http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17075561/page/2/
Bush’s proposed health-care cuts spark debate
this article, by Christopher Lee and Lori Montgomery discusses the newly proposed cuts in health care by the bush administration. it suggests that his cuts could either sink or save medicare and medicaid. the authors also say that although the cuts could potentially work in helping balance the budget, they do nothing to address the real underlying problems that are making medicare and medicaid costs rise. they also show a concern for the future of the medical industry as far as people actually wanting to become doctors or surgeons or any other medical professional.
I think this article is excellent. i really entirely agree with what mr. lee and mrs. montgomery say in it. its true that tax cuts could, theorhetically, balance the budget, but for the most part in times of war it is considered good policy to increase taxes in order to raise funds for the war. in addition, i really don't think that simply making cuts in the budget can actually reduce debt, simply make the national rate of creating debt lower. we're still spending money, its just that we have slightly more to pull from, we aren't actually making money.
these cuts in the medicare and medicaid programs could also have extraordinary costs in the future. being as hospitals and by extension their employees are really not getting paid the full cost of doing many of the procedures they do, or it is at least very difficult, it could deterr people who are looking at a career in health care to reconsider. granted, people shouldn't look at a job just because of its salary, but many people do, and regardless of the reasoning behind getting into a field of medicine, we need doctors.
in addition to people being deterred from entering the medical field, bush's cuts propose to essentially stop paying for graduate education in teaching hospitals, yet another huge blow to the overall medical population.
so how will we balance the budget? if this passes, will medicare and medicaid survive, or will it become the next social security? what will happen to the medical field if it does?
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2 comments:
Hey you!
Great minds think alike! haha, obviously the budget is a pretty big deal these days. By the time our kids our old enough to use programs like medicare and medicaid, my guess is they will no longer exist. Mrs. MD left a pretty good point on mine as well, that increases taxes looks bad on the President, hence why they are always so scared to do it. Increase taxes or loose programs, its really that simple. Money makes the world go round.
'Fraid so. It's political suicide to raise taxes. But - the current president is the only one I can think of that has cut taxes in a time of war. That's good politics, but bad for the economy (or at least for the balanced budget/national debt part).
Interesting points on what would happen to Medicaid - with such a large portion of our population over the age of 50, if Medicaid dropped, there would be a lot of people to answer to. It's not a wise political move to annoy the people who vote the most (age 45+)...
Good job!
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