Let's Play Congress! (pt.1, Health and Human Services)

Great Debates
18

Okay, but seriously…

What in hell is with this prescription coverage for seniors? You know, for the first 20 years I was active in politics, I never heard of this. It was not an issue. No one talked about it.

Now, in the last couple of years, suddenly there’s this huge crisis that the government must step in and fund.

But let’s not forget some simple facts:

  1. The nation is getting older.
  2. As a group, seniors are the wealthiest people in the country.

Does it strike anyone else as being absolutely INSANE that seniors should get an entitlement like this? As it is, Social Security and Medicare costs are ballooning out of sight, and it’s only going to get worse over the next two decades. Why in hell are we adding this gigantic new expense to the problem?

What we should be looking at right now is a fundamental restructuring of both Medicare and Social Security - to CUT funding. By means-testing it. Since seniors as a group are rich, they can pay for their own damned health care. Social security is trickier, because theoretically they paid into the system with their own money. However, given the chronic under-funding of SS, the fact is that the people who are retiring today are getting a tremendous return on their investment, while people who retire in 40 years will be lucky to get back the money they put in, and would have been much better off in private investments.

So really, Social security is little more than a regressive tax, wherein the poor young working people of the country pay hefty taxes so that it can be spent by the older, wealthy people.

So let’s means-test 'em. Bill Gates can pay for his own false teeth and plastic hip. And I think he can do without the $600/mo or whatever he’ll get when he retires.

As far as drugs go, at the very least we have an opportunity to means-test those before they become another untouchable entitlement. Seniors can pay for their own damned drugs. Those who honestly can’t afford to can apply to the government for relief. Giving free drugs to everyone who hits a magic age is idiotic, unjust, and damned expensive.