Can Not Say Anything, Because That Is Job Security For Our Office, Yikeess, There Is Something Rotten In Medicare. God Bless America And The Tea Party Patriots.
- Carolyn
  
  Eric what has happened to the medicare system is that anyone after being on ssi for two years will automaticaly get medicare which means people who did drugs or alcohol or people who are fakeing sickness are home free. Also if you can’t pay your medicare premium it will be paid for you by your state. Medicare was meant for the retired people. Their is a difference between medicare and medicaid, one is state the other is goverment. The reason they have to raise the age is because of all that are now on Social Security Disability.And most are fake sickness. Check out most of these people they can’t work but can do everything else they want to do.
http://espionageaction-actionadventure.blogspot.com stephen russell

Raise age to 70, 71 Min OK.
Does that cover all.
CUT Medicatre bureaucracy alone for funding.
Automate processes, systems.
Save MDs & patients time OK.
Lou

Sick at 65 die at 66 before you can collect benifits. Obama causes you to lose your job at 63 no medical till 67 your a dead man before 67
Doloresk

some companys have mandatory retirement at age 65. Why 65? so you would be eligible for Social Security because the company does not offer any retirement benefits. Also I can’t even buy medical coveage from/thru the company rate after retirement. So what do we for 2 years?
Dave

Yeah Right just more screws to sfaft the working men and women! I work and have no insurance as can not afford it working the low hours I work but due to health problems I can not work the 60 70 hours a week I need to get by so have tolive woth the pain and go to the Va clinic but can not even go to the va hospital as can not afford to do that even , but meanwhile the trash that sets on welfare gen after gen and keeps popping out kids and all they get everything! STOP THE WELFARE not shaft the working men and womne but I forget the govt would rather give to other countries and the lazy bums that bleed the systen than do the right thing! The constition should read we the govt out to screw the working class and to well I won’t say it!We work our butts off so the welfare can have new cars and everthing What is wrong with the picture there? while we struggle to get by.
mari

I remember when SS and medicare monies were to be put in a LOCK BOX, never to be touched by polititian hands. If that Lock Box didn’t have a trap door and wasn’t used as a slush fund, I don’t think that we would be having this discussion. So I was forced to pay into these systems, with the guarantee that the government would be a much better nanny than I would and now the nanny is set for life and I will be hung out to dry (or die as the case may be).
Thank God that Obamacare will be different. We will also be forced to pay into it and the government will once again be the nanny, but it will somehow, miraculously turn out differently…Oh d@mn, we’re ALL screwed, now!!!
http://patroitupdate doc4977

get illegal immigrants out of this country,they shouldnt get free healthcare while we have to pay for it. also the immighants that come here and get on welfare with their greencards and work visas, why is this allowed? stealing from the american tax payers to to pay for non citizens has to stop. welfare is causing more to the defesit
than social security. where is all the money
coming from for freehealthcare,education,housing.cars.cellphones and and god only knows else,and all for free.
http://patriotupdate.com Nana

We feel the same as all of you do we have been given so much of our money either over sea’s or some place like Acorn and Soylyndra and GM and now they want to take our technology to china and what happened to OB’s speech about USA made can’t people see what these people are doing to the American Leagal Citizens -they give to Mexicans and other illegals even those that came here with jobs haven’t been legal- but yet every big shot in office keeps giving to them and all of us on retirement and all are great workes are looking for jobs while they all give it to more illegal.
-IT’S TIME to send these people back where they came from. If they don’t like our National Anthem or Pledge -in God We trust in our courts and money- then go home don’t try to make a free state like your’s or what any politicians thinks it should be.
If all the wealthy people would put their money where their mouth is we would have a great education and English would be made our offical mandated national language and our History would be taught out America.but no they say were for the Founding Fathers and USA MADE,DO YOU SEE THEM STANDING UP FOR US,BUT THEY TRY TO GET Arbic LANGUAGE AND HISTORY MANDATED IN SCHOOLS or any other language now. If 65 countries make their language English why can’t we.
We need systems in America that don’t have 1000 of different people working at it and get increases in wages no body should be getting any wage increase and illegals should not be getting tax refunds when not legal citizens.
we are loosing so much money on all these people that shouldn’t be getting,like our SS-Disability-or welfare being subsidized this is wrong. They want us to give it to the mexican’s Dream and green acts that will break us and Amnesty should be stopped and people should be background checked and photos and health records way before coming here we want people tha speak read write english we’d save millions.
- what makes them get so much and our students and us have to pay for it and they get it free AND ALL OF OUR MONEY GOING TO THE UN AND OTHER COUNTRIES AND THE SPENDING OF OBAMA’S AND NANCY PELOSI, RICH OR MULTI MILLIONARES SHOULDN’T LEAVE A JOB WITH ANY RETIREMENT OR SEVERANCE PAY THAT GOES FOR ALL FROM THE WHITE HOUSE DOWN ANY ONE THAT MAKES MORE THAN 250,000 UP DON’T GET BIG BONUSES OR BIG RETIRERMENT’S.
THATS ALSO WHATS BRINGING US DOWN SOME OF THESE PEOPLE GO BACK TO WORK LOOK AT B CLINTON WE PAY FOR THE THEIR SECERT SERVICE THEIR MEDICAL AND PERKS THAT IS WRONG HE MADE 75 MILLION FRON 2010 TO 2011- THEY SHOULDN’T GET THAT KIND OF MONEY AND WE HAVE TO PAY FOR TRIPS AND SUCH- NO WE HAVE TO LET THEM PAY FOR EVERYTHING WHEN THEY LEAVE ONLY THEIR MEDICAL LIKE WE GET NOW.
IF EVERY HMO RAISES COPAY AND MEDCIAL AND TAKE MORE FROM ARE SS FOR MEDICARE WE WON’T HAVE MUCH OF ANY THING LEFT.
SO GOD BLESS ALL THAT CARE ABOUT OUR AMERICA TO STAY ALIVE WE MUST START CLEANING OUT THE DEAD WOOD IN THE WHITE HOUSE DOWN AND IN CALIFORNIA BROWN-NEWSOM-FIENSTEIN -BOXER-B-LEE AND ALL THAT WANT TO RUIN US LIKE MEXICANS DID TO THEIR OWN BY HAVING TO MANY CHILDREN.
WHAT DID THEIR PRESIDENTS DO WITH THE MONEY OUR PRESIDENT GAVE TO THEM OVER THE YEARS SINCE WE SIGNED THE TREATY THAT WE DON’T EVEN KNOW IF IT’S STILL IN EFFECT.
READ SOME WHERE IN MEXICO NON CITIZENS CANNOT VOTE OR PROTEST AND EVEN IF THEY MARRY AMEXICAN THEY STILL CAN’T OWN OR VOTE EITHER YOU GO THEIR TO STAY YOU HAVE TO PASS A TEST AND HAVE MONEY COMING IN TO LIVE ON,THEY DON’T GIVE TO OUTSIDERS,ONLY LEGAL BIRTH MEXICAN CAN DO IT ALL IN THAT COUNTRY.
TO BAD OUR GOVERNMENT WON’T LISTEN AND PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT THEY ARE DOING TO US.
ONLY OUR FLAG SHOULD BE FLYING IN AMERICA NO OTHER REMEMBER WHAT IT WAS TO BE LIKE I NATION-ONE LANGUAGE OF THE LAND ENGLISH-I NATIONAL ANTHEM I PLEDGE AND DRESS LIKE HUMAN BEINGS NOT LOOKING LIKE TRASH SHORT SKRIT’S AND DRESSES AND TIGHT PANT’S OR RIPPED OR LOOKING FADED AND THE EARRINGS BELONG IN THE EARS AND SMALL ONES NOT LIKE WAGON WHEELS AND LAWS IN SCHOOL NO CELL PHONES ON NO SHOWING EVERY THING YOU OWNOR LAYING ALL OVER EACH OTHER BEING A CHEER LEADER SOME OF THEM LET EVERY ONE KNOW WHAT THEY HAVE EVEN BATHING SUIT’S ITS GETTING TO BE DECUSSING TO LOOK AT AND WHEN YOU GET BUSTS FLOWING ALL OVER THE PLACE OR SHOWING EVERY THING YOU OWN WE CAN SEE WHY YOU GET RAPED.
DRESSING FOR SCHOOL NEATLY AND WITH SOME KIND OF SELF RESPECT WE SURE DON’T SEE ANY MORE OF THAT AND NO BODY SHOULD BE ABLE TO COME TO AMERICA AND TAKE OUR BUSINESS OR SCHOOLS TO COURT WE DON’T WANT OUR COUNTRY TO LOOK LIKE EVERY OTHER COUNTRY OVER SEA’S THEY SHOULDN’T BE ABLE TO HAVE THERE WAY WE WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO CHANGE THERES.
SO WAKE UP FOLKS READ UP ON MUSLIM LIFE AND WE SURE DON’T WANT ISLAM SHARIA LAW HERE .

EVEN IN SOME JOBS OUR CHILDREN AND ADULTS LOOK LIKE TRASH AND ON THE STREETS PEOPLE JUST DON’T SEEM TO HAVE PRIDE IN THE SELFS OR IN DRESS..GOOD LUCK EVERYONE
James Fontana

The retirement age should stay at 65 with reduced benefite starting at age 62. Getting retirees out of the work force makes room for young workers to enter. The problem with Social Security is the corruption an fraud in the system. Also congress must keep their greedy mitts off the surplus. The surplus needs to be built back up to what it was before congress borrowed from it and never repayed the loan. Yes social security is broken but leave the age and benefits alone and fix the problems. In fact a nice 5% increase would be fine, It’s my money and I want it now!