Health care bill debated in AARP forum

A debate on whether society is obligated to provide health care for all was one of the topics aired Saturday at a forum hosted by the local chapter of the AARP.

[Just One]

Just one comment from Rand, the AARP CEO, is all that's needed.
No reason to hold these pow wows IMO.
Let Rand speak up!
Waiting, waiting, waiting!

[Jody Daniel]

You supported this junk health card bill!

YOU LOOSE. CLICK..
That is the sound of my support hanging up your organization and it's left wing views!

I hope members do the same are you are to foolish to know what the American Citizens want or need!

[Old Obie]

What Does AARP get by supporting OBAMA CARE?
Read below:
The AARP got a financial windfall in return for its support of the healthcare bill. Over the past decade, the AARP has morphed from an advocacy group to an insurance company (through its subsidiary company). It is one of the main suppliers of Medi-gap insurance, a high-cost, privately purchased coverage that picks up where Medicare leaves off. But President Bush-43 passed the Medicare Advantage program, which offered a subsidized, lower-cost alternative to Medi-gap. Under Medicare Advantage, the elderly get all the extra coverage they need plus coordinated, well-managed care, usually by the same physician. So more than 10 million seniors went with Medicare Advantage, cutting into AARP Medi-gap revenues.

Presto! Obama solved their problem. He eliminates subsidies for Medicare Advantage. The elderly will have to pay more for coverage under Medigap, but the AARP -- which supposedly represents them -- will make more money.(

[Rocky Boecher]

Why would anyone remain an AARP member knowing that the organization fully supports the Obama health care package which will be funded largely through large MEDICARE cuts. This is an outrage, especially when we have paid into the system all of our working lives with the promise of top medical care upon retirement. I for one cancelled my membership in AARP to join an organization that has our interests at heart: The Seniors Coalition.

Good luck folks

[No Name]

I think AARP is a ripoff organization run by a bunch of selfish political "elite" who really just want to push their own personal agenda.

[Warren Pegram]

Remarks to the Senate of the United States regarding the issue of debating universal health care
Let us realize the issue is not just government versus private administration of health care. It is foremost a financial matter whether 80 million wage-earners can afford to pay $1.8 trillion in health care after Medicare taxes are deducted. Those health care costs come from many GNP sources and the IRS.
That’s what this debate is about: its not about private vsgovernment control but just whether the cost is affordable.
Universal health care is a grand idea but not if it costs productive Americans their standard of living.
Our Democrat colleagues have offered much verbal remarks but nothing that shows how America can pay for socialized medicine without destroying the backbone of Americans who made this country great.”leveling the playing field’ may sound grand but in reality it merely means everyone has nothing.
Lets look at how universal health care will perform.
First,$1.8 trillion divided by 80 million wage-earners means the average wage–earner ‘owes’$22,500 a year to universal health care.
That’s $1875 per month.
Who in your district can afford to have that deducted from their take-home pay and have enough left to buy a loaf of bread, much less groceries?
So we graduated the ‘tax’ from $22 per month at a median wage of $11,000 a year to $175,350 per month for wages of $6 million a year and that tax table is addended at the end of my remarks..
A wage of $39,000 a year ‘owes’$395 a month. Part may be paid by employers but it will certainly be a very lesser portion of the ‘tax;’ or employers face strenuous product cost increases that will reduce sales and increase unemployment. Most of the ‘premium’ will be paid by wage-earners.
Significantly, the wages of more than $60,00 annually and more will see they owe 30% of their gross to universal health care costs. That $60,000 wage –earner will ‘owe’$1350 per month, a $100,000 wage will owe $2500 per month. Wage-earners of a million a year will owe $30,000 per month.
Those ‘rich’ groups are the primary contributors to our campaign contributions and political supporters; they will dry up considerably.
To protect the ‘rich’ there will be substantial reductions in coverages and benefits, Expect those substantial cuts in benefits and coverages to come from the anticipated Medicare plans; expect doubled copays for primary and specialist visits and reduction of initial hospital care costs from the current $940 to over $3500 for both wage-earners and Medicare patients. And for Medicare expect those end-of-life decisions from doctors to ‘save’ on those costs, aka the recent 60 minutes segment.
So it must be not just the duty but the obligation for our Democrat members of this Senate to show us where, and precisely who, and how, funding can be obtained to support universal health care. The time for pretty phrases is over, its time for details and consequences.
And take careful note, that $1.8 trillion will likely rise to 2.5 trillion when health care is ‘free’ to the masses. Plug that into these forecasts.
If you cannot do that you need to back off this universal health care plan and show good management skills rather than politicians pie-in-the-shy rhetoric. So far you have improved health care by continuing coverages between jobs and guaranteeing signups but that isn’t enough.
We need a cost chart showing just how universal health care is paid and by whom.
Thank you Mr Chairman for the opportunity to state clearly the health care issue at hand. I trust we will all work together as managers to resolve the issue of universal health care to the benefit of the country..
My addendum is a reply

[Warren Pegram]

Universal Health Care Tax Table .
collection annual health care
health care tax group group
per mo per median tax
wage-earner income % of income
22 11,102 2.4
38 11,632 4
55 13,763 4.8
77 17,051 5.4
88 21,263 4.9
153 25,640 7.2
274 29,987 11
438 34,541 15.2
395 39,048 12.1
482 42,968 13.5
658 47,569 16.6
986 51,514 23
1,315 59,902 26.3
1,973 76,327 31
2,740 113,192 29
5,480 205,347 32
10,959 398,833 33
16,439 590,968 33.4
21,919 772,124 34.1
32,878 1,191,646 33.1
65,756 2,290,039 34.5
175,350 6,139,799 34.3
Sorry I cannot make the table separated columns but I think you can you can figure them out.