tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post4450548632902083854..comments2024-03-28T08:51:18.908-04:00Comments on the daily howler: At the Washington Post, the kids aren't all right!<b>bob somerby</b>http://www.blogger.com/profile/02963464534685954436noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-18944124541252435892012-09-07T07:36:04.292-04:002012-09-07T07:36:04.292-04:00In other words, ABL, an efficiency was found.
No ...In other words, ABL, an efficiency was found.<br /><br />No fantasy, no benefit cuts.<br /><br />There are only two ways to reduce Medicare expenses, as at 5:35 PM.<br /><br />If you think there aren't, you're insisting that the program can never be improved, only worsened or destroyed.<br /><br />What you find "hard to believe" and fear as "unforeseen consequence" is actually irrelevant.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-66797754343705109642012-09-06T19:51:30.315-04:002012-09-06T19:51:30.315-04:00Despite Anonymous' fantasies, they just reduce...Despite Anonymous' fantasies, they just reduced reimbursement rates without reducing benefits. They didn't identify any waste or fraud, they just cut the money.<br />I'm inclined to believe that hospitals and insurance companies were willing to agree not to reduce benefits because the mandate in the bill will mean more customers for the Insurance companies and no uninsured for the hospitals. It's consistent with the patchwork, horse-trading nature of the Health Care Act generally. ABLnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-26960243441574001902012-09-06T19:43:25.992-04:002012-09-06T19:43:25.992-04:00The $716 billion is estimated to come in roughly e...The $716 billion is estimated to come in roughly equal portions from hospital reimbursements, medicare advantage insurance payments, and payments to other providers. I've read that there was some kind of agreement from hospitals and insurers to forgo making up the lost revenue through increased premiums or co-pay, but it's hard to believe that taking that much money out of the system won't have unforeseen consequences.ABLnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-87132941551862182982012-09-06T18:38:21.327-04:002012-09-06T18:38:21.327-04:00The toilet seat analogy is PERFECT!
Perhaps even...The toilet seat analogy is PERFECT! <br /><br />Perhaps even Sarah Kliff (or her masters) could be made to understand it.<br /><br />My own fear is that they actually do understand perfectly well!<br /><br />But the course of action they intend is rather to make things LESS clear, to Romney's benefit...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-89836679015386175762012-09-06T17:59:09.654-04:002012-09-06T17:59:09.654-04:00Good point.Good point.Mysterionnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-22581673880075517232012-09-06T17:40:25.699-04:002012-09-06T17:40:25.699-04:00The liars' response is:
"Oh, they say t...The liars' response is: <br /><br />"Oh, they say they aren't cutting benefits, but with less money, make no mistake, they'll have to cut them."<br /><br />This response is indistinguishable from saying "No improvement can EVER be made!" <br /><br />A very cynical position -- perhaps it's even true! Maybe no improvement is possible in our broken political landscape.<br /><br />But make no mistake, the people saying it aren't truly cynics -- they're simply apologists for Romney and the GOP.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-58397251355291840132012-09-06T17:35:13.514-04:002012-09-06T17:35:13.514-04:00You can reduce Medicare expenses (against "cu...You can reduce Medicare expenses (against "current law" expectations) in either of two ways:<br /><br />1) You can reduce or eliminate some of the currently guaranteed benefits;<br /><br />2) You can find waste, fraud or other opportunities for efficiency in Medicare *without* eliminating benefits<br /><br />1) is what sane folks understand as "cutting Medicare."<br /><br />2) is what sane folks call "saving money"<br /><br />The Obama plan, in this instance called for $716 billion of saving money -- no benefits were reduced.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-78751106085418400792012-09-06T17:24:36.989-04:002012-09-06T17:24:36.989-04:00As I understand it, the infamous $716B figure actu...As I understand it, the infamous $716B figure actually refers to how much would have to be spent to rebuild Medicare in the event that "Obamacare" were to be repealed.<br /><br />The whole debate, though, is being waged on strange territory. If an audit of the Pentagon showed that they had been paying $500 each for 200 toilet seats every year, and that they were scheduled to keep doing it for the next 10 years, canceling that line in the budget would save $1,000,000. Would it be reasonable to refer to that as "a million-dollar defense cut"? What if the million saved was plowed right back into the toilet seat budget? At the end of the day, you've saved money and haven't shorted the military on toilet seats. That's, you know, GOOD.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-66752029748037343502012-09-06T16:44:43.387-04:002012-09-06T16:44:43.387-04:00I have a doctorate from Harvard (forgive such a bo...I have a doctorate from Harvard (forgive such a boast), and I simply do not understand whether Medicare has lost $716 billion in funds or not. I read you each day and I still do not understand, and I am trained in understanding such things.<br /><br />Please, please, please explain simply and with no sarcasm again.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-5868513091236469372012-09-06T16:22:00.778-04:002012-09-06T16:22:00.778-04:00Kliff, if she knows nothing else, knows where her ...Kliff, if she knows nothing else, knows where her bread is buttered!<br /><br />It is buttered at the WaPo factory, and the bosses there have clearly decided Romney *isn't* simply a liar on this issue.<br /><br />That being the case, scribes are required to show some deference to Romney's lies, to show how they aren't really lies at all, and how anyone who says they are must be lying!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com