Re: Medicare

You got it, Jim.  

One of the reasons I highly resent the media's propensity for running
articles by those who  seem to indicate that SS is a charity act
instead of a trust fund into which lotsa money is involuntarily paid
by those who hope to see some of it back one day with seldom a
mention about the real reason why the fund may not be able to pay
out.

Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@hort.net
Shadyside Garden Designs

----------
> From: james singer <islandjim1@verizon.net>
> 
> Quite right, Marge. The SSA funding crises exists only if you grant

> that the fund will someday have to call in its chits--which means, 
> almost by definition, it's not a trust fund problem, but a general 
> revenue problem.
> 
> 
> On Jan 19, 2006, at 7:02 PM, Marge Talt wrote:
> 
> > Our leader's singular grasp of our common language clarifies why
the
> > prescription portion of Medicare is so completely unintelligible.
> >
> > The part I have never understood is that if you don't sign up for
it
> > by a specific date, you get penalized.  Huh?  Same if you don't
sign
> > up for either SS or Medicare by a certain age.  I do NOT get the
> > point here.
> >
> > I've read the info. on prescription drugs several times and have
yet
> > to make any real sense of it.  Trust our government to create a
> > program that defies comprehension. I have got to deal with this
on
> > account of my DH, so can't ignore it:-(
> >
> > I do clearly see how the prescription drug programs will increase
the
> > bottom line of the providers of the plans but am not so sure
they'll
> > reduce that of the participants.
> >
> > The only 'red' that I see in our leader's proposal, so cogently
> > stated below,  is the ink on my bottom line.  I've paid a wad for
SS
> > over the past 50 years.  If the surplus that used to exist had
been
> > invested and kept in the fund instead of spent on other stuff by
> > every administration since inception, there wouldn't be a pending
> > funding problem IMO.
> >
> > Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
> > mtalt@hort.net
> > Shadyside Garden Designs
> >> Recently some of you on the list said you were slogging through
the
> > new
> >> medicare choices. I received the following explanation from
someone
> > when
> >> it first came out but deleted it. I'm glad to say that my sister
> > just
> >> sent it to me again and I thought it might be of some help to
you.
> >>
> >> Kitty
> >>>> President Bush Explains Medicare Drug Bill > >
> >>
> >>>> WOMAN IN AUDIENCE: "I don't really understand. How is the new
> > plan going to fix the problem?"
> >>
> >>>> PRESIDENT BUSH: (Verbatim response) > > "Because the -- all
> > which is
> >> on the table begins to address the big cost drivers. For
example,
> > how
> >> benefits are calculated, for example, is on the table. Whether
or
> > not
> >> benefits rise based upon wage increases or price increases.
There's
> > a
> >> series of parts of the formula that are being considered. And
when
> > you
> >> couple that, those different cost drivers, affecting those --
> > changing
> >> those with personal accounts, the idea is to get what has been
> > promised
> >> more likely to be -- or closer delivered to that has been
promised.
> > Does
> >> that make any sense to you? It's kind of muddled. Look, there's
a
> > series
> >> of things that cause the -- like, for example, benefits are
> > calculated
> >> based upon the increase of wages, as opposed to the increase of
> > prices.
> >> Some have suggested that we calculate -- the benefits will rise
> > based
> >> upon inflation, supposed to wage increases. There is a reform
that
> > would
> >> help solve the red if that were put into effect. In other words,
> > how
> >> fast benefits grow, how fast the promised benefits grow, if
those
> > -- if
> >> that growth is affected, it will help on the red."
> >>
> >>
> >> Forward this to others -- so they, too, can understand...
> >>
> >>
> >
---------------------------------------------------------------------
> >> To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
> >> message text UNSUBSCRIBE GARDENCHAT
> >
> >
---------------------------------------------------------------------
> > To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
> > message text UNSUBSCRIBE GARDENCHAT
> >
> >
> Island Jim
> Southwest Florida
> 27.0 N, 82.4 W
> Hardiness Zone 10
> Heat Zone 10
> Minimum 30 F [-1 C]
> Maximum 100 F [38 C]
> 
>
---------------------------------------------------------------------
> To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
> message text UNSUBSCRIBE GARDENCHAT

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE GARDENCHAT
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index