Lindsay Graham: I Will Destroy America’s Solvency Unless The Social Security Retirement Age Is Raised

Lindsay Graham: I Will Destroy America’s Solvency Unless The Social Security Retirement Age Is Raised: Although official Washington is currently fixated on the so-called “Fiscal Cliff,” the biggest threat to American prosperity is the debt ceiling, which must be raised in February to prevent economic catastrophe. If Republicans refuse to reach a deal on the so-called cliff, the Congressional Budget Office predicts that they will spark a new recession in [...]/p

GOP Senators Want To Take Debt Ceiling Hostage In Order To Raise Retirement Age

GOP Senators Want To Take Debt Ceiling Hostage In Order To Raise Retirement Age: Two Republican senators want to use the threat of an economic meltdown to raise the retirement age and cut Medicare. Sens. Bob Corker (R-TN) and Lamar Alexander (R-TN) introduced a plan today that would raise the federal debt limit by $1 trillion in exchange for $1 trillion in cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, [...]/p

Don't Cut Social Security -- Double It | Alternet

Don't Cut Social Security -- Double It | Alternet
"Fiscal cliff chatter about slashing the venerable program ignores its fundamental potential and underlying strength."

Senator Bernie Sanders Voices His Strong Opposition To Cutting Social Security

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A Grand Swindle: What We Don’t Need Now Is a Bad “Grand Bargain” | Common Dreams

A Grand Swindle: What We Don’t Need Now Is a Bad “Grand Bargain” | Common Dreams
"It seems that since Nov. 6, many politicians forgot that the people they represent used their voice at the polls to stand up for working families and the programs they rely on. Democratic lawmakers should resist any “grand bargain” on the budget that protects the wealthy at the expense of the rest of us."

Rising to the Challenge: Results from a Scorecard on Local Health System Performance, 2012 - The Commonwealth Fund

Rising to the Challenge: Results from a Scorecard on Local Health System Performance, 2012 - The Commonwealth Fund
"People in the United States, regardless of where they live, deserve the same opportunities to lead long, healthy, and productive lives. Achieving that goal means that all communities should receive the very best from their local health care systems. Yet this newScorecard on Local Health System Performance finds that where one lives has a major impact on the ability to access health care and the quality of care received. "

Senate Democrats: Raising Medicare Eligibility Age Is ‘Absolutely Unacceptable’

Senate Democrats: Raising Medicare Eligibility Age Is ‘Absolutely Unacceptable’: Raising the age at which Americans qualify for Medicare from 65 to 67 has gained more and more prominence as one option to cut spending in a fiscal cliff deal. Although top Democratic leaders have ruled out the notion, the White House itself has not. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) informed the Washington Post’s Greg Sergeant [...]/p

5 Things Boehner Doesn’t Want You To Know About His Fiscal Cliff Deal

5 Things Boehner Doesn’t Want You To Know About His Fiscal Cliff Deal: 4) Very painful cuts for Medicare beneficiaries. Boehner is hoping to pressure the president into conceding even more spending cuts than are already on the table. This includes “very painful cuts to Medicare,” as Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) boasted. Medicaid and Social Security enrollees would also see their benefits gutted.

Don't Follow Republicans Into the Wilderness

Don't Follow Republicans Into the Wilderness
"Democrats created Medicare - and it's up to President Obama to save it from the Republicans' knives."

The GOP Secrets about Medicare...

Millions of senior citizens in the US rely on Medicare for access to life-saving healthcare - but Republicans in Congress don't seem to care. Why are they launching an all-out assault on Medicare - and what's the real motivation behind it?

4 Terrible Arguments for Raising the Medicare Age and Why They're Wrong | Alternet

4 Terrible Arguments for Raising the Medicare Age and Why They're Wrong | Alternet
"Here are four arguments for compromising on the Medicare age – and why they’re wrong."

The Way to "Save" Medicare Is to Expand It

The Way to "Save" Medicare Is to Expand It
"Medicare is broken. Medicare spending is out of control. Medicare will go bankrupt in 2024. If we don't act soon, Medicare will bankrupt the entire country.

Wrong, wrong, wrong and wrong.

The whole US health care system is broken, but Medicare isn't what broke it. Medicare is the glue that holds it together. Without Medicare, the whole system would have collapsed long ago."

STUDY: Raising Medicare Eligibility Age Would Devastate America’s Most Vulnerable Seniors

STUDY: Raising Medicare Eligibility Age Would Devastate America’s Most Vulnerable Seniors: The Center for American Progress (CAP) today released a new study highlighting the devastating effect that raising the Medicare eligibility age would have on America’s seniors. CAP’s study finds that if lawmakers were to raise the eligibility age to 67, as many as 5.4 million 65- and 66-year-olds would have to search for alternative coverage [...]/p

4 Secrets Republicans Are Keeping About Medicare to Convince Us That $600 Billion in Cuts Are Necessary | Alternet

4 Secrets Republicans Are Keeping About Medicare to Convince Us That $600 Billion in Cuts Are Necessary | Alternet
"The Republicans are demanding $600 billion in Medicare cuts over the next ten years."

The Upcoming Supreme Court Case That Could Dramatically Reduce Health Care Costs

The Upcoming Supreme Court Case That Could Dramatically Reduce Health Care Costs: The Supreme Court is already preparing to take up several game-changing cases next year on issues ranging from human gene patenting to promoting the off-label use of drugs. And now the nation’s highest court is slated to hear another landmark case within the pharmaceutical industry that could have enormous ramifications for Americans’ prescription drug costs. [...]/p

Coburn: Medicare and Social Security 'Are Things We Don't Absolutely Need'

Coburn: Medicare and Social Security 'Are Things We Don't Absolutely Need'
"Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) is encouraging Democrats to cut Social Security and Medicare benefits because the programs are "things we don't absolutely need"."

Republican Senator: GOP Should Hold Debt Ceiling Hostage As Leverage For Medicare Cuts

Republican Senator: GOP Should Hold Debt Ceiling Hostage As Leverage For Medicare Cuts: On Sunday, Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) conceded that Democrats have won the debate on raising taxes on the richest Americans and said that he would likely vote to increase rates on the top 2 percent of Americans in order to shift the debate to cutting entitlement programs and improve the GOP’s leverage in the debate [...]/p

Five Job-Destroying CEOs Trying to “Fix” the Debt by Slashing Corporate Taxes and Cutting Social Security Benefits | Alternet

Five Job-Destroying CEOs Trying to “Fix” the Debt by Slashing Corporate Taxes and Cutting Social Security Benefits | Alternet
"And it might be a good line — if not for some pesky real-world facts. You see the same corporations peddling this line have already been paying next to nothing in taxes. And instead of creating jobs, they’ve been destroying them. Here are five examples of job-cutting, tax-dodging CEOs who are leading Fix the Debt."

Paul Ryan Responds To Election Defeat By Swinging Even Further To The Right

Paul Ryan Responds To Election Defeat By Swinging Even Further To The Right: Rather than moderating his positions after November’s election, he has returned to an earlier, hard-line version of his controversial fiscal plan, including turning the guaranteed benefits of programs like Medicare and Medicaid into limited government checks, and even revisiting big changes to Social Security.

Justice Department Nabs Record $3 Billion From Health Care Fraud Settlements

Justice Department Nabs Record $3 Billion From Health Care Fraud Settlements: According to Modern Healthcare, the Department of Justice took in $4.9 billion in collections and settlements through the False Claims Act in fiscal year 2012 — an all-time high, largely bolstered by over $3 billion in collections from health care firms. The False Claims Act encourages whistleblowers to report fraudulent activities undertaken by private actors [...]/p

Senator Bernie Sanders Speaks Out For The Elderly And Working Americans

Wow...The middle class isn't going down without a fight

There's good reason why these CEOs want to target social safety nets like Social Security...it's because they don't need them. They're all sitting on massive retirement assets, averaging over $9 million each. Lloyd Blankfein himself has nearly $12 million in retirement assets. It's easy to call for cuts to Social Security when you know you won't need it. Well, in Washington, DC this morning - this "Fix the Debt" coalition invited Republican Senator Rob Portman for a panel discussion on how the debt can be fixed on the backs of the working class without rich CEOs sacrificing a single penny. Unfortunately for all those CEOs - today's panel didn't go according to plan - just watch the middle class fight back!

GOP Offers to Throw Middle Class, Elderly Over the “Fiscal Cliff” | Common Dreams

GOP Offers to Throw Middle Class, Elderly Over the “Fiscal Cliff” | Common Dreams
"The Republicans also propose to raise the Medicare eligibility age to 67, which would force 65 and 66 year olds to seek private, individual health care coverage on the open insurance market. And since they’d also repeal the new health care law, these older Americans would get no help in that process.  (Here are eight reasons raising the Medicare age is a terrible idea.)"

How An Obamacare Provision Has Saved Americans $1.5 Billion On Their Health Benefits

How An Obamacare Provision Has Saved Americans $1.5 Billion On Their Health Benefits: A new report from the Commonwealth Foundation finds that Obamacare’s “medical loss ratio” provision — the so-called “80/20 rule” requiring insurers to spend at least 80 percent of every Americans’ premium costs on patient care, rather than on their own profits or overhead — has resulted in a total of $1.5 billion overhead savings and [...]/p

Obamacare Has Saved Seniors $5 Billion On Prescription Drugs

Obamacare Has Saved Seniors $5 Billion On Prescription Drugs: Despite the fact that the cost of brand name drugs has skyrocketed over the past few years, one Obamacare provision is helping seniors on Medicare save billions on their prescription drug costs. Over the summer, data from the Centers for Medicare And Medicaid Services (CMS) showed that the Affordable Care Act had already saved 5.2 [...]/p

Ohio Senator Confronted By Constituents Over Support For Medicare And Social Security Cuts

Ohio Senator Confronted By Constituents Over Support For Medicare And Social Security Cuts: Ohio Senator Rob Portman (R) was one of a handful of Washington, D.C lawmakers and policy experts invited to participate in a panel discussion on the fiscal cliff on Tuesday morning, but his prepared remarks were temporarily derailed by about a dozen protestors who stood up, one at a time, to confront Portman over his [...]/p

Bernie Sanders: 'We Will Not Accept Cuts to Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid' | Alternet

Bernie Sanders: 'We Will Not Accept Cuts to Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid' | Alternet
"He wants us to start with a strong stand to keep billionaires from controlling our political process, as they are now attempting to do in the so-called fiscal cliff debate. "We will not accept cuts to Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid," he said to thundering applause at a New York City gathering on Monday night."

After Promising To Preserve Medicare For Current Retirees, GOP Demands Immediate Cuts In Fiscal Cliff Talks

After Promising To Preserve Medicare For Current Retirees, GOP Demands Immediate Cuts In Fiscal Cliff Talks: Throughout the election, Republicans tried to sell Rep. Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) Medicare reforms by arguing that the party’s proposed changes would not affect current seniors. “Our point is we need to preserve their benefits, because government made promises to them that they’ve organized their retirements around,” Ryan argued in his first interview after being named [...]/p

In Defense of Science: How the Fiscal Cliff Could Cripple Research Enterprise - The Atlantic

In Defense of Science: How the Fiscal Cliff Could Cripple Research Enterprise - The Atlantic
"Research is the only way we can improve upon diagnosis and treatments that will allow people to long, healthy, and productive lives. Solutions here can ultimately bring down health care costs -- the far bigger driver of our national indebtedness. It is the NIH that funds research on diseases such as diabetes, neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, cancer, heart disease, infectious diseases, liver, kidney, immune-mediated diseases, you name it. And these are just the more common ailments. There are so many others less well known, often devastating, frequently genetic, that as a group cause enormous havoc to human health.

The only hope for patients and their caregivers is through research."

Faith Leaders Slam Rick Perry For Refusing To Expand Texas’ Medicaid Program

Faith Leaders Slam Rick Perry For Refusing To Expand Texas’ Medicaid Program: Even though Texas has the highest uninsurance rates in the nation — nearly a quarter of the state’s population lacks health insurance — Gov. Rick Perry (R) has refused to expand the Medicaid program, prioritizing his continued opposition to Obamacare over the opportunity to extend health coverage to an estimated 2 million low-income Texans. But [...]/p

No, raising the Social Security retirement age is not a good idea

No, raising the Social Security retirement age is not a good idea
"Social Security provides the majority of income for three-fifths of Americans over age 65; what's more, "for the poorest 40 percent of 65-and-older households, Social Security payouts constitute more than four-fifths of total income." The average monthly benefit is $1,230. That's $14,760 a year. If you begin collecting Social Security before your "full retirement age" of 66 or 67, your monthly benefits are reduced. Yet many Americans are faced with the choice of benefits reduced below that average of $1,230 a month or continuing to work in pain or in circumstances that threaten their health.

Many people who work behind desks and think raising the Social Security eligibility age would be a reasonable solution to the crisis they're told exists in the program are just suffering from a lack of imagination. But too many policymakers and wealthy CEOs and pundits know all this and still push an increase in the retirement age as a "sensible, fair" policy solution."

Republican Senator Demands ‘Very Painful Cuts To Medicare’

Republican Senator Demands ‘Very Painful Cuts To Medicare’: On Sunday, during an appearance on Meet the Press, Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) reiterated his call for restructuring entitlement programs like Medicare, highlighting the “very painful cuts” he has proposed as part of a package to avert the fiscal cliff. Corker 242-page plan calls for a Paul Ryan-like proposal to transform the guaranteed Medicare benefit [...]/p

Sen. Dick Durbin Says Social Security Should Not Be Part of Any Fiscal Deal

Sen. Dick Durbin Says Social Security Should Not Be Part of Any Fiscal Deal
"Anyone who's paying attention knows that Social Security DOES NOT add one red cent to the federal deficit. So it's nice to finally some Democrats are speaking out against including Social Security in any talks for a fiscal cliff solution."

CEOs Try to Shred the Safety Net While Pigging Out on Corporate Welfare

CEOs Try to Shred the Safety Net While Pigging Out on Corporate Welfare
"A gang of brazen CEOs has joined forces to promote economically disastrous and socially irresponsible austerity policies. Many of those same CEOs were bailed out by the American taxpayer after a Wall Street-driven financial crash. Instead of a thank-you, they are showing their appreciation in the form of a coordinated effort to rob Americans of hard-earned retirements, decent medical care and relief for the poorest."

Poll: Strong support for Obama's tax plan, opposition to GOP plan to cap deductions and cut Medicare

Poll: Strong support for Obama's tax plan, opposition to GOP plan to cap deductions and cut Medicare
"These numbers once again show that the path forward is abundantly clear: let the Bush tax cuts on income over $250,000 expire, keep major cuts to Medicare benefits off the table, and don't use tax reform as an excuse to take away middle-class tax benefits. In other words, Americans support President Obama's approach—not Mitt Romney's and certainly not the Republican Party's. Given that President Obama won the election, that's not exactly a shock. The key thing to remember is that Congress doesn't need to do anything in order for Bush's upper-income tax cuts to expire—under current law, they end on December 31, 2012."

White House Rules Social Security Out Of ‘Fiscal Cliff’ Talks

White House Rules Social Security Out Of ‘Fiscal Cliff’ Talks: According to White House Press Secretary Jay Carney, Social Security should not be on the table during negotiations over the so-called “fiscal cliff,” the set of spending cuts and tax increases scheduled for the end of the year. Carney rightly noted that Social Security has nothing to do with today’s deficits: White House spokesman Jay [...]/p

CEO Council Demands Cuts To Poor, Elderly While Reaping Billions In Government Contracts, Tax Breaks | Common Dreams

CEO Council Demands Cuts To Poor, Elderly While Reaping Billions In Government Contracts, Tax Breaks | Common Dreams
"CEOs belonging to what the campaign calls its CEO Fiscal Leadership Council -- most visibly, Goldman Sachs' Lloyd Blankfein and Honeywell's David Cote -- have barnstormed the media, making the case that the only way to cut the deficit is to severely scale back social safety-net programs -- Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security -- which would disproportionately impact the poor and the elderly."

6 Reasons the Fiscal Cliff is a Scam | Alternet

6 Reasons the Fiscal Cliff is a Scam | Alternet
"Stripped to essentials, the fiscal cliff is a device constructed to force a rollback of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, as the price of avoiding tax increases and disruptive cuts in federal civilian programs and in the military.  It was policy-making by hostage-taking, timed for the lame duck session, a contrived crisis, the plain idea now unfolding was to force a stampede."

Why Does The Working Class Have To Pick Up The Pieces Caused By Wall Street & Tea Party Deficit Hawks?

Why Does The Working Class Have To Pick Up The Pieces Caused By Wall Street & Tea Party Deficit Hawks?
"Are you sick and tired of listening to the Beltway villagers frame our economic plight as the end of the year looms? Whenever a Democratic politician comes out and says that we should let things play out until after January 1, and then start bargaining, they freak out. They have completely surrendered to the disaster-capital Republicans and are trying to help them force major cuts in the social safety net for all working class Americans, all in the name of a greedy Wall Street along with much-needed backup from the Tea Party Birchers."

The Truth About Raising The Social Security Retirement Age

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Ezra Klein, filling in for MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell this Tuesday evening, ended this segment responding to Goldman Sachs CEO, Lloyd Blankfein's assertion that the Social Security retirement age should be raised with a question that we all already know the answer to

Five Obamacare Provisions To Be Thankful For

Five Obamacare Provisions To Be Thankful For: After clearing significant hurdles over the past year — including repeated repeal votes in Congress, a Supreme Court challenge, and a presidential election — the future of President Obama’s landmark health reform law is finally secure. Now that it’s here to stay, Americans can expect to reap significant benefits as the Affordable Care Act continues [...]/p

Macy’s CEO to American People: Drop Dead | Alternet

Macy’s CEO to American People: Drop Dead | Alternet
"Macy’s is a powerful symbol of Thanksgiving, with its festive parade and freakishly large floats. But Macy’s CEO Terry Lundgren is part of a group of greedy, unpatriotic CEOs who would like to seize this moment of American hardship and tear the rug out from under hard-working families. Moms, dads, grandparents, kids—he’d like to take a little something from each of you. Especially if you're poor: he’d really like to get into your purses.

Lundgren and a coalition of other big-time CEOs are lobbying Congress to cut Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security benefits so that they can enjoy tax breaks."

HHS releases draft rules on key elements of Obamacare, including pre-existing conditions

HHS releases draft rules on key elements of Obamacare, including pre-existing conditions
"This is the stuff health insurance reform was all about, the core regulations that will make health insurance affordable and accessible. They're also the parts of reform that will be most popular and important to the public. This is the stuff Republicans absolutely did not want to see implemented, and the stuff that will make "Obamacare" be as much an appreciated part of the nation's health care system as Medicare."

The Giant Lie Trotted Out by Fiscal Conservatives Trying to Shred Social Security | Alternet

The Giant Lie Trotted Out by Fiscal Conservatives Trying to Shred Social Security | Alternet
"Trying to convince the public to cut America’s best-loved and most successful program requires a lot of creativity and persistence. Social Security is fiscally fit, prudently managed and does not add to the deficit because by law it must be completely detached from the federal operating budget. Obviously, it is needed more than ever in a time of increasing job insecurity and disappearing pensions. It helps our economy thrive and boosts the productivity of working Americans. And yet the sharks are in a frenzy to shred it in the upcoming “fiscal cliff” discussions."

Bernie Sanders in a Fiery Speech: Do Not Cut Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid | Alternet

Bernie Sanders in a Fiery Speech: Do Not Cut Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid | Alternet
"A coalition of lawmakers led by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders joined yesterday to demand there be no cuts to Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid made during deficit reduction deals. "

Senators Caucus Vows To Protect Social Security, Medicare

Senators Caucus Vows To Protect Social Security, Medicare
"Ah, the fiscal scam! It's interesting that the same conservative and Blue Dog politicians who insisted we didn't need additional stimulus to recover from this recession are now insisting that we will ... go back into a recession if these fiscal deal cuts are made! Why, you would almost think they were Keynesians!"

Expanding Medicaid Would Save Florida $100 Million Per Year

Expanding Medicaid Would Save Florida $100 Million Per Year: Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) has been an outspoken opponents of President Obama’s landmark health reform law over the past year. Back in July, he announced that his state would not be setting up a health insurance exchange or expanding the Medicaid program under Obamacare, even though his state has some of the worst rates [...]/p

You Want to Raise the Retirement Age? Walk a Mile In Our Shoes First

You Want to Raise the Retirement Age? Walk a Mile In Our Shoes First
"I don't know about anyone else, but as someone who has actually worked at one of those jobs where you take a shower at the end of the work day and not before you go in, I'm sick to death of watching these overpaid television pundits and their counterparts in the Congress, nonchalantly discussing raising the retirement age. It may not matter much to them, but there are real economic hardships involved when you force the average wage earner out there to continue to work until they drop dead if the retirement age is raised any higher than it already is now."

Grand or otherwise, there's no bargaining with these Republicans

Grand or otherwise, there's no bargaining with these Republicans
"No compromise. No Grand Bargain. No cuts to Social Security or Medicare or Medicaid. No enabling a Republican Party that is spiraling toward oblivion. Let the Bush tax cuts expire and force the Republicans to decide whether they want to oppose the Obama middle class tax cuts. The false Republican narratives of fiscal crisis and runaway entitlements must be called for the lies they are. The false Republican politicians and pundits must be revealed as the frauds they are. The Democrats need only speak the truth, seize the moment, and ride the electoral and demographic tide that has them ascendant and still rising. History is there for the making. History is there for the taking."

Republican Party is going to have to leave their proverbial bubble to remain viable

The Republican Party is going to have to leave their proverbial bubble to remain viable. Facts matter. Terrific breakdown of election night. The national results were predicted by fact-based models while the right wing media failed as usual.

Social Security: It Ain't Broke | Common Dreams

Social Security: It Ain't Broke | Common Dreams
"Social Security is more popular than sliced bread. And it should be. Our Social Security system is the foundation of our families' security: We work hard and pay into it with every paycheck so each of us can retire with dignity."

PERRspectives: Mitt Romney by the Numbers

PERRspectives: Mitt Romney by the Numbers
"$4.1 billion. Total amount saved by 5.4 million American seniors as a result of Obamacare's closing of the Medicare prescription drug "donut hole," which would be reopened by Mitt Romney."

On Alzheimer’s Prevention, Obama Has A Record To Run On

On Alzheimer’s Prevention, Obama Has A Record To Run On:  Amy R. Borenstein, Ph.D., a professor of epidemiology at the University of South Florida’s College of Public Health. You wouldn’t know it from listening to the recent presidential debates, but President Obama has made some real accomplishments in supporting the fight against Alzheimer’s disease — accomplishments with potentially significant economic benefits. [...]/p

PERRspectives: Elderly Will Be Hit Hard by Romney's Medicare, Medicaid Plans

PERRspectives: Elderly Will Be Hit Hard by Romney's Medicare, Medicaid Plans
"As the Congressional Budget Office and a recent Kaiser Family Foundation study confirmed, the Romney-Ryan plan to "voucherize and privatize" Medicare will invariably lead to much higher health care costs for future recipients. But today's elderly voters will feel a double sting under President Romney as well. After all, his pledge to "kill Obamacare dead" will erase hard-won drug benefits and health services those over 65 have gained under the Affordable Care Act. And as it turns out, Romney's proposal to slash Medicaid spending by more than a third over the next decade and give what remains as block grants to the states could jeopardize nursing home care for millions of American seniors."

Where Did Paul Ryan Find Inspiration for 'Reforming' Social Security? A Brutal Military Dictatorship, Naturally | Alternet

Where Did Paul Ryan Find Inspiration for 'Reforming' Social Security? A Brutal Military Dictatorship, Naturally | Alternet
"While the Republican Party and its wealthy plutocrat backers have been accused of waging an elitist virtual war against the American majority, both Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan have financial and ideological ties to rich Latin American elites who have waged real wars against average citizens in their countries."

Romney-Ryan and the Slashing of Medicaid | Common Dreams

Romney-Ryan and the Slashing of Medicaid | Common Dreams
"If he wins, Medicaid — which now covers more than 50 million Americans, and which President Obama would expand further as part of his health reform — will face savage cuts. Estimates suggest that a Romney victory would deny health insurance to about 45 million people who would have coverage if he lost, with two-thirds of that difference due to the assault on Medicaid."

Surrogates Admit Romney Will Cut Current Medicare Benefits

Surrogates Admit Romney Will Cut Current Medicare Benefits
"Brian Beutler at TPM explains why Romney is lying when he assures voters that he won't change Medicare at all for those 55 and up -- because raising the retirement age is a cut:"

Medicare's 'death spiral' under Romney/Ryan voucher plan confirmed in new study

Medicare's 'death spiral' under Romney/Ryan voucher plan confirmed in new study
"Another study finds that the voucher system Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan envision for Medicare will cause the program's demise."

States Refusing To Expand Medicaid Will Cost Hospitals Over 50 Billion Dollars

States Refusing To Expand Medicaid Will Cost Hospitals Over 50 Billion Dollars: According to new findings by the National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems (NAPH), by 2019, safety net hospitals’ uncompensated care costs will be $53 billion higher than originally estimated if states don’t opt into the voluntary expansion of the Medicaid program under Obamacare. Safety net hospitals serve areas where, on average, 14.9 percent [...]/p

Votes Don’t Lie: GOP Senate Candidate Falsely Claims He Never Supported Privatizing Medicare

Votes Don’t Lie: GOP Senate Candidate Falsely Claims He Never Supported Privatizing Medicare: U.S. Senate candidate Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-MT) denied supporting a Republican proposal to transform Medicare into a voucher program during a debate with Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) on Saturday, despite voting in favor of such a measure in April of 2009. The Republican Congressman has sought to distance himself from Paul Ryan’s budget throughout the [...]/p

Romney Stars in Ad For Candidate Who Says Medicare And Social Security Are Unconstitutional

Romney Stars in Ad For Candidate Who Says Medicare And Social Security Are Unconstitutional: For the first time this election, Mitt Romney is starring in a campaign ad on behalf of another Republican candidate. Romney’s candidate of choice is none other than Richard Mourdock, the Tea Party favorite in a tight race for a Senate seat, who says things like Medicare and Social Security are unconstitutional. Romney has stumped [...]/p

Rep. Joe Walsh: Of course the GOP wants to end Medicare!

Rep. Joe Walsh: Of course the GOP wants to end Medicare!
"Yes, that's the Republican plan, written by Paul Ryan, voted on by almost every Republican in Congress, and embraced by Mitt Romney. It took a loose cannon like Walsh to finally admit that fact to the American public."

U.S. Senate Candidate Can’t Detail New Medicare Plan Until He Uses ‘The Computers’ In Congress

U.S. Senate Candidate Can’t Detail New Medicare Plan Until He Uses ‘The Computers’ In Congress: U.S. Senate candidate Tommy Thompson unveiled a new Medicare reform plan during an interview with the Wisconsin State Journal editorial board on Friday, though he didn’t know if the proposal would reduce federal spending or substantially lower costs for beneficiaries. Thompson’s idea, which he said has been already introduced and advanced “by somebody else,” barrows [...]/p

Connecticut GOP Senate Candidate Won’t Talk About Social Security Reforms Because Of ‘The Media’

Connecticut GOP Senate Candidate Won’t Talk About Social Security Reforms Because Of ‘The Media’: Republican Linda McMahon, the former professional wrestling executive who is taking her second shot at winning a Connecticut Senate seat, won’t specify how she would reform Social Security because the media will “bash” the plans, she said after a debate with her opponent, Democratic Rep. Chris Murphy. At a tea party gathering in April, McMahon [...]/p

GOP Congressman Admits Romney/Ryan Would ‘End Medicare As We Know It’

GOP Congressman Admits Romney/Ryan Would ‘End Medicare As We Know It’: During the fourth and final debate between incumbent Rep. Joe Walsh (R-IL) and his Democratic challenger, Tammy Duckworth, the Republican Congressman openly admitted that he and his GOP colleagues want to “end Medicare as we know it.” Walsh defended the Romney/Ryan plan to turn Medicare into a voucher program, which would provide retirees with a [...]/p

Republican Congressman Says Hospitals Should Be Allowed To Turn Away Patients Who Don’t Have Insurance

Republican Congressman Says Hospitals Should Be Allowed To Turn Away Patients Who Don’t Have Insurance: CONWAY, New Hampshire — Finding bipartisan agreement on any policy is a rarity these days, but lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have supported treating people who show up in the hospital, regardless of their ability to pay. Now, one Tea Party congressman is taking issue with that requirement. Giving literal meaning to his [...]/p

What Billy Koehler's Death Reveals About Romney's Frightening Agenda | Alternet

What Billy Koehler's Death Reveals About Romney's Frightening Agenda | Alternet
Romney, a quarter-billionaire born with a silver foot in his mouth, has shielded himself from the world in which America’s many Billy Koehlers exist. Their paths don’t naturally cross. Billy Koehlers don’t hang out with Romney’s NASCAR owner pals. Billy Koehlers don’t disparage the nation’s elderly and impoverished at fundraisers in the homes of private equity moguls . FDR and JFK made an effort to understand the joys and hardships of the non-rich. But Romney hasn’t. And that’s why he so carelessly called America’s Billy Koehlers a deliberately dependent underclass, albeit one comprising 47 percent of all citizens. Because Romney knows nothing of the lives of the nation’s Billy Koehlers, the Republican nominee can dismiss their medical predicaments as nonexistent and assure wealthy donors he won’t “worry about those people.”

Does the Romney Family Now Own Your E-Vote?

Does the Romney Family Now Own Your E-Vote?
"But these Hart machines are deeply flawed and widely know to be open to a troubling variety of attacks and breakdowns ( http://www.bradblog.com/... ).  There is no legal or other means to definitively monitor and re-check a tally compiled on Hart or other electronic voting machines.  Ohio's current governor and secretary of state are both Republicans."

Report: Quality Of Medicare Plans Increased

Report: Quality Of Medicare Plans Increased: According to an analysis from Avalere Health, the star ratings for 28 percent of Medicare Advantage and 49 percent of Medicare Part D plans improved from 2012 and 2013. That makes the plans eligible for bonuses from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and special markers on Medicare’s plan-finder website. Analysts found that the [...]/p

Romney Told 31 Myths In 41 Minutes During Last Night's Debate | Alternet

Romney Told 31 Myths In 41 Minutes During Last Night's Debate | Alternet
"During the first presidential debate in Denver, Colorado Romney managed to tell  27 myths in his 38 minutes  of speaking time. But at his second encounter with Obama in New York, the GOP presidential candidate — who has run  a post-truth campaign  from day one — outdid himself and crammed 31 myths in 41 minutes:"

Romney’s Seven Biggest Debate Lies | Common Dreams

Romney’s Seven Biggest Debate Lies | Common Dreams
"Here are the seven biggest lies Romney told:"

PERRspectives: Mitt Romney is "Sticking It to Seniors"

PERRspectives: Mitt Romney is "Sticking It to Seniors"
"Now just two years later, it is Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney who will really be sticking it to seniors. His Obamacare pledge to "kill it dead" will erase hard-won health protections today's elderly have gained under the ACA. Romney's proposal to slash Medicaid spending by more than a third over the next decade and give what remains as block grants to the states could jeopardize nursing home care for millions of Americans. As the Congressional Budget Office and a new Kaiser Family Foundation study confirmed, the Romney-Ryan plan to "voucherize and privatize" Medicare will invariably lead to much higher costs for future recipients."

Romney/Ryan-Like Medicare Privatization Plan Would Raise Premiums Nationwide: Report | Common Dreams

Romney/Ryan-Like Medicare Privatization Plan Would Raise Premiums Nationwide: Report | Common Dreams
"An analysis of a Medicare voucher plan generally based on the approach included in vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan's budget plan passed by the House earlier this year, says that at least 6 in 10 Medicare recipients would experience higher premiums if such a plan was enacted."

Medicaid Expansion Could Save Michigan Almost $1 Billion

Medicaid Expansion Could Save Michigan Almost $1 Billion: The Lansing State Journal flagged a new report from a Michigan-based health policy group that found accepting Obamacare’s expansion of the Medicaid program could save the state $983 million in the first decade of operation. In particular, the additional federal dollars to fund mental health services for low-income residents and medical care for inmates will [...]/p

Romney’s Proposed Medicare Reform Would Raise Costs For Nearly Sixty Percent Of Seniors

Romney’s Proposed Medicare Reform Would Raise Costs For Nearly Sixty Percent Of Seniors: A new study from the Kaiser Family Foundation finds that the majority of seniors would end up paying more for their plans if the Medicare program were transformed into a “premium support” system, the same model as the proposed Romney/Ryan plan for the Medicare program. In fact, nearly six in ten seniors are projected to [...]/p

The National Debt and Our Children: How Dumb Does Washington Think We Are?

The National Debt and Our Children: How Dumb Does Washington Think We Are?
"While much of the country is focused on the presidential race, the Wall Street gang is waging a different battle: they are preparing an assault on Social Security and Medicare. This attack is not exactly secret. There have been anumber of pieces on this corporate-backed campaign in the media over the last few months, but the drive is nonetheless taking place behind closed doors."

Vice President Biden Stands Up For Seniors And The Middle Class Against Ayn Rand Loving Paul Ryan

Paul Ryan told 24 lies in 40 minutes

The Radical Ryan Health Care Plan That The Vice Presidential Debate Didn’t Mention

The Radical Ryan Health Care Plan That The Vice Presidential Debate Didn’t Mention: Ryan’s cuts harm current seniors. He’s often defended his alterations to Medicare by claiming the changes won’t harm current seniors. He has no such out for his Medicaid cuts. 1.9 million seniors rely on Medicaid to support their long-term care, and under Ryan’s plan they would immediately start seeing losses to their benefits in the realm of $2,500 a year.

At The Vice Presidential Debate: Ryan Told 24 Myths In 40 Minutes

At The Vice Presidential Debate: Ryan Told 24 Myths In 40 Minutes: 1) “It took the president two weeks to acknowledge that [the Libya attack] was a terrorist attack.” Obama used the word “terrorism” to describe the killing of Americans the very next day at the Rose Garden. “No acts of terror will ever shake the resolve of this great nation, alter that character, or eclipse the [...]/p

Biden v. Ryan: The Old Pro Takes On the Lying Kid | Alternet

Biden v. Ryan: The Old Pro Takes On the Lying Kid | Alternet
"During a discussion of the Romney/Ryan Medicare plan, Ryan repeated the lie that the $716 billion in reduced future Medicare spending were actually cuts to the program. Perhaps that was to be expected. More surprising was Ryan’s riff on abortion."

PERRspectives: 10 Things Paul Ryan Doesn't Want You to Know

PERRspectives: 10 Things Paul Ryan Doesn't Want You to Know
"Both Paul Ryan and Mitt Romney take great pains to proclaim that "I don't want any change to Medicare for current seniors or for those that are nearing retirement." They are pained because the statement isn't true."

Report: Private Insurers Profit by Ripping Off Medicare | Common Dreams

Report: Private Insurers Profit by Ripping Off Medicare | Common Dreams
"New research by health care experts concludes that privately run insurance plans designed to supplement the Medicare system serve no truly useful purpose and instead of helping seniors receive better care, Medicare Advantage plans actually undermine traditional Medicare’s fiscal health."

Insurers hoping for billions in Medicare profits back Paul Ryan budget supporters

Insurers hoping for billions in Medicare profits back Paul Ryan budget supporters
"Health insurers love the idea of the Romney/Ryan plan to turn Medicare into a voucher system. They love it so much that they are rewarding all of the Republicans who voted for it, according tonew analysis by Public Campaign Action Fund (PCAF) and Health Care for America Now (HCAN)."

Romney Says Insurers Should Be Able To Deny Coverage To Some People

Romney Says Insurers Should Be Able To Deny Coverage To Some People: During an interview with the editorial board of the Columbus Dispatch, Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney attempted to sketch out the contours of his health care plan and the policies he would enact to help the millions of Americans who cannot obtain health insurance due to a pre-existing condition. Romney suggested that under his plan, [...]/p

EXCLUSIVE: Outside Groups Spend Millions On Ads Featuring Medicare Misinformation

EXCLUSIVE: Outside Groups Spend Millions On Ads Featuring Medicare Misinformation: The false claim that the Affordable Care Act of 2010 cut $716 billion out of Medicare has been oft-repeated in political ads and speeches in recent weeks. The law eliminates current over-payments to insurance companies, limits fraud and waste, and slows the growth of the program. Based on a Congressional Budget Office finding that repeal [...]/p

What Everyone Needs To Know Before Watching The VP Debate

What Everyone Needs To Know Before Watching The VP Debate: 1. Romney and Ryan would eliminate health care for 31 million people who are poor or disabled. Medicaid, which helps poor Americans, some seniors, and children afford health care, is right in the crosshairs of Paul Ryan’s House budget. He proposed cutting $1.4 trillion from the program, a move that would kick about 11 million [...]/p

Only Choice

"It's one of the hardest decisions a family can make ...realizing a nursing home is the only choice. For many middle class families, Medicaid is the only way to afford the care. But as a governor, Mitt Romney raised nursing home fees eight times. And as President, his budget cuts Medicaid by one-third. And Burdens families with the cost of nursing home care. We have a president who won't let that happen."

Romney Champions Medicaid In Ohio, Doesn’t Mention Proposal For Severe Cuts

Romney Champions Medicaid In Ohio, Doesn’t Mention Proposal For Severe Cuts: During a rally in Mt. Vernon, Ohio on Wednesday, Mitt Romney touted the benefits of Medicaid and claimed that all Americans will be able to obtain health care insurance without President Obama’s Affordable Care Act. Responding to a question from a woman whose son suffers from Spina Bifida, Romney disparaged Obama’s health care measure — [...]/p

Cameras

Mitt Romney has been branded fairly with the stamp of dishonesty by virtue of the first debate alone.

Gray Panthers, Raging Grannies and savvy seniors

Gray Panthers, Raging Grannies and savvy seniors
"Don't think that Medicare is the only concern seniors have. We care about the economy, the environment, civil and human rights, and because senior women are the majority in this demographic, since we live longer, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention one of my favorite groups of outspoken senior sisters, the Raging Grannies."

Paul Ryan Wants Moochers To Know He's Got Your Number

Paul Ryan Wants Moochers To Know He's Got Your Number
"Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan sincerely believe that people who pay into social insurance for their entire lives and expect to receive the benefit of that compact when eligible are "takers"."

U.S. Arrests 91 In Massive $430 Million Medicare Fraud Bust

U.S. Arrests 91 In Massive $430 Million Medicare Fraud Bust: The Obama Administration has taken Medicare billing fraud very seriously, setting up consumer-driven watchdog groups, issuing strict warnings to providers about gaming Medicare for personal gain, and enforcing strong fraud-prevention measures in Obamacare, all in an effort to curb unsavory (and illegal) practices such as “upcoding” that have the potential to devastate the medically needy by looting the safety-net program’s funds and driving up costs. The recent arrests go to show that the Administration has the bite to go with its bark.

Why Romney Doesn’t ‘Preserve’ Traditional Medicare

Why Romney Doesn’t ‘Preserve’ Traditional Medicare: During Wednesday night’s presidential debate, Mitt Romney tried his very best to convince American seniors and future beneficiaries that his Medicare reform plan would not fundamentally alter the longstanding safety-net program’s structure. The Republican nominee painted his plan as a well-meaning experiment meant to inject some much-needed marketplace capitalism into the Medicare system, theoretically lowering [...]/p

90 Percent Of Seniors Are Satisfied With Medicare Part D

90 Percent Of Seniors Are Satisfied With Medicare Part D: Healthcare Finance News flagged a survey today by Medicare Today and KRC Research that found roughly six out of ten seniors describe themselves as “very satisfied” with their prescription drug coverage under Medicare. Another three out of ten characterize themselves as “somewhat satisfied,” for a grand total of 90 percent: Both categories of satisfaction have [...]/p

10 Most Shameless Romney Debate Lies -- Debunked | Alternet

10 Most Shameless Romney Debate Lies -- Debunked | Alternet
"Romney’s debate performance was chock full of lies, recalling his running mate’s address to the GOP convention, which was also chock full of lies. Hopefully, just as Ryan’s address was dissected and debunked by some media outlets, Romney’s claims are as well, so the debate can move to substantive issues instead of stylistic ones.

Here are ten of Romney’s fact-challenged claims from last night:"

Romney's big Medicare lie takes center stage in debate

Romney's big Medicare lie takes center stage in debate
"There is still the truth here: the cuts to Medicare in the President's plans don't hurtbeneficiaries. The cuts will extend the solvency of the Medicare trust fund because they save the program money in the long term. Romney's plan would make Medicare insolvent by 2016, the end of his first presidential term, if he wins. And that does some serious damage to current retirees."

Health Care in the 2012 Presidential Election: How the Obama and Romney Plans Stack Up - The Commonwealth Fund

Health Care in the 2012 Presidential Election: How the Obama and Romney Plans Stack Up - The Commonwealth Fund
"The report focuses on the following: the number of Americans expected to gain health insurance; changes in the affordability of insurance; changes in consumer protections and consumer choice; help for small businesses; improvement in Medicare solvency; improvement in health care quality; and control of health spending growth. Findings of the analysis indicate that, in each area, implementation of the Affordable Care Act would likely outperform Romney’s proposals."

AARP Experts: Entitlements Critical for Nation’s Aging Majority Minority

AARP Experts: Entitlements Critical for Nation’s Aging Majority Minority
"Social Security, with a current surplus fund of $2.7 trillion and growing, is fully funded for the next 20 years, said Cheryl Matheis, AARP’s senior vice president of policy, in Washington, D.C. Even without modest adjustments it could pay 75 percent of its promised obligations for decades beyond 2032."

Arkansas Teams Up With Private Insurers To Overhaul State Medicaid Program

Arkansas Teams Up With Private Insurers To Overhaul State Medicaid Program: Continuing the post-Obamacare trend toward efficient cooperation between governments, private insurers, and care providers, Arkansas is kicking off a first-of-its kind Medicaid reform program. The state will partner up with its two largest insurers, Blue Cross Blue Shield and QualChoice, in an attempt to provide medical cost transparency to practitioners, increase the efficiency and quality [...]/p

McMahon has 'all options' on the table for Medicare

McMahon has 'all options' on the table for Medicare
"Linda McMahon may have taken herself out of contention in Connecticut in the past week on the issues of Social Security and Medicare. It's was already looking as though she had topped out in the polls, and after this week, it's looking like she's hell bent on making herself very unpopular with nearly a third of the state's electorate: seniors."

3 Things That May Have Wrecked Mitt Romney's Shot at President | Alternet

3 Things That May Have Wrecked Mitt Romney's Shot at President | Alternet
"Mitt Romney arguably lost Florida , with its heavy concentration of older voters, when he picked as his vice-presidential nominee Paul Ryan, the face of the conservative plan to end Medicare as we know it."

STUDY: Medicaid Expansion Would Save Arizona $1.2 Billion And Create Over 20,000 Jobs

STUDY: Medicaid Expansion Would Save Arizona $1.2 Billion And Create Over 20,000 Jobs: A report from the non-partisan Grand Canyon Institute suggests that if Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R) rejects Obamacare’s expansion of the Medicaid program, it could take a toll on more than just the low-income residents of her state who struggle to afford health coverage — in fact, it could also cost Arizona potential savings and [...]/p

Linda McMahon doubles down on Social Security sunset, endorses Ryan Medicare plan

Linda McMahon doubles down on Social Security sunset, endorses Ryan Medicare plan
"McMahon is absolutely saying she wants to have the ability to end Social Security. And now she's adding privatizing Medicare into the mix? Raising the retirement age?"

Romney’s Approach To Medicare Reform Will Lead To Higher Costs, Study Finds

Romney’s Approach To Medicare Reform Will Lead To Higher Costs, Study Finds: A new Urban Institute Health Policy Center study finds that premium support models, such as the proposed Romney/Ryan Medicare plan, are more likely to increase excess costs in the program. According to the report, turning Medicare into a “premium support” program would encourage private insurers to draw less costly beneficiaries from traditional Medicare, leading to [...]/p

Why Mitt Romney May End Up Wishing He Never Picked Paul Ryan | Alternet

Why Mitt Romney May End Up Wishing He Never Picked Paul Ryan | Alternet
"Asked whom they trust to deal with the Medicare program, Ohio voters side with Obama over Romney by a 19 percentage-point margin. The president has a 15-point advantage on the issue in Florida and a 13-point lead on it in Virginia. In a separate national poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation released Thursday, Obama’s 17-point lead over Romney on Medicare is larger than it has been across public polls all year."

Tommy Thompson Promises To 'Do Away With Medicare and Medicaid'

Tommy Thompson Promises To 'Do Away With Medicare and Medicaid'
"After standing tall in support of Mitt Romney's 47 percent comments, this secret video of Tommy Thompson promising TeaBirchers he'll do away with the "rest of the entitlements" comes up. Oh, the things they say and how they wish this wasn't the age of YouTube."

GOP Senate Candidate Proposes A ‘Sunset Provision’ For Social Security That Would Jeopardize It’s Longterm Future

GOP Senate Candidate Proposes A ‘Sunset Provision’ For Social Security That Would Jeopardize It’s Longterm Future: Linda McMahon, the former CEO of the World Wrestling Federation and current Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Connecticut, told a Tea Party gathering earlier this year that she would be open to a change in Social Security that would introduce a “sunset provision,” effectively attaching an expiration date to the social program. The remarks [...]/p

Linda McMahon thinks it's time to 'sunset' Social Security

Linda McMahon thinks it's time to 'sunset' Social Security
"Like Thompson, McMahon was telling her people, the tea partiers, what she really intends to do. And, like all Republicans, that's ending the entitlement programs."

Paul Ryan's Secret Tape Is Worse Than Mitt's

Paul Ryan's Secret Tape Is Worse Than Mitt's
"Ryan truly believes, just like his heroine Rand, that Medicare is an evil socialist, collectivist plot to undermine individual autonomy."

Ryan's 'Secret' Tape Is Even More Extreme Than Romney's | Alternet

Ryan's 'Secret' Tape Is Even More Extreme Than Romney's | Alternet
"When they  booed Paul Ryan at the American Association of Retired Persons last week, most people didn't even know he called Medicare and Social Security "third party or socialist-based systems." Or that he  said he wants to privatize them in order to "break the back" of a "collectivist philosophy."

On recently transcribed remarks from an audio recording, Ryan said his ideas and values were shaped by an extremist author who thought humanity must "reject the morality of altruism," and that his opinions on monetary policy are guided by a fictional speech which says "the words 'to make money' hold the essence of human morality." That author says the "collectivist philosophy" Ryan ascribes to Social Security and Medicare is a "looters' credo." By that reckoning, anyone who receives assistance from the government -- including disabled combat veterans or impoverished children -- is a "looter"."

Top GOP Senate Candidate Just Says It: 'Do Away With Medicare, Medicaid' | Common Dreams

Top GOP Senate Candidate Just Says It: 'Do Away With Medicare, Medicaid' | Common Dreams
"The video has only now surfaced and its a blockbuster -- especially in the aftermath of the release last week of a similar video that saw Republican presiential nominee Mitt Romney dismissing 47 percent of Americans as a "dependent" class unworthy of Republican consideration.

Just to repeat: a top Republican Senate candidate has been caught on video talking about how he would “DO AWAY WITH MEDICAID, AND MEDICARE.”

Just to repeat: “DO AWAY WITH MEDICAID, AND MEDICARE.”

It should be understood that Thompson is no fringe-dwelling Todd Akin. As the longtime Republican governor of a swing state, he’s worked with every GOP president since Ronald Reagan, and he oversaw social programs for the Bush-Cheney administration. This year, he’s one of his party’s premier recruits in the fight to retake the Senate. Indeed, the race between Thompson and Democratic Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin could decide which party controls the chamber.

Thompson is, as well, closely aligned with Paul Ryan. The Senate candidate’s ties to Ryan’s politically connected family go back to when the Republican vice-presidential nominee was a child. Thompson has been a Ryan booster from the very beginning of the younger Wisconsinite’s career in electoral politics—when Thompson was the powerful governor of the state and Ryan was organizing his first Congressional bid."