Debating the President’s Portsmouth pitch (part 9)

13 August Print this Print this

Here is still more from the President’s health care town hall in Portsmouth, New Hampshire:

THE PRESIDENT:  And so I do think it’s important for particularly seniors who currently receive Medicare to understand that if we’re able to get something right like Medicare, then there should be a little more confidence that maybe the government can have a role — not the dominant role, but a role — in making sure the people are treated fairly when it comes to insurance.

But Medicare is fiscally unsustainable.  The President already said that earlier in the discussion.  So Medicare is not a successful model for a new system, because we can’t afford it.

Continue to the next post in this series…

Other posts in this series:

  1. The President’s overpromise that everyone can keep their health plan
  2. Putting the government in charge of your health insurance
  3. Waiting in line
  4. Government-mandated benefits
  5. Preventive care does not save money (in the aggregate)
  6. The House bill would increase short-term, 10th year, and long-term budget deficits
  7. The President was incorrect — AARP opposes the bill
  8. The bills would take Medicare savings needed for solvency and spend them on a new entitlement

Related Posts

(best matches are listed first)
  1. Debating the President’s Portsmouth pitch (part 10)
  2. Debating the President’s Portsmouth pitch (part 19)
  3. Debating the President’s Portsmouth pitch (part 18)
  4. Debating the President’s Portsmouth pitch (part 17)
  5. Debating the President’s Portsmouth pitch (part 7)
  6. Debating the President’s Portsmouth pitch (part 8)
  7. Debating the President’s Portsmouth pitch (part 14)
  8. Debating the President’s Portsmouth pitch (part 20)
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4 Responses to “Debating the President’s Portsmouth pitch (part 9)”

  1. Mary M 13 August at 4:27 pm

    This is one that really bugs me. If we gave all our money for retirement and care in our elderly years to a private planner who then left their clients accounts underfunded as we see in the federal government, would we entrust them with a larger role after they admitted the money wasn't there? Didn't Bernie Madoff do something similar? Would anyone describe Madoff as a good manager?

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  2. Brett 13 August at 5:07 pm

    So Medicare is not a successful model for a new system, because we can’t afford it.

    At the current level of taxation and age limit, maybe. But Medicare hit a financial crisis along with Social Security back in the 1980s, and that's what they did – they raised the age and raise the tax.

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  3. Clayleas 14 August at 5:02 am

    "if we’re able to get something right like Medicare, then there should be a little more confidence that maybe the government can have a role"

    Getting Medicare "right" seems to be one of the aims of the bill. So why does that same bill give government a role at this time?

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