jrs2cents.com

I have heard a couple times recently that McCain plans to cut Medicaid and Medicare. I have never heard this from McCain but from others. I also saw it in an Obama ad. And since Obama says that he never does negative ads and that only McCain does, it must be true right? Well, unfortunately it is just another attempt from Obama to scare senior citizen’s away from McCain. This group of people is usually heavy in Republican voters. So the best way to pull them would definitely be to lie to them and tell them they will lose their benefits under McCain. Once again the recurring theme here plays in and we have people who hear something and do not take the time to research it. So this lie spreads quickly throughout those who are on Medicaid and Medicare. Let’s look at this lie a little closer.

“How would your golden years turn out under John McCain? His health-care plan would cut Medicare by $800 billion. That means a 22 percent cut in the benefits. higher premiums and co-pays. More expensive prescription drugs. Nursing home care could suffer….After a lifetime of work, seniors’ health care shouldn’t be a gamble. John McCain’s plan? Is not the change we need.”

– Obama campaign’s “Your Golden years” ad

That is the ad that is being played by the Obama campaign. He is also repeating this at campaign stops in his speeches. I myself have heard this from people as a fact. But this has never been said by John McCain so where do they get this information?

Whats the real deal?

This ad is based entirely off of a report in the Wall Street Journal. McCain’s top economic adviser, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, made a statement that McCain would pay for his health-care plan partly by looking for savings in Medicare and Medicaid. He explained that they would look to cut fraud and waste that exists in some of the programs. Well, maybe Obama just misunderstood him right? Well here is a direct quote from the interview:

“It’s about giving [Medicare and Medicaid recipients] the benefit package that has been promised to them by law at a lower cost,”

I’m trying to see where they got confused. His statement here shows that what McCain would like to do, is lower the cost of Medicaid and Medicare to the government, while keeping all the same benefits. He does not say that he wants to cut the benefits, only the cost. The Washington Post covered this story as well and had this to say:

“How did the Obama campaign come up with the claim of an $800 billion cut in Medicare (described in another Obama ad as an $882 billion cut)? Answer: Some back-of-the-envelope calculations by a liberal think tank, the Center for American Progress.”

Their article gave this ad three Pinocchios, saying it had significant factual errors.

CBS’s Wyatt Andrews says of this claim by Obama:

“Senator Barack Obama’s newest claim (also made in a television ad) that Senator John McCain’s health care plan will cut $882 billion in Medicare health care benefits for seniors, has to rank among the biggest whoppers of the whole campaign,” reported Oct. 17th

But Obama says McCain will tax my health care benefits.

I have also heard this from others but not McCain. I have also heard this from Obama. That McCain’s plan is to ultimately tax your health care. Once again this is not true. McCain’s plan is to give you the tax break, not your employer. Right now employers get a tax break because they are paying the premiums on your insurance. On average this tax break is $4,200 per year. McCain’s plan is to give you $5,000 per year. This can be done through taking the break from the job based insurance plan and passing to you. You are the one getting the insurance. This plan is designed to give you the tax break to put towards your own insurance. But Obama would like you to believe that you are getting a tax increase not a cut.

Here is what the Tax Policy Center in a report with CBS’s Wyatt Andrews had to say:

“It is mostly a tax break.”
“The non partisan Tax Policy Centers says except for the very richest of Americans, most people buying insurance will see a tax cut,”

I have always been taught to get my life insurance outside of work. Why? Every time I switch jobs I will lose my rate and have to be re tested at an older age. How many people are stuck at their jobs because they cannot afford to lose the health insurance? Imagine being able to carry your own plan and getting the tax breaks to help you do so. You would have no fear of taking a job that may be more money but has no insurance plan. You would be more willing to start your own company without worrying about the insurance. If we can take the dependency off of employer health insurance you will have more options on where to work. Employers will be forced to compete by offering competitive pay. There are small businesses out there that can pay more but cannot offer the insurance benefits. They lose potential employees due to this.

The answer is to let you be in charge of your health care not your employer.

And as always spread the word. The media will not report Obama’s lies it is up to true Americans to do the research and get the word out!

Obama Set to Destroy Energy Economy