APP - FINALLY!

belme1201 said:
For starters, and barely scratching the surface, I would suggest you look up McAllen/Hidalgo County, Texas for multiple examples of Medicare fraud by doctors and the private sector. Then, proceed to Miami/ Dade County Fla., and after that, please tell me where the problems are coming from and what you feel should be done about it.
For many years members of a certain party have wished Medicare didn't exist, so now it's convenient to blame the victim. Who from the right is pushing hard to eliminate the fraud, now or in the past administration?
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Yes, I know about the fraud in those areas you mentioned and around the country. My suspicions are that Medicare has a shoddy accounting system and should be changed. For instance, (true story) there were 3 payments of $5,000 for a specialized wheelchair, yet the wheelchair was never sent to anyone. It was a bogus claim. I am saying these transactions should have been automatically flagged in their accounting system on the spot as suspicious and checked out before the money was ever sent out. This is an ongoing problem.

This can result in higher Medicare premiums, deductibles and co-payments for everyone. Losses due to fraud may also prevent Medicare from offering more services and better coverage.

Can't you say one thing without blaming the GOP? That hang-up of yours is getting old.
 
TuTu Monroe said:
Yes, I agree with you on parts, but Medicare has not been run well to let this happen., probably for many years.
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Do you recall the couple week’s belme argued that Medicare was a shining example of how well run government programs could be? I linked him up to statistic that showed it was the worst run program contributing to more fraud and mismanagement than any other single program by billions a year?

The Medicare program is top heavy bureaucracy where billions are lost in waste error. It is so inefficient that billions more are defrauded while the gate keepers watch.

So, let’s reform Health Care first by working towards dealing with the inefficiencies and fraud in Medicare. Let's make private health care portable and create an open border between states to make health care more competitive. Let's cap tort claims. Then in 4 years let's see where we are at.
 
Ice Dancer said:
Do you recall the couple week’s belme argued that Medicare was a shining example of how well run government programs could be? I linked him up to statistic that showed it was the worst run program contributing to more fraud and mismanagement than any other single program by billions a year?

The Medicare program is top heavy bureaucracy where billions are lost in waste error. It is so inefficient that billions more are defrauded while the gate keepers watch.

So, let’s reform Health Care first by working towards dealing with the inefficiencies and fraud in Medicare. Let's make private health care portable and create an open border between states to make health care more competitive. Let's cap tort claims. Then in 4 years let's see where we are at.
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I guess this means belme is capable of being convinced he may be wrong.

Wow! :readit:
 
PostmodernProphet said:
you know, that gets repeated a lot in defense of the health plan.....I'm curious, do you know how they calculate that?....what gets included in the costs of administering Medicare?.....do they include what the IRS spends in handling their accounts receivable?.....here in Michigan, Medicare claims are processed by BC/BS.....do your numbers include what Medicare pays them to handle that?......for that matter, if Medicare is so much cheaper, why do we even hire BC/BS in the first place?.....because we want to go with the more expensive option of administration?........
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bump...USC, you were on but you didn't answer.....
 
Ice Dancer said:
Do you recall the couple week’s belme argued that Medicare was a shining example of how well run government programs could be? I linked him up to statistic that showed it was the worst run program contributing to more fraud and mismanagement than any other single program by billions a year?

The Medicare program is top heavy bureaucracy where billions are lost in waste error. It is so inefficient that billions more are defrauded while the gate keepers watch.

So, let’s reform Health Care first by working towards dealing with the inefficiencies and fraud in Medicare. Let's make private health care portable and create an open border between states to make health care more competitive. Let's cap tort claims. Then in 4 years let's see where we are at.
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I stated then and I state now that Medicare is more efficiently operated than private sector carriers born out by the numbers. I also stated that if it wasn't for dishonesty in the private sector, everything would be far better, however, you would have nothing to complain about. Recently it was disclosed that intense fraud investigation was not begun until 2008, anything ring a bell? Shall we call it the Waxman effect? I'm all for it, but I was 8 years ago also, unlike some. I might add that when the GOP added Part D, they failed to fund the additional $1/2 trillion cost, adding to the burden. I have yet to hear your alternative plan for Medicare itself, just to clarify the misunderstanding.
Once again you forgot to mention the Pentagon when talking about the most wasteful departments, recently re-iterated by the GAO.
 
Damocles said:
Until people realize that stricter punishment is not an alternative to rehabilitation it is unlikely. The land of the free has become the land of the imprisoned. However there is some hope, Tom Tancredo has come out in support of decriminalization. If Tom can see the light, anybody can with enough education.
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Amen.
 
TuTu Monroe said:
Yes, I know about the fraud in those areas you mentioned and around the country. My suspicions are that Medicare has a shoddy accounting system and should be changed. For instance, (true story) there were 3 payments of $5,000 for a specialized wheelchair, yet the wheelchair was never sent to anyone. It was a bogus claim. I am saying these transactions should have been automatically flagged in their accounting system on the spot as suspicious and checked out before the money was ever sent out. This is an ongoing problem.

This can result in higher Medicare premiums, deductibles and co-payments for everyone. Losses due to fraud may also prevent Medicare from offering more services and better coverage.

Can't you say one thing without blaming the GOP? That hang-up of yours is getting old.
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The funding for enforcement has been limited to a degree that they have been unable to handle the volume of fraud. Every bill should be audited, but when there is a personnel shortage where do you turn? When I was in the Army, at times there were piles of papers to be investigated a foot high on my desk. What does one do? You try to give the most heinous cases priority. The wheel chair case is mild compared to some, so what gets priority? One hospital in McAllen is willing to pay $25 million to settle their fraud, but who's going to prison? I say fund total investigation and prosecution and 'let er rip'!

Regarding the GOP, let the chips fall where they may, of course, the anti-Obama, anti-'Lib', anti-Dem, stuff is so rare here, I suppose I am being a tad unfair about what it was that happened until 7 months ago when all department heads were bush appointees, leading us to where we are today. Forgive me. I also understand that, in the anger of some because we are destroying the country, the death of us "Libs" is an understandable, normal response.
 
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belme1201 said:
Does a tree falling in the woods, with no one to hear, make a sound?
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Does a turd in the woods with "nobody" to smell it still smell?

Of course it makes a sound. Unless you think that animals are part of the "nobody" there is something there to hear the sound.
 
Damocles said:
Does a turd in the woods with "nobody" to smell it still smell?

Of course it makes a sound. Unless you think that animals are part of the "nobody" there is something there to hear the sound.
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You have made an interesting analogy and thus have opened yet another facet to an age old philosophical discussion.
 
Annie said:
Are you tone deaf? Would the trees mind if you were?
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Good question! I don't know the answer to either, because I don't sing alone in the woods, and the shower doesn't have a life to give, or the car.

Yeah, I'm that guy, the one you see in the car next to you happily singing along with the tunes on his radio.
 
Damocles said:
Good question! I don't know the answer to either, because I don't sing alone in the woods, and the shower doesn't have a life to give, or the car.

Yeah, I'm that guy, the one you see in the car next to you happily singing along with the tunes on his radio.
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Well so am I, but I keep the windows up for environmental reasons! Have you ever heard a deaf person sing? LOL! Flat and wrong lyrics. Kills the plants every time.
 
Damocles said:
Good question! I don't know the answer to either, because I don't sing alone in the woods, and the shower doesn't have a life to give, or the car.

Yeah, I'm that guy, the one you see in the car next to you happily singing along with the tunes on his radio.
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Engines die in cars.
 
Annie said:
Well so am I, but I keep the windows up for environmental reasons! Have you ever heard a deaf person sing? LOL! Flat and wrong lyrics. Kills the plants every time.
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My first girlfriend was profoundly deaf, she used to serenade me outside my bedroom window. Not kidding. I thought it was quite endearing, but yeah I know exactly what you are saying.
 
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