Tweet
If only a real dialog about austerity were possible.
Dear Synoia:
Thank you for writing. I have heard from many Americans about issues affecting seniors. Today’s economic climate further intensifies the unique challenges they face, and I appreciate your perspective.
My Administration continues to support older Americans encountering unfair treatment, financial hardship, or difficulty obtaining health care. The historic Affordable Care Act strengthens Medicare by not only preserving but also expanding benefits for Americans who depend on Medicare every day. The law has helped more than five million seniors and people with disabilities save an average of over $600 on prescription drugs in the “donut hole” in Medicare coverage. Additionally, in 2011, more than 32 million seniors received 1 or more free preventive services, including the new Annual Wellness Visit. To learn about help available through the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, visit www.CMS.gov.
Then why not propose allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices?
And single payer?
Costs of Health Care are both outrageous and a major contributor to Government spending. When will these issues be addressed directly, instead of twiddling at the margins?
The Affordable Care Act also helps prevent and eliminate elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Additionally, this law implements unprecedented measures to fight waste and fraud, and to improve the quality and outcomes of care for Medicare beneficiaries. It ends unwarranted subsidies to private insurance companies, and takes important steps to reduce unnecessary hospital admissions, improve patient safety, modernize payment systems, and streamline record-keeping. It also realigns incentives to reward medical providers for the value, not the volume, of their care. For resources and information on how to prevent, report, and stop Medicare fraud, visit www.StopMedicareFraud.gov. To learn more about the Affordable Care Act, please visit www.HealthCare.gov.
When will excessive costs levied by the medical sector be addressed?
Including the excessive costs for Doctors to become educated. What is your understanding of the lessons taught to Doctors when they graduate with $250,000 in student debt? Must take care of patients first or must earn enough to retire the debt?
By protecting Social Security from risky privatization plans, we are preserving its solvency and maintaining it as a reliable income source for seniors. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act included an additional payment to supplement Social Security benefits for seniors struggling to make ends meet, and I have called on Congress to extend this relief again. Together, we will ensure all our citizens—not just a privileged few—can retire with dignity and security.
Chained CPI helps how? By eventually substituting living in a cardboard box and eating garbage for good shelter and food? Please explain why chained CPI is not a race to the bottom.
Finally, as we work to keep America’s promises to senior citizens, we are helping make sure older Americans can continue to enrich communities across our Nation through service and community involvement. By expanding the Senior Corps and implementing the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, we are creating more opportunities for seniors to share their knowledge and experience with younger generations. For more information regarding service opportunities in your area, or to share your story of service, please visit www.Serve.gov.
Irrelevant to chained CPI.
To find assistance for senior citizens and their families, visit www.Eldercare.gov or call 1-800-677-1116. For help with Medicare, visit www.Medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE. Additional information and resources are available at www.USA.gov/Topics/Seniors.shtml. For assistance using internet resources, I encourage you to visit your local library or community center.
Sigh. Please address the specific issue covered. Which was:
Substituting living in a cardboard box and eating garbage for good shelter and food is good why? Please explain why chained CPI is not a race to the bottom.
Thank you, again, for being in touch.
Sincerely,
Barack Obama
Why can we not have a proper dialog? Why do you not get on Television with Jane Hamsher and answer a few dozen questions, and the follow up questions when you evade direct answers?
Public domain photo via Wikimedia Commons.
11 Comments
politians have perfected the art of dancing around a question that they don’t really want to answer. They start by talking in generalities and moving to some peripheral topic that may or may not actually touch the question, but give an answer to a question that was not asked, but they can use it to polish their “good works.” If you ask the obvious follow-up question, they say that they have already answered your question and move on to a friendlier question (if possible).
YOU obviously are a troublemaker and he is trying to be reasonable.
Boehner has finally acknowledged that there is no near-term debt/deficit crisis, but Obama has not and continues to put second things first.
I agree. I’m a troublemaker.
I’m focused on solving the root cause of problems.
It does, however, make it easier to understand the thinking of a politician who believes that every non-white, non-christian, poor, illiterate male between the ages of twelve and sixty and 9000 miles away is an existential threat to Murica, that he has a right to murder.
Yes, Barry needs a root canal or two or three.
Oh, but wait, he has full dental coverage in his plan.
Thank for the post Synoia.
here is a thought:
Let’s form a list of demands for SS and Medicare (lift the cap, allow Medicare to neg for lower prices and so on) let’s reach out Reps and tea partyers (polls say they don’t want cuts either) and get them to support. Find someone to help push this to the WH, DNC Congress and RNC. This can be what we can support w/braod based (not just Dems vs GOP) It is nice that Bernie S or Alan G gets on TV about SS Medicare we ned to stand up and push them.
any thoughts on this?
For SS I agree that the demand should be to remove the cap (look there’s video – h/t TomThumb), and I would add lowering the retirement age at least temporarily.
For Medicare, the demand should be for HR 676 – Medicare for All. Let them negotiate back from a good starting position to something less if necessary, but start with where you want to be. Republicans have no qualms about starting at “no taxes” or “repeal Obamacare.” Why not demand what we want and need?
Thanks and recommended.
I think I can sum up what Obama was really saying to you thusly:
Ah, go away, kid, ya bother me!
And why stop at that? As a society, the government can be a great big buying club (even my Libertarian friends understand this) and we can get great deals on medical, dental, prescriptions, education (through to doctorate and beyond, for those who want it, at any time of life).
Libraries open 7-24, free internet, community help to go off-grid for power, heat, water and sewage, community centers that have laundry, cooking and daycare facilities.
We have been set up to think about how to cut, cut, cut — we should be expanding the benefits of living in a society. Instead we are being tapped to enrich corporations that are not even real people. “Frankenstein”, “War of the Worlds” and “Terminator” weren’t about monsters, aliens or robots vs humans, it was about corporations vs humans.
We can be so much better to one another and we all will be better of for it. The world is a much better place when we just cooperate.
“And why stop at that?”
Because there’s not enough profit in it. That’s why. Again, the root of the problem is capitalism itself.
I agree with you 100%, but it will never happen with capitalists making the decisions.