Senate Democrats Go for the Jugular on Medicare, Social Security

[babylonsister]

http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/joan-mccarter/107147/senate-democrats-go-for-the-jugular-on-medicare-social-security

Senate Democrats Go for the Jugular on Medicare, Social Security
by Joan McCarter | July 31, 2023 - 7:17am

— from Daily Kos


Senate Democrats, including Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, expressed only well wishes when asked about the clearly ailing Minority Leader Mitch McConnell following his on-camera neurological glitch Wednesday. No Senate Democrat is going to try to exploit the Republican McConnell’s frail health as an issue.

But when it comes to politics and the 2024 election, the gloves are off. McConnell and two of the most unlikeable members of his caucus feature prominently as the villains in a new five-figure digital ad campaign from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee that’s aimed at seniors. “You can’t trust Senate Republicans,” the ad says. “They’re a threat to your Medicare.”

The ad shows headlines about the “11-point plan that would potentially sunset programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security” proposed last year by Florida Sen. Rick Scott for the Republican midterm platform.

McConnell’s face is in every frame of this ad running in the Senate battleground states of Ohio, Montana, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Arizona, where Democratic-held seats are on the 2024 ballot.

The DSCC has tailored ads with the same message in states where they’re going on offense next year, against Sen. Ted Cruz in Texas and Scott in Florida. “In 2024, voters will hold Ted Cruz, Rick Scott and every GOP Senate candidate accountable for their party’s agenda that would gut Medicare and spike the cost of their health care and prescription drugs,” DSCC spokesperson Tommy Garcia said.

This is always a winning message from Democrats. It also has the distinct advantage of being true. Scott did put out a plan to sunset Social Security and Medicare. Cruz has advocated for privatizing Medicare and raising the Social Security retirement age, just as the ad says.

The critical social insurance programs have remained at the forefront of President Joe Biden’s and the Democrats’ talking points since Scott unveiled his disastrous plan; it’s the gift that keeps on giving. Yes, McConnell disavowed that plan, but Republicans haven’t given up on their long-standing goal to meddle with Social Security and Medicare until they erode the programs into extinction. McConnell, Cruz, and Scott make the perfect villains.

[Wounded Bear]

1. K & R...nt

[dalton99a]

2. Kick

[GoneOffShore]

3. This must be hammered home again and again.

[Alexander Of Assyria]

10. Who in mass media shouts foul on behalf of the masses? Anyone?

Result. Trump, maybe trump 2.0… and a dead party still functioning.

[Marthe48]

4. A local example of privatizing

A toll bridge linking Belpre, Ohio and Parkersburg, WV was privatized. It's been closed for a long time for repair and restoration. When it was managed by the State of WV, the toll for a car was .25 per crossing. You could get a book of tickets 5/1.00. As i understand it, when the bridge reopens, it'll have the transponder system. If you want the transponder, the subscription will cost $30/month minimum, plus 1.00 for each crossing. If you don't have a transponder, the toll will be $4.50 per crossing. That is for a car. Prices go up for other vehicles. Not only is the price to use the bridge rising to an unaffordable level, the private company also eliminated the toll booth jobs.

Privatization is a plum for companies who are awarded the business or service. And you can bet there are many companies slavering for a chance to get hold of Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. Privatizing isn't meant to help the consumer. Doesn't matter if it's a bridge or government programs. Quality and value goes down, and price goes up.

[KS Toronado]

5. +1

[appalachiablue]

8. ++ Criminal, people need to understand the cost and damage of privatization of govt services

[Lonestarblue]

12. Medicare is already being privatized with Advantage programs.

With original Medicare, you do not need to stay within a certain set of do tors and specialists to avoid out-of-network charges that Advantage plans have because Advantage is controlled completely by insurance companies. And those companies are charging Medicare at far higher rates than original Medicare. Some of that is because they cover more services, like eyeglasses and dental care, but they are charging higher rates even for the same medical services as original Medicare.

Advantage plans were sold as saving money for those on Medicare. Instead they are depleting the Medicare fund at a faster pace. Privatizing healthcare, and most everything else that should be provided by government, almost always leads to higher costs for consumers. And when Advantage plans finally cover a large majority of seniors, Medicare will go away and will be totally privatized with insurance companies deciding once more who gets covered and for what. Medicare is a gem, and we are just standing by and allowing private insurance companies to erode it until they are in full control.

[Marthe48]

14. And insurance companies in general

are not into risk. I imagine that as Medicare/Medicaid get strangled, fewer people will get coverage, mainky because of existing conditions. I still haven't had my DNA tested and I buy glucose testing supplies with my own money, to stay under the radar. I would've done a DNA test awhile back, but my s-i-l mentioned that we don't know who all has access, so even if I'm curious, still holding off. I don't need to test my blood sugar every day, so I don't need supplies like others do.

I mentioned the possibility of long term care insurance to my friend, and she brought up existing conditions which might affect getting that kind of insurance.

I feel like some people got out from student debt, just in time to be responsible for their old loved ones. Fine if they want to, but a nightmare if they can't or don't.

[PortTack]

18. This needs to hammered home..even DU ppl seem not to understand the advantage plans are

Bankrupting Medicare!

Plus if you have the advantage plan and decide to go back to regular Medicare with a supplemental, the insurers offering supplementals will many times turn you down due to health issues.

If it looks to good to be true, it probably is!

[Lonestarblue]

20. I know many people prefer Advantage because they get dental and vision coverage.

What Democrats need to do is extend those coverages to regular Medicare and start phasing out the Advantage plans. Some people get excellent coverage with Advantage because they live in an area where doctors are plentiful and so in-network care is good. But if they need specialist care, they must get referrals, and sometimes the networks have too few specialists so that appointments take weeks or months—not what you want when you have an aggressive disease like cancer.

I’ve been on regular Medicare for several years now, and while I’m generally healthy I’ve never had a delay when I did need to see a specialist or get resistance about the need for tests. I’d rather have my doctor deciding what I need than an insurance executive with no medical training and an eye on their profits.

[SouthernDem4ever]

22. I have private insurance and live in a place with tons of hospitals. drs

and it still takes 4-5 weeks to get an appointment. Because of the cheap shit payments they get from these plans, Drs spread themselves very thin across many more patients.

[PortTack]

28. Oh boy you nailed it!

Retired from the medical profession I’ve seen this first hand. many times physicians who aren’t the best get picked up by these kinds of plans and stay because they can’t compete with the top tier docs.

If it looks to good to be true…it probably is!

[Deuxcents]

30. Lonestarblue..I agree

I’m retired and as of January, 2024, I’m losing my employer backed healthcare plans and they’re dumping all of us on to United Advantage plans. For the first time in my adult life, I’m doing my best to get educated so I make the right choice as I’m probably going to have to go into the open market for healthcare. I did not work my whole working life to give up Medicare to a private/for profit insurance company whether it’s United or not. A long time ago, I heard Rep Pocan on Thom Hartmann’s radio show talking about the Advantage mess and I thought..thankfully, I don’t have to worry about that but..here I am and with very little notice. Gonna try to keep what I’ve had all these years, if I can afford it but will not go with Advantage..the only advantage goes to the insurance companies, not us.

[Lonestarblue]

31. Are you old enough to sign up for original Medicare?

There is of course a premium for Medicare and you need a Medigap policy plus a drug plan. I have the Medicare supplement and drug polices through United Healthcare, and I’ve had no issues.

[Deuxcents]

33. Yes, I have Original Medicare and a medigap policy now

I may see if I can go United w/o Advantage but can’t get any answers just yet. My Union used to be involved in the negotiations but my company wants out of the healthcare business..imo. They’re just lumping us with United where we used to go thru an agency and chose our plans.

[airplaneman]

27. It's profitization not privatization

Look up Chicago parking meters another disaster to everyone except the profitizers. Charge what the mark can bear don’t care who is priced out of access
-Airplane

[littlemissmartypants]

35. That would make a great protest sign, airplaneman. eom

[jaxexpat]

6. A veritable "Mt. Rushmore" of villains.

It is an effective campaign message which, like the guy said, has the "distinct advantage of being true".

So helpful when the simple truth is the most effective means to advance one's proposition.

[Pepsidog]

7. Associate the campaign with doing away with Roe. Believe them when they say they want to do away

Medicare and Social Security. Just like they are attacking other basic rights and earned benefits.

[brer cat]

9. Kick

[AllaN01Bear]

11. they have been a thrat to ssi ssdi and medicar for ever . constantly

nickling and dimeing. i want to see ss returned to full strength , etc. vote like u mean it.

[progressoid]

13. The ad is short and to the point...

[JudyM]

21. Thanks for posting this, good to see a hard hitting ad.

We’re going to need a lot more to get the truth out there. Biden’s popularity needs a boost, as do our congressional reps.

[KS Toronado]

24. This 30 second ad needs to be on every TV channel.

[azureblue]

15. may be a better message

Are you making enough money to make ends meet and put some away?
When's the last time you had a raise? Ever wonder why not?
Did you know that the top CEO pay is almost 400 percent greater than yours? Do you think they do 400 times the work you do?
Did you know the top 1% get all the tax breaks, so you have to make up the loss in taxes?
Now how you you think they got those tax breaks? And why do you think minimum wage hasn't gone up in 7 years, when you can't even rent an apt. on minimum wage?
Who do you think is responsible for that?
Who is making those laws, and who is voting them into office?

[Lonestarblue]

16. Excellent points!

[littlemissmartypants]

36. I would just add...

"Republicans only care about money. Democrats care about me and you.'

It's like you wrote a TV/Radio advertisement, azureblue. I love it! ❤️

[dflprincess]

17. They need to rub these ads on Fox. Nt

[halfulglas]

19. Also bring into the ads the proof.

Name the dates the 11 point plan, etc. were introduced. Heck it was printed out. So many times, the GOPers deny they are the ones who introduced these plans to gut Social Security, raise retirement age, and the public doesn't get the re-rebuttal later because it might not be covered in the flow of new news occurring. It has to be kept front and center over and over again to get the point across. This is one of tfg's and the GOP tactics, flooding the zone with scary and complicated lies over and over and never admit they are wrong.

[tiredtoo]

23. We should all be aware and share the fact

That Medicare Advantage is a step in eliminating Medicare. Share this information with all.

[republianmushroom]

25. Good

[enigmania]

26. LOL

... the perfect villains!

[BadgerMom]

29. "No Senate Democrat is going to try to exploit the Republican McConnell's frail health as an issue."

That’s because Democrats are human beings first and political animals second. Can’t say the same for the opposition.

[NowISeetheLight]

32. Democrats Should

Ds should email copies of that insane Blueprint To Save America to every American. Of people actually read it they'd see. Then again there is a whole segment that even if they could (or would) read wouldn't care.

[Beartracks]

34. Hammer it! "A winning message" with "the distinct advantage of being true."

Like most Democratic talking points: it's true.

==========