Republicans think you are bad at math---or why raising the Medicare age of eligibility is a really really bad idea...

Seems the GOP failed to notice that the middle class had their wealth wiped out after the last economic crisis created by the 1%.  Not only that, now the GOP in DC are busy looking for clever ways to give the 1% a free ride and are hoping you won't notice.

The GOP have decided that bad ideas are better than forcing multi-millionaires and billionaire to pay what would still be historically low tax rates.  

See, they want to increase the Medicare age and sell it to you as "savings" when in fact its going to cost all of us a whole lot more in terms of economic efficiency and quality of life.  The GOP won't talk about the drain on state budget's (this will increase Medicaid roles which state's have to help pay) and about hot this will hit private employers (who pay to subsidize their employee's health care).  They just want to talk "savings" and ignore reality.

Lets take a moment to breakdown the utterly obvious---increasing the age of eligibility for Medicare is a bad idea.  The GOP are running around saying "this will save us $5.7 billion dollars" as if this is supposed to impress you.

First, for those thinking like economists this is a giant waste of efficiency when it comes to analyzing the dollars and cents; the reason is Medicare is more efficient and has better outcomes than private insurance.  So shifting millions onto the private market when they could be tapping into Medicare is a net loss for the economy as a whole.

Secondly, the impacts for middle class families would be huge as people have to scrape together the money to pay for private insurance which--since many in the GOP seem to have forgotten--is astronomically overpriced (FYI...there is a lot of rent seeking and regulatory capture going on in the health care sector thanks to Nanny-State welfare queens with fancy degree's next to their name).

Finally the idea that we are going to increase costs for the middle class, employers (who are helping bear the brunt of our screwed up health care system), and state governments at a time when the 1% are doing just fine is utter lunacy.  

Supporting an increase in the Medicare age directly hits your local economy and the Medicaid burdens on the state budget.

 

So you need to hit Facebook, twitter, and email and make damn well sure your voice is heard right now because if not, you will see a drain of dollars flowing out of your local economy and into the pockets of CEO's; eventually you will likely see state tax increases to pay for the increased strain on Medicaid.

Raising Medicare's age of eligibility actually costs us more--via shifting costs to citizens, employers, and state governments.  Politicians in DC are hoping you aren't good at math and that you don't give a damn if your neighbor can afford to buy health insurance or not.  

Call your Senator and Congressman and tell them you aren't going to fall for the $5.7billion in "savings."  

No deal on the fiscal cliff is better than a bad deal---raising the Medicare age is about the worst thing you could do for your friends, family, and local community.  Its pathetic the GOP want to avoid an imaginary "Fiscal Cliff" by literally throwing seniors that you know and love, who are nearing retirement; off a very real financial one.