Quote:
Originally Posted by tony286
If you look at long term healthcare spending, this will be the biggest thing that will effect our economy which is why it has to be dealt with.
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I agree with you on this. Growth to medical entitlements is the biggest thing our economy has to deal with over the long haul. It is what is saddling our country in debt (as it's the biggest component of the US debt) and might force us to be bankrupt one day, particularly with an aging population.
However, I disagree with you on that, if you think this is the solution, think again. The worst thing we could potentially do to ourselves is say "this is the solution" before the solution has ever arrived. I don't think this does a damn thing to lower the entitlements. The elderly and the poor (Medicare + Medicaid), will continue to be used like it currently is. The only way to lower entitlements with an aging population will be to basically... lower entitlements. Which sucks. The rest is gimmicks. It's also why I do think America is heading to a very dark place.
Time will tell the truth.
I share the same opinion about Social Security. SSN is a very a noble program, a way to pay for the elderly. However its a generational transfer of wealth. It's predicated on the next generation always being bigger and paying for the previous generation. It worked out well for the first generation. Started to show cracks of long term solvency in the 2nd generations, and by the 3rd and 4th generation, I really don't see how it can continue, unless you really saddle those generations and suck more out of them. Which means the fix to Social Security... is lowering it. Once again it sucks, I don't think it will happen, and it's why I think America is heading to a very dark place.
Most of these concepts, like health insurance and social security, aren't even 100 years old. The notion that they cannot fail and do very damaging things in the next 100 years, is a very dangerous thought.