The Way Forward: Repeal ObamaCare

[LoneLaugher]

Name the last....check that...the FIRST time that gubmint stuck its nose into something and the costs went down.

3...

2...

1...

GO!

Diversionary tactic: When someone is making points that you are unable to counter then it is time to throw out a pointless and misleading question (e.g. when did you stop beating your wife) in order to appear not to be getting your butt kicked in an argument.

1 Prices tend to go up slightly... that is our monetary policy.
2 The government taxes and regulates every industry to some degree.
3 Even with an intentional low inflation rate, prices still fluctuate up an down in regulated industries (e.g. housing, energy, technology) despite regulations.

hence the question is pointless. Talk radio hosts use this question when they are losing arguments.

Thanks. I appreciate it when someone comes along and states the case with such ease. Well done.

 

[Bfgrn]

None of those things made anything less expensive or more efficient....They were just plain old giveaways.

And Fed monetary policy is completely seperate from anything the gubmint does...Aside from that, it ws primarily responsible for the Great Depression.

That's a big fat 0-fer.....Try again.

You CAN'T be serious? You are truly an IDIOT.

A cynic is a man who knows the price of everything but the value of nothing.
Oscar Wilde

40 Years of the US Interstate Highway System: An Analysis
The Best Investment A Nation Ever Made

Without a first class system of interstate highways, life in America would be far different --- it would be more risky, less prosperous, and lacking in the efficiency and comfort that Americans now enjoy and take for granted. People would be crowded into more densely packed inner cities, intercity travel would occur less often and be more cumbersome; freight charges would be higher and, as a consequence, so would prices. Vacation travel would be more restricted.

The Dwight D. Eisenhower System of Interstate and Defense Highways is in place and celebrating its 40th anniversary, must surely be the best investment a nation ever made. Consider this:

It has enriched the quality of life for virtually every American.

It has saved the lives of at least 187,000 people.

It has prevented injuries to nearly 12 million people.

It has returned more than $6 in economic productivity for each $1 it cost.

It has positioned the nation for improved international competitiveness.

It has permitted the cherished freedom of personal mobility to flourish.

It has enhanced international security.

It is not an exaggeration, but a simple statement of fact, that the interstate highway system is an engine that has driven 40 years of unprecedented prosperity and positioned the United States to remain the world's pre-eminent power into the 21st century.

While it is not typically thought of in this way, the system is in reality a gift from one group of people --- highway users --- to the nation as a whole, which has reaped a gain of at least $6 in benefit for each $1 spent in construction. And that's just the beginning --- there are additional benefits such as higher employment rates and greater economic opportunity that are simply beyond quantification. Fortunately, the group of people who paid for the interstate highway system is sufficiently large that it's difference from the nation as a whole is virtually without distinction. But it is a worthy difference to keep in mind as a backdrop for public policy deliberations over future funding of highways.

The US Interstate Highway System: 40 Year Report

Yes we get it. Roads good. No shit Sherlock. That was not what was asked though. What was asked was what has the government ever taken over and reduced the cost of. Roads were never taken over from anything and it is more than likely the privet sector could have done it FAR cheaper. Unfortunately, there was no reason to as there is no profit motive in it the government had to come in and set up roads. You know what, that means it was a governmental responsibility – something that the private sector was unwilling and incapable of doing. Like police, fire rescue and a whole host of other things that the government does.

Now, relate that to healthcare because it is not even close to similar in any regard whatsoever. It has no parallels AT ALL.

Try to pay attention. I was responding to Oddball's ignorant claim: "None of those things made anything less expensive or more efficient"

The truth is the Interstate Highway System made EVERYTHING less expensive or more efficient.

If you want to relate it to health care, give me a list of the lowest cost healthcare systems, and then find ONE that is NOT run by government.

 

[dblack]

The truth is the Interstate Highway System made EVERYTHING less expensive or more efficient.

If you want to relate it to health care, give me a list of the lowest cost healthcare systems, and then find ONE that is NOT run by government.

Heh...

 

[Oddball]

Name the last....check that...the FIRST time that gubmint stuck its nose into something and the costs went down.

3...

2...

1...

GO!

Diversionary tactic: When someone is making points that you are unable to counter then it is time to throw out a pointless and misleading question (e.g. when did you stop beating your wife) in order to appear not to be getting your butt kicked in an argument.

1 Prices tend to go up slightly... that is our monetary policy.
2 The government taxes and regulates every industry to some degree.
3 Even with an intentional low inflation rate, prices still fluctuate up an down in regulated industries (e.g. housing, energy, technology) despite regulations.

hence the question is pointless. Talk radio hosts use this question when they are losing arguments.

Diversionary tactic my ass.

One of the primary talking points of Obloshevikcare is that was goint to bring prices down, which it hasn't.....In fact Medicare, Medicaid and the welfare state in general all cost far, far more than any of the projections laid out when those fool programs were put into place....That's the fact, jack.

What's pointless is telling everyone that the incompetence, mismanagement and outright lies of the left are pointless.

 

[Oddball]

Try to pay attention. I was responding to Oddball's ignorant claim: "None of those things made anything less expensive or more efficient"

The truth is the Interstate Highway System made EVERYTHING less expensive or more efficient.

If you want to relate it to health care, give me a list of the lowest cost healthcare systems, and then find ONE that is NOT run by government.

The interstate system was not a giant federal takeover of an entire free market industry, like medical care (Medicare, Medicaid, Obolshevikcare), charity (welfare), mass transit, and/or (pick you favorite military contracting boondoggle)....Moreover, the freeways were all built by private contractors via the bidding process, rather than turned into a giant bureaucracy of centralplanner bureaucrats.

But your intellectual dishonesty is legendary, so this little bullshit tactic of yours is par for the course.

 

[Bfgrn]

Name the last....check that...the FIRST time that gubmint stuck its nose into something and the costs went down.

3...

2...

1...

GO!

Diversionary tactic: When someone is making points that you are unable to counter then it is time to throw out a pointless and misleading question (e.g. when did you stop beating your wife) in order to appear not to be getting your butt kicked in an argument.

1 Prices tend to go up slightly... that is our monetary policy.
2 The government taxes and regulates every industry to some degree.
3 Even with an intentional low inflation rate, prices still fluctuate up an down in regulated industries (e.g. housing, energy, technology) despite regulations.

hence the question is pointless. Talk radio hosts use this question when they are losing arguments.

Diversionary tactic my ass.

One of the primary talking points of Obloshevikcare is that was goint to bring prices down, which it hasn't.....In fact Medicare, Medicaid and the welfare state in general all cost far, far more than any of the projections laid out when those fool programs were put into place....That's the fact, jack.

What's pointless is telling everyone that the incompetence, mismanagement and outright lies of the left are pointless.

So, would you end Medicare and Medicaid? What would be your solution to offer senior citizens health insurance they could afford?

How did senior citizens do before Medicare?

 

[Redfish]

Obamacare is doomed. Congress wants to be exempt, the unions want to be exempt, many businesses who contributed to obama have been made exempt.

it is a terrible piece of legislation and must be repealed.

the irony is that there was no healthcare crisis that needed a massive govt intrusion to fix it.

 

[Oddball]

Try to pay attention to my point, rather than diverting and distracting from it, you willfully ignorant boob.

The consrtuction of the interstate system is not similar, in any way shape or manner, to Medicare, Medicaid, Socialist Insecurity, food stamps, the Department of Edumacation, farm subsidies, miliraty contracting, or any other of the central planner wet dreams of the socialistic welfare state.

 

[Oddball]

Diversionary tactic: When someone is making points that you are unable to counter then it is time to throw out a pointless and misleading question (e.g. when did you stop beating your wife) in order to appear not to be getting your butt kicked in an argument.

1 Prices tend to go up slightly... that is our monetary policy.
2 The government taxes and regulates every industry to some degree.
3 Even with an intentional low inflation rate, prices still fluctuate up an down in regulated industries (e.g. housing, energy, technology) despite regulations.

hence the question is pointless. Talk radio hosts use this question when they are losing arguments.

Diversionary tactic my ass.

One of the primary talking points of Obloshevikcare is that was goint to bring prices down, which it hasn't.....In fact Medicare, Medicaid and the welfare state in general all cost far, far more than any of the projections laid out when those fool programs were put into place....That's the fact, jack.

What's pointless is telling everyone that the incompetence, mismanagement and outright lies of the left are pointless.

So, would you end Medicare and Medicaid? What would be your solution to offer senior citizens health insurance they could afford?

How did senior citizens do before Medicare?

Absolutely.

Medicare isn't insurance, it's a flat-out welfare state giveaway that costs more than 10X what it was claimed that it was going to cost when enacted....That money would be better left in the hands of people seeking out medical care to find the best deal thaey can get.

 

[Mac1958]

.

I'd damn sure end Medicare and Medicaid. And VA and group health insurance and indigent care. What a fuckin' stupid way to run health care - five different systems with little coordination.

Then I'd replace it with universal coverage for preventive/diagnostic care to identify problems early and drastically reduce costs; individual supplementary insurance-based coverage to aggressively promote competition and innovation and to take a massive monkey off the backs of business; a nationally-coordinated cost-cutting regimine that would include tactics like tort reform, universal electronic records and value-based insurance design (look it up); and then a premium-support program to keep low-income families healthy and engaged.

That's about the 30th time I've posted that; when I reach 100, I'm gonna run out into the middle of the freakin' freeway and jump in front of a freakin' semi so that I don't have to freakin' think about this stupid freakin' system of ours any more.

.

 

[Oddball]

.

I'd damn sure end Medicare and Medicaid. And VA and group health insurance and indigent care. What a fuckin' stupid way to run health care - five different systems with little coordination.

Then I'd replace it with universal coverage for preventive/diagnostic care to identify problems early and drastically reduce costs; individual supplementary insurance-based coverage to aggressively promote competition and innovation and to take a massive monkey off the backs of business; a nationally-coordinated cost-cutting regimine that would include tactics like tort reform, universal electronic records and value-based insurance design (look it up); and then a premium-support program to keep low-income families healthy and engaged.

That's about the 30th time I've posted that; when I reach 100, I'm gonna run out into the middle of the freakin' freeway and jump in front of a freakin' semi so that I don't have to freakin' think about this stupid freakin' system of ours any more.

.

All costs (probably not) but thoise for preventive/diagnostic care, which will skyrocket as virtually everyoine treats that like a birthright.

How about we quit trying to polish turds and get gubmint entirely out of the medical care industry, up to and including no longer allowing medical insurance as a pre-tax item for everyone?...No tax-free benefits for anybody....It doesn't get more fair than that.

 

[Redfish]

.

I'd damn sure end Medicare and Medicaid. And VA and group health insurance and indigent care. What a fuckin' stupid way to run health care - five different systems with little coordination.

Then I'd replace it with universal coverage for preventive/diagnostic care to identify problems early and drastically reduce costs; individual supplementary insurance-based coverage to aggressively promote competition and innovation and to take a massive monkey off the backs of business; a nationally-coordinated cost-cutting regimine that would include tactics like tort reform, universal electronic records and value-based insurance design (look it up); and then a premium-support program to keep low-income families healthy and engaged.

That's about the 30th time I've posted that; when I reach 100, I'm gonna run out into the middle of the freakin' freeway and jump in front of a freakin' semi so that I don't have to freakin' think about this stupid freakin' system of ours any more.

.

I agree with some of your ideas. the problem is the process of converting from the mess we have now to something that makes sense. The people now on medicare paid into the program from its inception, they are entitled to the benefits that they were promised in exchange for taking money out of their paychecks.

As with all of these things, the devil is in the details. Tort reform--definitely needed.

What pisses me off is that the one program that actually worked well for the people, insurance companies, and the medical community--medicare advantage--has been cancelled by obozocare effective 1/1/14. People on that program have no idea what kind of coverage they will have in january or what it will cost.

 

[Mac1958]

.

I'd damn sure end Medicare and Medicaid. And VA and group health insurance and indigent care. What a fuckin' stupid way to run health care - five different systems with little coordination.

Then I'd replace it with universal coverage for preventive/diagnostic care to identify problems early and drastically reduce costs; individual supplementary insurance-based coverage to aggressively promote competition and innovation and to take a massive monkey off the backs of business; a nationally-coordinated cost-cutting regimine that would include tactics like tort reform, universal electronic records and value-based insurance design (look it up); and then a premium-support program to keep low-income families healthy and engaged.

That's about the 30th time I've posted that; when I reach 100, I'm gonna run out into the middle of the freakin' freeway and jump in front of a freakin' semi so that I don't have to freakin' think about this stupid freakin' system of ours any more.

.

All costs (probably not) but thoise for preventive/diagnostic care, which will skyrocket as virtually everyoine treats that like a birthright.

How about we quit trying to polish turds and get gubmint entirely out of the medical care industry, up to and including no longer allowing medical insurance as a pre-tax item for everyone?...No tax-free benefits for anybody....It doesn't get more fair than that.

Preventive/diagnostic care is relatively inexpensive and does not need to be administered by doctors. The increased demand would create a massive new industry and myriad cost-cutting innovations.

I don't like paying higher insurance premiums because other people don't have coverage; I don't like sitting in the emergency room with one of my kids for two hours because so many people are using it as their regular doctor; I don't like paying more for goods and services to companies who are economically hamstrung by their health insurance benefit costs; I don't like all of my health care costs increasing because people who don't have access to preventive/diagnostic care are costing far more when their conditions are advanced.

If your plan addresses those issues, I'd love to see it.

.

 

[dblack]

I don't like paying higher insurance premiums because other people don't have coverage.

And I don't like paying inflated healthcare prices because you idiots are over insured. Can I pass a law 'addressing' that?

Seriously, is that what government is about to you? A tool to bully your neighbors into conforming to your preferences?

 

[Bfgrn]

.

I'd damn sure end Medicare and Medicaid. And VA and group health insurance and indigent care. What a fuckin' stupid way to run health care - five different systems with little coordination.

Then I'd replace it with universal coverage for preventive/diagnostic care to identify problems early and drastically reduce costs; individual supplementary insurance-based coverage to aggressively promote competition and innovation and to take a massive monkey off the backs of business; a nationally-coordinated cost-cutting regimine that would include tactics like tort reform, universal electronic records and value-based insurance design (look it up); and then a premium-support program to keep low-income families healthy and engaged.

That's about the 30th time I've posted that; when I reach 100, I'm gonna run out into the middle of the freakin' freeway and jump in front of a freakin' semi so that I don't have to freakin' think about this stupid freakin' system of ours any more.

.

All costs (probably not) but thoise for preventive/diagnostic care, which will skyrocket as virtually everyoine treats that like a birthright.

How about we quit trying to polish turds and get gubmint entirely out of the medical care industry, up to and including no longer allowing medical insurance as a pre-tax item for everyone?...No tax-free benefits for anybody....It doesn't get more fair than that.

If you guys have such great solutions, surely you can provide examples of other industrialized countries that have implemented these Einstein ideas?

HERE are the FACTS on how the elderly did before Medicare. Back then, insurance and medical costs were much lower, so it should have been much easier for seniors to afford comprehensive health care.

47 MILLION…the number of Americans for whom Medicare provides comprehensive health care

51 PERCENT…the number of Americans 65 or older who did not have health care before Medicare was passed, while today virtually all elderly Americans have health care thanks to Medicare

30 PERCENT…the number of elderly Americans who lived in poverty before Medicare, a number now reduced to 7.5 PERCENT

72 PERCENT…the number of Americans in a recent poll who said that Medicare is “extremely” or “very” important to their retirement security

Medicare assures health care for seniors who might otherwise find health care inaccessible. It saves our government money. It makes the lives of our seniors better.

Two concepts inspired Medicare. First, seniors require more care than younger Americans. Second, seniors usually live on less income; many survive only on Social Security. This combination renders seniors extremely vulnerable to losing their savings, homes or lives from easily treatable diseases.

And Medicare provides good care. American life expectancy at birth ranks 30th in the world. We remain 30th for the rest of our lives -- until we reach 65. Then, our rank rises until we reach 14th at 80. We can thank the remarkable access to health care provided by Medicare.

Every industrialized nation guarantees health care for seniors. Indeed, we are unhappily distinctive in being the only industrialized nation that does not guarantee care for everyone else, as well. Medicare restores us to a civilized status.

Before Medicare, only 40 percent of nonworking seniors had health insurance, and of those with coverage, private insurance paid for less than 10 percent of their hospital bills. The principle of insuring only the healthy who consume little care and avoiding the sick has always driven our private insurance industry. No insurance company can make money by offering the same comprehensive, affordable coverage to seniors as Medicare, so they don't offer it. Our experience with Medicare Advantage, an effort to privatize parts of Medicare, resulted in our government spending $17 billion more for the same benefits available through Medicare. Our private insurance industry was in no hurry to insure seniors before Medicare started. They are in no hurry now. Medicare revolutionized health care access for seniors.

Why is Medicare expensive? Simply, health care for seniors will always cost more than that of healthier, younger Americans. And costs are rising in every health care system around the world, not just Medicare. The United States is doubly cursed because our costs are rising faster and are already twice as expensive as other countries. Though hard to believe, Medicare is a leader in fighting cost increases. Private insurance industry costs are rising nearly twice as fast as those of Medicare. And when it comes to administrative expenses, private insurance is 10 times higher than Medicare. In fact, if the single payer financing of Medicare were applied to citizens of all ages, we would save $350 billion annually, more than enough to provide comprehensive health care to every American.

Medicare is good for our seniors and good for our country. It provides health care far more affordably and efficiently than our private insurance industry. It saves our country hundreds of billions of dollars in administrative overhead. And if we expand Medicare to cover younger, healthier Americans, we would all get more care at less cost.

More

 

[Meister]

I don't like paying higher insurance premiums because other people don't have coverage.

And I don't like paying inflated healthcare prices because you idiots are over insured. Can I pass a law 'addressing' that?

Seriously, is that what government is about to you? A tool to bully your neighbors into conforming to your preferences?

I have concerns when the IRS is going to be the guard dog overseeing obamacare.

 

[Redfish]

.

I'd damn sure end Medicare and Medicaid. And VA and group health insurance and indigent care. What a fuckin' stupid way to run health care - five different systems with little coordination.

Then I'd replace it with universal coverage for preventive/diagnostic care to identify problems early and drastically reduce costs; individual supplementary insurance-based coverage to aggressively promote competition and innovation and to take a massive monkey off the backs of business; a nationally-coordinated cost-cutting regimine that would include tactics like tort reform, universal electronic records and value-based insurance design (look it up); and then a premium-support program to keep low-income families healthy and engaged.

That's about the 30th time I've posted that; when I reach 100, I'm gonna run out into the middle of the freakin' freeway and jump in front of a freakin' semi so that I don't have to freakin' think about this stupid freakin' system of ours any more.

.

All costs (probably not) but thoise for preventive/diagnostic care, which will skyrocket as virtually everyoine treats that like a birthright.

How about we quit trying to polish turds and get gubmint entirely out of the medical care industry, up to and including no longer allowing medical insurance as a pre-tax item for everyone?...No tax-free benefits for anybody....It doesn't get more fair than that.

If you guys have such great solutions, surely you can provide examples of other industrialized countries that have implemented these Einstein ideas?

HERE are the FACTS on how the elderly did before Medicare. Back then, insurance and medical costs were much lower, so it should have been much easier for seniors to afford comprehensive health care.

47 MILLION…the number of Americans for whom Medicare provides comprehensive health care

51 PERCENT…the number of Americans 65 or older who did not have health care before Medicare was passed, while today virtually all elderly Americans have health care thanks to Medicare

30 PERCENT…the number of elderly Americans who lived in poverty before Medicare, a number now reduced to 7.5 PERCENT

72 PERCENT…the number of Americans in a recent poll who said that Medicare is “extremely” or “very” important to their retirement security

Medicare assures health care for seniors who might otherwise find health care inaccessible. It saves our government money. It makes the lives of our seniors better.

Two concepts inspired Medicare. First, seniors require more care than younger Americans. Second, seniors usually live on less income; many survive only on Social Security. This combination renders seniors extremely vulnerable to losing their savings, homes or lives from easily treatable diseases.

And Medicare provides good care. American life expectancy at birth ranks 30th in the world. We remain 30th for the rest of our lives -- until we reach 65. Then, our rank rises until we reach 14th at 80. We can thank the remarkable access to health care provided by Medicare.

Every industrialized nation guarantees health care for seniors. Indeed, we are unhappily distinctive in being the only industrialized nation that does not guarantee care for everyone else, as well. Medicare restores us to a civilized status.

Before Medicare, only 40 percent of nonworking seniors had health insurance, and of those with coverage, private insurance paid for less than 10 percent of their hospital bills. The principle of insuring only the healthy who consume little care and avoiding the sick has always driven our private insurance industry. No insurance company can make money by offering the same comprehensive, affordable coverage to seniors as Medicare, so they don't offer it. Our experience with Medicare Advantage, an effort to privatize parts of Medicare, resulted in our government spending $17 billion more for the same benefits available through Medicare. Our private insurance industry was in no hurry to insure seniors before Medicare started. They are in no hurry now. Medicare revolutionized health care access for seniors.

Why is Medicare expensive? Simply, health care for seniors will always cost more than that of healthier, younger Americans. And costs are rising in every health care system around the world, not just Medicare. The United States is doubly cursed because our costs are rising faster and are already twice as expensive as other countries. Though hard to believe, Medicare is a leader in fighting cost increases. Private insurance industry costs are rising nearly twice as fast as those of Medicare. And when it comes to administrative expenses, private insurance is 10 times higher than Medicare. In fact, if the single payer financing of Medicare were applied to citizens of all ages, we would save $350 billion annually, more than enough to provide comprehensive health care to every American.

Medicare is good for our seniors and good for our country. It provides health care far more affordably and efficiently than our private insurance industry. It saves our country hundreds of billions of dollars in administrative overhead. And if we expand Medicare to cover younger, healthier Americans, we would all get more care at less cost.

More

I don't know where you did the cut/paste from but some of it makes sense. Its generally better to post in your own words rather than pasting an entire article.

As to medicare---I agree that it has been a good program. Are you aware that medicare advantage goes away next january 1 ?

medicare advantage is a program that works great for the people, insurance companies, and the medical community------but obozocare killed it.

 

[Redfish]

I don't like paying higher insurance premiums because other people don't have coverage.

And I don't like paying inflated healthcare prices because you idiots are over insured. Can I pass a law 'addressing' that?

Seriously, is that what government is about to you? A tool to bully your neighbors into conforming to your preferences?

I have concerns when the IRS is going to be the guard dog overseeing obamacare.

It looks like congress is going to change that. even the dems are against it.

 

[Oddball]

I don't know where you did the cut/paste from but some of it makes sense. Its generally better to post in your own words rather than pasting an entire article.

As to medicare---I agree that it has been a good program. Are you aware that medicare advantage goes away next january 1 ?

medicare advantage is a program that works great for the people, insurance companies, and the medical community------but obozocare killed it.

He can't past his own words....It gives him away as the pissed off lolberal control freak crank that he is.

 

[Oddball]

.

I'd damn sure end Medicare and Medicaid. And VA and group health insurance and indigent care. What a fuckin' stupid way to run health care - five different systems with little coordination.

Then I'd replace it with universal coverage for preventive/diagnostic care to identify problems early and drastically reduce costs; individual supplementary insurance-based coverage to aggressively promote competition and innovation and to take a massive monkey off the backs of business; a nationally-coordinated cost-cutting regimine that would include tactics like tort reform, universal electronic records and value-based insurance design (look it up); and then a premium-support program to keep low-income families healthy and engaged.

That's about the 30th time I've posted that; when I reach 100, I'm gonna run out into the middle of the freakin' freeway and jump in front of a freakin' semi so that I don't have to freakin' think about this stupid freakin' system of ours any more.

.

All costs (probably not) but thoise for preventive/diagnostic care, which will skyrocket as virtually everyoine treats that like a birthright.

How about we quit trying to polish turds and get gubmint entirely out of the medical care industry, up to and including no longer allowing medical insurance as a pre-tax item for everyone?...No tax-free benefits for anybody....It doesn't get more fair than that.

If you guys have such great solutions, surely you can provide examples of other industrialized countries that have implemented these Einstein ideas?

HERE are the FACTS on how the elderly did before Medicare. Back then, insurance and medical costs were much lower, so it should have been much easier for seniors to afford comprehensive health care.

47 MILLION…the number of Americans for whom Medicare provides comprehensive health care

51 PERCENT…the number of Americans 65 or older who did not have health care before Medicare was passed, while today virtually all elderly Americans have health care thanks to Medicare

30 PERCENT…the number of elderly Americans who lived in poverty before Medicare, a number now reduced to 7.5 PERCENT

72 PERCENT…the number of Americans in a recent poll who said that Medicare is “extremely” or “very” important to their retirement security

Medicare assures health care for seniors who might otherwise find health care inaccessible. It saves our government money. It makes the lives of our seniors better.

Two concepts inspired Medicare. First, seniors require more care than younger Americans. Second, seniors usually live on less income; many survive only on Social Security. This combination renders seniors extremely vulnerable to losing their savings, homes or lives from easily treatable diseases.

And Medicare provides good care. American life expectancy at birth ranks 30th in the world. We remain 30th for the rest of our lives -- until we reach 65. Then, our rank rises until we reach 14th at 80. We can thank the remarkable access to health care provided by Medicare.

Every industrialized nation guarantees health care for seniors. Indeed, we are unhappily distinctive in being the only industrialized nation that does not guarantee care for everyone else, as well. Medicare restores us to a civilized status.

Before Medicare, only 40 percent of nonworking seniors had health insurance, and of those with coverage, private insurance paid for less than 10 percent of their hospital bills. The principle of insuring only the healthy who consume little care and avoiding the sick has always driven our private insurance industry. No insurance company can make money by offering the same comprehensive, affordable coverage to seniors as Medicare, so they don't offer it. Our experience with Medicare Advantage, an effort to privatize parts of Medicare, resulted in our government spending $17 billion more for the same benefits available through Medicare. Our private insurance industry was in no hurry to insure seniors before Medicare started. They are in no hurry now. Medicare revolutionized health care access for seniors.

Why is Medicare expensive? Simply, health care for seniors will always cost more than that of healthier, younger Americans. And costs are rising in every health care system around the world, not just Medicare. The United States is doubly cursed because our costs are rising faster and are already twice as expensive as other countries. Though hard to believe, Medicare is a leader in fighting cost increases. Private insurance industry costs are rising nearly twice as fast as those of Medicare. And when it comes to administrative expenses, private insurance is 10 times higher than Medicare. In fact, if the single payer financing of Medicare were applied to citizens of all ages, we would save $350 billion annually, more than enough to provide comprehensive health care to every American.

Medicare is good for our seniors and good for our country. It provides health care far more affordably and efficiently than our private insurance industry. It saves our country hundreds of billions of dollars in administrative overhead. And if we expand Medicare to cover younger, healthier Americans, we would all get more care at less cost.

More

Who know that "more affordable" costs in excess of 10X more than anyone said it would cost?

Your "solution" is the problem, Jethro.