I've written about 260 articles in the last few years, and about 20 of them, are of the kind, where I take an article out of the newspaper and quote directly from it. I've done it this way, because the subject has to be important to most Americans, so I can spread the word. This is one of those type of articles.
The following piece, is an editoral by the Albuquerque Journal, and was published in the Albuquerque Journal on June 15, 2011.
The article is entitled;
"Medicare Going Broke: Taking
Seniors With It"
The editorial reads;
"For those who embrace the battle cry, "Keep Your Hands Off My Medicare," here's the bottom line: Medicare is going broke and taking you with it!
As it stands now, you will have to fork over thousands of dollars every year until you die to pay for and supplement . Medicare as you know it. That is...unless you go broke, liquidate your assets and live on $45 a month in a nursing home...then Medicaid will pick up the tab.
And, going broke is definetely a possibility!
Not only will Medicare Part B (doctor visits and other services) take a total of $1,157 out of a beneficiary's Social Security checks this year, but that senior also will have to get either a supplemental policy, which runs a few thousand a year, or join a Medicare Advantage Plan, to help cover medical bills like the huge expense of a long-term hospital stay.
Then there's Medicare Part D, the prescription drug benefit, which adds hundreds in premiums to the annual health-care out-of-pocket costs. And our senior hasn't even visited a doctor or made one co-pay at the pharmacy counter yet.
According to an analysis by the Employee Benefit Research Institute, women who retired last year will need an average of $93,000 in savings to pay for health care expenses in retirement; men will need $65,000...and that's with Medicare.
Meanwhile, Medicare is expected to be insolvent by the year 2017...and at this rate it will take the country's seniors with it! According to the Kaiser Family Foundation which does research on health policy, one in four Medicare beneficiaries spent 30 percent or more of their income on health expenses in 2006. In an interesting direct correlation, the Obama administration estimates health spending will account for more than 30% of the federal budget in 2016. That makes it imperative somebody puts their hands on Medicare to control costs to taxpayers and beneficiaries alike.
The plan advanced by Rep. Paul Ryan R-Wis., might not be exactly the right medicine, but with these numbers how can you dismiss it out of hand? Congress should get serious about exploring plans like Ryan's, which caps the value of Medicare coverage and in theory forces insurers and providers to reduce costs and improve quality, and the Democrat's initiative, which sets price controls and in theroy drives efficiencies.
Because the bottom line is nobody is getting younger or paying less for medical care."
END OF EDITORIAL...
My Social Security check is deposited automacically every month, but when payday comes, I hold my breath and hope that the check is there. At my age, maybe I'll sneak through it all...but I wouldn't want to be a young person at this stage...with all the bleak news coming out of Washington...
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Copyright; 2011; Jerry Araon; The Humor Doctor
Website name; humordoctormd
