High-Ranking Dem Backs Means Testing for Medicare

'We can do means-testing and reduce the payments to the wealthy'

The chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri, is breaking ranks from many in his party by backing means-testing for Medicare payouts.

The Hill reports that Cleaver's move signals a compromise with Republicans, who, if public opinion is any indication, are in no position to force one in fiscal cliff talks. "We can do means-testing and reduce the payments [to the wealthy]," said Cleaver, who prefers to whittle down the program's offerings to the rich rather than reduce benefits to the majority of middle and low income seniors.

As The Hill's Elise Viebeck points out, the GOP has long been in favor of means-tested benefit schemes, which some on the left have come out against because it could reduce the incentive of the wealthy to support welfare generally. Still, some measure of means-testing has been in place for years.

"Wealthier seniors have had to pay higher premiums for Medicare's Supplementary Medical Insurance since 2007," notes Viebeck. "And in 2011, they began to pay more for their prescription drug benefit."

Via The Hill, Business Insider and The Daily Kos.

Do you support means-testing Medicare?

[Sonny]

There has always been some form of "means testing"...That's why potential recipients have to "apply" for these benefits in the first place. And, indeed, many are turned down each year. So this is not much of a "story" as far as I am concerned...If you can afford to pay for your medicine and healthcare then you should do so.

[DrFunkenstein]

I think you are referring to Medicaid which is for poor people. Medicare is for ANYONE on Social Security so rich people do take advantage of this incredibly cheap health insurance program while using a supplemental insurance allowing them to get the best treatment while maximizing the cost mostly to the federal government. A poor person on Medicare does not have the means to pay for the supplemental or pay for such expensive medical procedures so they cannot take the same advantage of Medicare. The Rich should not be allowed medicare or Social Security but everyone of them take it.

[Sonny]

@DrFunkenstein Then, like I have said. If someone can afford their own medicine and/or healthcare...then they should pay for it.

[Penn1699]

@Sonny I have to agree with you on this one. If I can afford to keep my private insurance when I get old you bet I will have not have Medicare !

[FollowTheMoney]

No no no no!!! This idea just further muddies the water. A simple, strait forward and transparent tax code is the only thing that will work fairly for all. It should be written in 10 pages or less. No wiggle room for those who would trade for political capital or favor. Every one should pay the same rate....period ( business/corporations included).

[FollowTheMoney]

hit the button too soon. :-)... The same principle for Medicare. Simple and strait forward qualifier, if one pays-they play. All the legal mumbo jumbo only gives political operatives something to leverage one another with, and does nothing for the tax payer.

[Bobolinsky]

Huzzah!

[jessejaymes]

I don't have a problem with means testing for medicare as long as the bar is set for those who actually don't have a need. I do have a problem with seniors having to pay for medicare, buy supplemental insurance, pay deductibles all out of their pathetic SS check , while the habitual welfare lazy bums get absolutely free medicaid, vision and hearing (which seniors don't get) and free prescriptions. WORKFARE not welfare.

[mimi57]

Wow, I agree !!!

[jessejaymes]

@mimi57 They say even a blind dog finds a bone every now and then Mimi.

[Sonny]

"WORKFARE"?---Most people would like to work...All we need now are some JOBS! How about if those so-called "job-creators" start actually hiring people for a change?

[mimi57]

@jessejaymes They have a good sense of smell... ( :

[mimi57]

@jessejaymes Did you know that dogs can smell fingerprints that are a week old?... They can.

[woodtick57]

Pretty much exactly what Romney stated in his campaign. wealth redistribution, the radical right called it...the far left pretty much ignored he ever said it...

[commonsense51]

I support means testing for all people. People who want welfare should be means tested for drugs. if some idiot man gets numerous women pregnant and walks out on all his kids, that loser should be means tested to pay back to all the tax payers that supported his kids. I could go on and on but you get the point. I am so sick of this obsession over Rich people when we should be holding ALL people accountable for their actions in life.

[tomincali]

i support neuter for guys like that.

[WasteWater]

Sounds like a very reasonable idea to me.

[Vance1]

Means Testing for Medicare A++ thing to do
Now do it for SS and welfare and SSI and every corrupted liberal government entitlement

[Keyjo]

This is why we need universal health care. Every citizen, rich, poor and in between deserves competent, timely health care. It is the gold standard in free world nations, why is it so difficult for the United States to catch up?

[WMCOL]

Shouldn't matter how rich someone is if they pay into Medicare like everyone else they should be entitled to same benefits as anyone else. Assistance for the poor on Medicare is already means tested.

[Neo_NtheMatrix]

So, let me get this right. Rep. Cleaver believes it to be okay to rob the rich of the money, but when they get old and retire they can't utilize Social Security and Medicare (programs the wealthy were forced to pay into all their careers) programs because they are wealthy?

What kind of madness? Liberals, care to explain?

[WMCOL]

>>>Liberals, care to explain?<<<

Probably asking wrong people. From the article, "the GOP has long been in favor of means-tested benefit schemes."

[MRMacrum]

The article was about Medicare, not Social Security.

[Tolpuddle]

For me the entire affair is a joke perpetrated by sadistic clowns more dangerous than suicide bombers. The only people in this country that collect "entitlements" are those that were probably born disabled. Even then they really aren't collecting any "entitlements" because the benefits they receive were paid for by one or both parents. I'm 100% disabled and I collect zero "entitlements". I had an insurance policy I paid for weekly. It was the Federal Insurance Contributions Act. It's also known as FICA. It was an insurance policy I had paid for, for around 40 years. For several years before my disability I had paid the max amount expected by October of each year. The conservatives have many people thinking those that collect these so called "entitlements" are useless slackers that need to get a job and are dragging our Government into bankruptcy by adding to our deficit. Bullshit. FICA is a fund that is separate from our debt. It does not add to it nor does it detract. Cutting benefits only affects the surplus funds in the FICA account, not our deficit. FICA by the way is solvent through 2042. Conservatives for some unknown reason cannot stand helping out the needy in any form or fashion,,,, unless of course a profit is to be had from it. Obamacare sucks because things had to be changed due to conservative Republican pressure to insure someone, somewhere was making a profit from it. Insurance companies of course.

Of course the wealthy will be able to collect their social security and Medicaid when they retire. But no differently than me, they will pay a deductible on the Medicaid and they will pay the amount they are told to pay or not receive medical care. I think if they're wealthy though, they would want something a bit better than Medicaid.

As for raising taxes on the wealthy, why not? Since Bush cut taxes the wealthy have increased their wealth at a phenomenal rate while the middle class and poor have only gotten further behind. The idea behind cutting taxes was to free up more funds to create jobs. And they did. Overseas and at a price the wealthy got even wealthier. So why not raise their taxes? They have shown their patriotism by sending our jobs overseas and didn't even bother to lower the price of their goods even though they are now made even cheaper by overseas labor.

[Tolpuddle]

Correction, not Medicaid but Medicare.

[Thegrif]

Yeap, now that seems to be logical to me. Rich got money so cut back their benefit, but be prepare poor and needy. Cause just because you have less money, doesn't mean that you aren't still getting to much in benefit. Of course I am talking mostly about the people scamming the gov't and pulling a fast one.
I think it's a fine idea, lets do some means testing.

[Jack-Black]

Ok I will agree with means testing to get medicare if they agree on a litmus test to vote.

[Phreakwars]

That would just disenfranchise Republican's who "think" they know something but are just uninformed Faux news junkies repeating their propaganda & talking points. But on the other hand, sounds good to me, idiots shouldn't be allowed to vote anyway.

[Jack-Black]

@Phreakwars LOL and responses like yours just proves the point that all people should take a litmus test.

[Phreakwars]

@Jack-Black Bring it on. All the smart people vote Democrat anyway. Almost all scientist are liberals. All the top performing schools are liberal. I'd LOVE to have a litmus test. Like I said, it would disenfranchise all the Republican voters. It's too bad their too ignorant to realize it.

[Jack-Black]

@Phreakwars Think some of the free phone/free cheese group might have a problem,

[Phreakwars]

@Jack-Black Ever read snopes? That myth has been debunked months and months ago, the free phones were started under Reagan.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/taxes/cellphon...

Like I said, you just repeat Faux News BS, think you know something, but are just ignorant. BRING ON THE LITMUS TEST, You have already showed you would fail miserably with just that last response. Free phones & government cheese? Is that what you REALLY believe? Man, and you WONDER why your looked on as the ignorant party.

[kathyparsell]

Ah, well let me see, despite the fact that the question that started this discussion has been changed to "high ranking Dems, back means testing for medicaid' I will hazard a guess and say that all but the wealthy agree.

[seedtick]

Means testing for all social programs is the thing to do. The rich can pay more of their own medical bills. But, when I see a late model SUV or a boat and RV at a welfare receipients house, I sense the need for more intense means testing before we give welfare money out. And, drug testing should be mandatory when you apply for welfare and then be subject to random drug testing as long as you are on it. If a welfare receipient is found using tobacco or alcoholic beverages, the money they receive should be immediately at risk.

[FFX_VA]

Good for him!! As long as the adjustments to means testing are reasonable and unbiased.

[CommonSense]

Absolutely. In fact we should expand Medicare to cover anyone who has trouble affording medical payments, consolidating it with Obamacare and Medicaid into one program.

We should also ban private insurance, but not pay for every medical expense, just when a person can't afford it or can afford it but only at a huge cost to the individual(i.e. losing your house or your kid's college savings). This would lead to a net savings for consumers because insurance to pay for any product or service leads to inflation of price in order to pay off the people running the insurance program.