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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: KLP who wrote (215873)	8/17/2007 7:43:50 AM
From: Lane3	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 793996

I wondered if you knew how any piece of the US budget is constructed when it comes to using dollar amounts.... The US budget, like any other budget, reflects what the government spends. It spends for overhead and direct mission costs. In this program, the government doesn't buy drugs so the question about whether its costs reflect retail or discount prices for drugs is not relevant. The mission cost to the government is for subsidizing premiums, not drugs. It's the individual participant who buys the actual drugs. That's why I replied as I did. Those who want my posts to be terse may quit reading here. <g> Three quarters of Medicare beneficiaries had drug coverage prior to this program so the program was designed for the quarter who didn't. Part D beneficiaries pay a quarter of the cost of their drug policies. The remaining three quarters comes from the general fund--taxes. The thirty billion dollar budget cost is premium subsidy and overhead paid for by taxes. (http://www.hhs.gov/asl/testify/t050922.html) This is clearly a welfare program and those who participate are "on the dole." I'm implying no value judgment here, just trying to assert some clarity. I was surprised by the confusion, which is why I engaged JDN on the subject. A Republican President advocated a new welfare program and Republicans like JDN think it's a great idea that the government has stepped in to rile the market and help out the needy in this regard. Welfare programs are fine as long as they don't waste money, according to him. Think about it. Had some Democrat or Independent or simply a stranger wandered onto this thread and advocated socialized medicine or welfare programs, he would have been instantly assailed by the thread. But JDN posted what he posted and there's nary a peep. What does that mean? Well, perhaps it means that some folks like JDN might reconsider their party affiliation. Or perhaps it means, as Mr. Lucky suggested, the Republicans are now effectively on board with socialized medicine and welfare programs, the left has won, and the fight against them is circling the drain. The means testing of Medicare Part B was also effected on Bush's watch. Hmmmm.