There's a need to reform Medicare, but not a need to cut a half trillion dollars out of Medicare.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
If someone really wanted to end Medicare, they wouldn't propose a reform: they would do nothing.
We shouldn't be undermining Medicare for those who need it most in order to give more tax cuts to those who need them least.
And in terms of entitlement reforms, we have to save them from themselves, because if we don't reform social security and we don't reform Medicare, they're going to actually implode.
We can't get to the $4 trillion in savings that we need by just cutting the 12 percent of the budget that pays for things like medical research and education funding and food inspectors and the weather service. And we can't just do it by making seniors pay more for Medicare.
I'm not saying we don't need health care reform. We do need health care reform.
For all their scare tactics, President Obama and Democrats have no plan whatsoever to preserve Medicare for future generations - or protect it for today's seniors and those nearing retirement. They did, however, cut Medicare by $700 billion to bankroll Obamacare.
As Congress debates overhauling the nation's health care system, it should not authorize a reform plan that would further our financial woes. We must avoid creating an unsustainable government program. There is no question that reform is needed, but health care can be made more affordable without massive and expensive new bureaucracies.
I believe we ought to subsidize some health care for the poor, but Medicare subsidizes everyone's health care.
Tens of billions of dollars could be saved in Medicare and Medicaid alone by eliminate fraud and improving patient care. Not only would this save money, but it will save lives.
It's not health care reform to dump more money into Medicaid.