Overview for medicare

$1.2 Trillion in Cuts is Not Enough

Everyone has an opinion on what the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (JSC) will produce by its Nov. 23rd deadline. Except the members and staff of the JSC itself. Rumors abound that the Republicans on the committee have already made a comprehensive offer to the Democrats. The …

Written by Steve Bell on Monday November 7, 2011

The Road to Treadmill Serfdom

It's a little hard to tell this story from Chicago without a lot of sarcasm, but I'll try my best. Like a lot of American cities, Chicago faces severe budget problems. One obvious place to look for savings: the health benefits of city employees. Health care for city workers costs Chicago $500 …

Written by David Frum on Tuesday September 20, 2011

NY-09 Winner Ran From Ryan Plan

The victory of Bob Turner in heavily Democratic NY-09 is clearly not good news for Democrats. When the media hasn't picked up is that Turner benefited by not embracing the Paul Ryan budget. Mickey Kaus has some good points about the inability for Democrats to win on entitlements: It’s the …

Written by Fred Bauer on Wednesday September 14, 2011

Romney's Task: Show Perry isn't Electable

Republicans watched Rick Perry's stumbling, unprepared performance in last week's debate - and decided they were watching a president in action. The latest CNN/Opinion Research poll has Perry at 32% among Republicans nationwide, Romney tumbled deep into second place at 21%. (If Palin entered …

Written by David Frum on Monday September 12, 2011

Memo to GOP: Don't Run on What Voters Don't Want

With the national debt skyrocketing, a faction on the right is hoping to turn the 2012 election into a debate on entitlement reform. No doubt, many Democrats are hoping the very same thing. Democrats would view that development as a chance to gain politically, while some Republicans would see it …

Written by Fred Bauer on Thursday September 1, 2011

What Sort of Democrat Was Rick Perry?

Texas Governor Rick Perry has been under criticism for comments he made in his book em> Fed Up!

Written by Mark R. Yzaguirre on Thursday August 25, 2011

Medicare's Flawed Bidding Plan Moves Forward

On Friday, August 19, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced what may be the worst perversion of a good idea to come out of the government in quite some time: something called Round Two of "The Competitive Bidding Program for certain Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, …

Written by Eli Lehrer on Tuesday August 23, 2011

Medicare's Disastrous Bidding Process

In the Weekly Standard , Eli Lehrer discusses a little understood but deeply flawed process that Medicare is using to bid on certain medical equipment. The consequences of the flawed system may lead to higher healthcare costs and lower life expectancies: In the trial areas, problems have …

Written by FrumForum Editors on Monday August 8, 2011

Obama's New Talking Point

The debt deal raises additional hurdles for Republican presidential candidates, argues Ed Kilgore in The New Republic . The big debt limit vote in Congress, it is increasingly obvious, is just an appetizer for the divisive, voter-alienating struggles it has built into the schedule at key …

Written by David Frum on Wednesday August 3, 2011

What to Watch in the Debt Negotiations

Here are the things to watch as the news about the debt negotiations comes out today. While we await the news from today’s debt ceiling negotiations between Republicans and Democratic leaders, news outlets are already leaking and reporting on the possible contours of a deal. But which …

Written by Noah Kristula-Green on Thursday July 7, 2011

Here's How To Get To A Debt Ceiling

Here’s the dirty little secret of the endlessly protracted debt ceiling negotiations —it actually isn’t that hard to meet the targets set out by either side. The theatrics of the past two weeks aside, the wink and the nod seem to be already communicated as the President, the Speaker of the …

Written by Steve Bell on Monday June 27, 2011

Gingrich Was Right About Ryan Plan

The elderly and large numbers of independents oppose the Ryan Plan, meaning GOP presidential hopefuls touting its proposals could be driven out of contention. Americans want the deficit reduced, but they aren’t so keen on Paul Ryan’s medicare plan. A new Bloomberg Poll finds that Americans by …

Written by Jeb Golinkin on Friday June 24, 2011

GOP Must Call Democrats' Bluff On Medicare Cuts

There's good reasons to think a Democrat offer to cut Medicare is insincere. But if the GOP is serious, they need to call Democrats’ bluff and propose even deeper cuts. Eric Cantor’s withdrawal from the debt talks with Joe Biden may be dominating the headlines for now but, in the long run, it …

Written by Eli Lehrer on Thursday June 23, 2011

Hospitals: The New Teachers' Unions?

In the 80s and 90s, teachers’ unions resisted measuring education progress with student testing. Now hospitals are opposing similar efficiency tests. Are hospitals the new public-school teachers' unions? From the New York Times today : More generally, [hospitals] are apprehensive about …

Written by David Frum on Tuesday May 31, 2011

NY-26's Biggest Loser: Medicare Reform

After the upset Democratic win in New York's 26th district, its clear that entitlement reform is again off the table. As a life-long Democrat, I should be celebrating the victory of Kathy Hochul in Tuesday’s special election for the U.S. House of Representatives. And the excitement I feel should …

Written by Les Francis on Wednesday May 25, 2011

Conservatives Scramble To Explain NY-26 Loss

Yesterday, the GOP lost an important race in NY-26. Conservatives are already offering excuses to minimize the importance of the loss. Yesterday the GOP lost an important race in NY-26 when Democrat Kathy Hochul defeated Republican Jane Corwin. Conservatives are already offering excuses …

Written by Tessa Berenson on Wednesday May 25, 2011

Why Voters Aren't Buying the Ryan Plan

CBO projects that by 2030 Ryan's vouchers would cover only 30% of the cost of an insurance policy equal to Medicare today. And the GOP thinks voters will back that? A footnote to the above posting regarding the Ryan budget plan. The Ryan plan does maximum damage to Republicans because of its …

Written by David Frum on Wednesday May 25, 2011

Paul Ryan: 2012's Goldwater?

NY-26 turned into a referendum on the Ryan plan for Medicare, handing the Dems a win. Yet, the GOP continues to ignore the political dangers in Ryan's budget. I used to worry that Sarah Palin would be the Barry Goldwater of 2012. My bad. Paul Ryan is the Barry Goldwater of 2012. The Goldwater …

Written by David Frum on Wednesday May 25, 2011

Medicare Fix Must Include Means-Testing

Anyone who is honestly contemplating Medicare's future must admit that controlling costs means some level of means-testing. The Democrats may have picked up a seat in New York by running against Paul Ryan's Medicare reform proposals. Anyone who is honestly contemplating Medicare's future though …

Written by Stanley Goldfarb on Wednesday May 25, 2011

More Businesses Opting Out of Obamacare

More and more businesses are having to face up to Obamacare's fundamental flaw. To paraphrase Jimmy McMillan: the cost is too damn high. Last week, the Obama administration approved over 200 new waivers for the Democrats’ health reform bill, more proof that businesses realize the plan is …

Written by Stanley Goldfarb on Wednesday May 18, 2011