https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/trump-republicans-privatize-medicare-1234960808/
If Donald Trump becomes president again, Republicans' 2025 policy agenda will “greatly accelerate” efforts to privatize Medicare.
This sort of thing used to be a "third rail" issue. The current political environment is so batshit, I think that rail is long gone.
I hope I'm wrong. Privatizing Medicare would cause massive suffering.
Republican voters are so far into the sunk cost fallacy of their cult, they are more than willing set themselves on fire, so long as their ENEMIES burn with them.
To me, that's the quintessential difference between the modern American centrist party (we don't have a meaningful left with any power sadly) and right wing party: Most of us want Republicans to have access to healthcare they can afford, utilities that work, safe food and water, and education, we all know they fucking need that last one desperately.
Modern Republicans, on the other hand, would very much like if those that opposed them (or are even just minding their own business but don't align with the rigid tenets of their cult) were dead, preferably very painfully while they watch.
Note all the obnoxious signs on many of their homes openly "jokingly haha" pining for the opportunity to shoot someone who gets too close to their properteh.
I don't want to help Republicans. I want them to fuck off and start their own country, consequences to them be damned.
I love seeing all the posts in secession groups asking if they'll keep their ebt and ssi. I'm sure some are trolls but we all know alot of people are thinking that.
Some poor people are able to get cost reduced healthcare in the US and to these wannabe dictators that's 100% unacceptable. A hospital visit needs to be a life ruining financial ordeal otherwise it's communism.
"American health care" is the problem in their eyes. They want financial natural selection - health care only if you can afford it out of pocket.
I saw an article recently that over half of people of whom Medicare is available to are now on Medicare Advantage plans, which are actually private plans that take all your Medicare allotment and may not provide better coverage
It is shocking, but I guess 24/7 commercials on Fox News work 😞
It is a huge scam and the government never should have allowed it…but capitalism at all costs, I guess.
It would not likely benefit seniors, since the private plans limit the doctors they can see and often wrongfully deny patients’ care.
I'll take Death Panels for $500, Alex.
lasers firing wildly
Looky there, daily double
But you see, the death panels are corporate boards, not government officials. That makes it better.
One item buried in the 887-page blueprint has attracted little attention thus far, but would have a monumental impact on the health of America’s seniors and the future of one of America’s most popular social programs: a call to “make Medicare Advantage the default enrollment option” for people who are newly eligible for Medicare.
Such a policy would hasten the end of the traditional Medicare program, as well as its foundational premise: that seniors can go to any doctor or provider they choose. The change would be a boon for private health insurers — which generate massive profits and growing portions of their revenues from Medicare Advantage plans — and further consolidate corporate control over the United States health care system.
Killing off old people first, then gradually hitting everyone else ... except ofc the wealthy.
I wonder if any rich people have thought about who's gonna take out the garbage and cook for them when the working class is gone?
Considering Millennials and Gen Z are a lot more liberal, maybe killing off the old people isn't the best idea.
Worse: the wealthiest people in the US have the same life expectancy of the poorest people in the UK. Being rich doesn't really make your life better or you a happy person. It never has, never will. It'll always and only be the pursuit of control for its own sake.
Everything that's happening in this shit stain of a timeline leads me to stronger and stronger opinions that I'm going to facilitate my own exit on my own terms so there will be assets left for my daughter to play with after I'm gone.
No retirement. No healthcare. No hope. Fuck it. I'll take my leave when time comes.
Yep. The only way for your children to inherit is if you don't grow old. The expensive death care facilities will take every cent you have and leave them with nothing.
I've actually had this talk with her. (Clarification: she's an adult). After arguing my position on the matter, she had no issue with any of it.
Also clarification: my comments about self managed exit aren't related to some depression I wanna go today type thing. It's an entirely pragmatic plan of attack for future use.
The plan is logical and pragmatic. In the US, people often spend more on healthcare for the last few weeks of life than they did up to that point. Healthcare is absurdly expensive here, and end-of-life medical heroics don't make any sense.
The tricky part will be the timing. It's not always easy to predict when we are close to being incapacitated.
I didn't think you were depressed. I also happen to believe that people have a right to self delete, so I was not judging you.
DO NOT LEAVE IT TO INHERITANCE
Inheritances are taxed, often heavily, and can be disputed. Give it all as gifts immediately before your death instead.
Gifts generally have much less tax associated, less paperwork and thus less legal fees. You'll probably have to give relatively small amounts each year to avoid the taxes. Plus, you can stick around for a while and watch your daughter enjoy it.
I would feel bad if it weren't for the fact that the elderly are going to vote for this in droves.
That’s just it, though. They are voting for things that will have marginal effect on many of them. Sure, the poorest of them will be greatly affected, but many others will either see minimal repercussions or will be dead before they have to deal with it. To them, this is a nothing burger, and they’ve already shown that they don’t care about the generations following them.