The Joe Lieberman Plan

Joe Lieberman, independent Senator from Connecticut has a plan. Briefly, here are the salient points.

1. Raise the age limit for medicare gradually to age 67.

2. Charge co pays for all health care services rendered.

3. Increase premiums to 35% for all new enrollees after 2014

4. Increase taxes by 1% on those earning over 250,000.

Like the Ryan plan most of the increased burden is placed on the beneficiaries.

1. How many people will still be employable by age 67 and therefore able to continue on employee health care insurance?   Politicians talk about raising the benefits age for these programs as if there was no such thing as age discrimination in the workplace. 

2. It would be nice to assume that all retirees have the wherewithal to make co payments.  There are large numbers who have no other income aside from social security and no other way to add to their health care payments.

3. Increasing the premium for medicare has the same negative effect on retirees.  Where will they get the money?

4. One percent for all those earning over 250,000 is a bad joke.  It essentially says that the wealthy have no obligation to bear any real part of the national burden.