As the new health care entitlements approach full implementation over the next several years, the true costs of the law will become progressively clearer and they will further threaten the federal government’s deteriorating fiscal health.
By delaying implementation of the Medicare drug entitlement while making the prescription drug discount a permanent feature ofMedicare, including the Medicare Advantage system that will takeeffect in 2006, Congress could deal with exploding costs andestablish the foundation for a Medicare drug program thataccommodates, rather than displaces, a wide variety ofprivate-sector drug options.
Attention, seniors! Here is a simple proposal: Every dime of potential budgetary savings in the Medicare program should first be plowed back into the Medicare program to help ensure its solvency or secondarily be earmarked for debt reduction. Under no circumstances should Medicare be milked as a cash cow for other government programs, whether bulking up Obamacare subsidies, funding “climate change” initiatives, promoting taxpayer funding of abortion, or whatever narrow ideological obsession happens to be captivating congressional “progressives” at the moment.