GAO (Government Accountability Office) released a report on the failings of the fraud and abuse system for Medicaid or Medicare. The study was requested by Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown (R) and Delaware Senator Thomas Carper … [Read more...]
Will a Deficit Reduction/Debt Ceiling Deal Help Re-elect Barack Obama?
Right now I think the likelihood of Barack Obama being reelected is far from assured. Political commentator Mark Halperin thinks that concluding a deal on deficits and debt will greatly aid Obama in his reelection bid. With regard to how a … [Read more...]
Obama Wants To Attack The Middle Class? Take Congress Hostage!
By now you have heard that President Obama has chosen to throw Social Security and the Medicare and Medicaid Programs over the side of his proverbial fishing boat as bait to see if he can get Republicans to give him another really lousy … [Read more...]
The Looming Compromise on Revenues
Against the backdrop of heightened political rhetoric among conservatives about not being willing to raise tax revenues as part of the deal to raise the debt ceiling, there is a growing acknowledgement among many Republicans in Washington … [Read more...]
The Tea Party, Taxes and Spending Cuts
A key goal of the Tea Party movement is the reduction of the national debt and thus the size of government via spending cuts. However, it is highly unlikely that the federal deficit can be reduced through spending cuts alone. That said if … [Read more...]
Newt Gingrich Says Scott Brown in Favor of ‘Right-wing Social Engineering
Newt Gingrich and the Massachusetts delegation almost always differ on the issues. This weekend was no different, when two sides clashed: Senator Scott Brown endorsed Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s proposed budget; Newt Gingrich … [Read more...]
On Redistribution, Or, “Afghanistan Peace Dividend Stimulus Lotto? OK!”
They tell us we’re dropping about $10 billion a month in Afghanistan so we can catch that Bin Laden guy...but eventually, we’re gonna catch him, and as soon as we do you can imagine that folks will be wondering why we’re still over there – … [Read more...]
On Killing Medicare, Or, You Stand Up, They Run Scared
Oh, my, has there been a lot of news since we spoke last about the Potential Impending Death Of Medicare: obviously we’re going to have to talk about the implications of Osama Bin Laden’s death (but we’ll do that another day), President … [Read more...]
Medicare Is The Solution
Medicare is much more efficient than private insurance, so we should expand it to people who want to buy in. So what's the answer? For starters, allow anyone at any age to join Medicare. Medicare's administrative costs are in the range of 3 … [Read more...]
It’s All. About. Health. Care. Costs.
I'm going to de-shrillify the central argument of a Paul Krugman column, so that we can all try to get the point, minus the extra two-minute-hate adrenaline rush:The budget crisis is due to Medicare and Medicaid cost increases over … [Read more...]