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John Hlinko & Robert C. O'Brien on the challenges Congress facing over Medicare reform
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Get to -- entitlements as Jim Angle was just reporting on that.
-- let Vic V it is something that we all know we have to face up to at some point it seems but.
When -- -- how should week.
Now and it's it's not a matter of politics are right or left it's a matter of arithmetic that the trustees of Medicare have come out and said that by 20/20 four.
The whole system will be bankrupt.
And and I think all Americans want to save Medicare Medicaid Social Security those are important benefits their benefits of people like my mom enjoy and allow her to have a retirement.
But if we don't change the system now those benefits won't be there for her or for any of us and it's a -- bit there it's unsustainable.
And.
And Jim -- report was was right on the money.
There are things we can do and if we do them now although there may be some minor pain it won't be excruciating on -- and save the of the system.
Health savings accounts doctor Carson's been talking about this we have to bring down health care costs so we need people.
To spend our own money with their doctors rather the government spending money with the doctors that'll help control costs number two.
We've got to have some -- means testing for wealthy seniors.
If they have to pay five or ten dollars more for -- co pay or have a higher premium for their insurance.
Or have a higher deductible.
The Warren Buffett's of the world can afford to pay a little bit more not a lot more just a little bit more.
And then finally we've got to think outside of the box and how we don't deliver health care.
We need walk in clinics in the -- urban areas in this country in the rural areas.
So that folks to have preventable.
-- conditions or or they can see some wanna get some antibiotics quickly.
-- we can do that for dollars per patient as opposed to.
Having uses situations deteriorate and they show up in an emergency room.
And we spent tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars so there are things we can do we've got to put the politics to the side the Democrats the president.
Have been demagoguing this issue to get higher taxes on on the -- wealthy.
We've got to put that aside and we've got to sit down together in a bipartisan fashion and come up with solutions to work to save the program not to make political points.
I put aside the demagoguing go to America well actually has to be honest I would agree that most of what what Robert just said and I think -- -- there's a lot of -- a lot of a lot of -- the made a lot of sense.
I think the talent that Medicare is when we reduced Medicare spending it's not that the spending goes away gets shifted the private sector in other words people still need.
To go to the doctor they still -- sickens consume health for lack a better phrase.
So the challenges that Medicare's overhead is somewhere when the one or 2% range where's the private insurers it's more in the eleven to 20% range depending who you ask.
To drive there actually is an argument that government is more efficient in spending that money and -- the challenge is.
-- if you don't build an aircraft carrier it's not as if the private sector has to take it over and build it but when you don't when you cut Medicare expenses somebody -- -- pay.
Now that doesn't negate the fact that where we're sorry your peace issues -- Cut back left -- freight it doesn't negate the fact that they're there really is again happen in the between what we promise what we can deliver neither is a very big gap road -- to do something about it.
I mean I do think some of the points of you know having clinics and then and ways to prevent far more expensive ailments when they're much much less expensive too to prevent that I totally -- -- But if you guys that I can agree on this says John that fixes his incredibly looking -- this up if you guys can agree what that hack.
-- anybody agree on anything in Washington.
Well maybe John I had to run for senate next yes but -- -- I might ask this that.
That.
Look look I I -- I hope that the campaign is over governor Romney was on Chris Wallace.
On FOX News Sunday.
And talk about the fact of the campaigns over the president has to stop campaigning and he really does need to sit down -- may not like it but he's got to sit down.
With the leaders in the house and the senate he's got to have real negotiations -- got to stop campaigning.
And and.
We we have to put politics aside and come up with a solution because what there are just too many Americans that depend on social security and Medicare and Medicaid.
We do not have enough young people being -- being born in America and even as they grow up in this economy with fifteen million Americans unemployed.
The tax base simply isn't large enough even if -- attacks people -- a 100%.
To pay for these programs are currently -- -- it's a joke we have to change and we've got to talk to each other and I and John and I can get that conversation starter and I did that play.
