Obama on McCain's Plans to Cut Medicare

October 17, 2008, Roanoke, VA

Obama: Senator McCain's been eager to share some details of his health care plan -- but not all of them. It's like those ads for prescription drugs, you know they start off everybody's running in the field and everybody's happy, then there's the little fine print that says, you know, 'side effects may include...'

Now first of all, we found out that Senator McCain wants to pay for his plan by taxing your health care benefits for the first time in history, just like George Bush. That was bad enough. But the Wall Street Journal recently reported that it was actually worse than we thought. It turns out, Senator McCain would pay for part of his plan by making drastic cuts in Medicare -- $882 billion worth. $882 billion in Medicare cuts to pay for an ill-conceived, badly thought-through health care plan that won't provide more health care to people. Even though Medicare is already facing a looming shortfall.

Now, this should come as no surprise, it's entirely consistent with Senator McCain's record during his 26 years in Congress where, time and again, he's opposed Medicare. In fact, Senator McCain has voted against protecting Medicare 40 times. 40 times, he's failed to stand up for Medicare. So what would Senator McCain's cuts mean for Medicare at a time when more and more Americans are relying on it? It would mean a cut of more than 20 percent in Medicare benefits next year. If you count on Medicare, it would mean fewer places to get care, and less freedom to choose your own doctors. You'll pay more for your drugs, you'll receive fewer services, you'll get lower quality care. I dont think thats right. In fact, it ain't right.

When you've worked hard your whole life, and paid into the system, and done everything right, you shouldn't have the carpet pulled out from under you when you least expect it and can least afford it. It ain't right. Health care shouldn't be some kind of either-or tradeoff where our seniors get left out in the cold. It ain't right.

I think every single American has a right to affordable, accessible health care.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• barack
• obama
• virginia
• speech
• medicare
• john
• mccain
• health
• care
• insurance

[dalejrfanfreak]

Obama just announced a proposal of $622 billion in budget cuts to medicare, I wonder if anyone will care to replay this?

[dluviam]

Stop it. You not swaying any votes. Save your energy.  Do something constructive with your time.

[netttels]

RON PAUL 2012

[hpcwsd]

@TheMan6376 You think medicare is a waste of money because you are 17 (your posted age). Yeah, your grandparents should have to pay for all the medical bills out of their pockets ..and if they get a catastrophic illness, their home should be taken away to cover the medical cost... and then when you visit grandma... you can stay in her cardboard box on the streets !

[hpcwsd]

MEDICARE should have 100% coverage for all Americans that worked most of their lives to build this great country. that would be : 100% coverage of Medical, Dental, Vision, and Prescriptions PERIOD! DAMN government just threw away $125MILLION on missiles in Libya, and the previous administration threw away TRILLIONS that could have been put in the Medicare coffers ... Seems like American Government is to make sure all Government employees get the BEST benefits ..and the working people none!

[pfat0]

@xemomuffinsXX It's "arrogant" and if you're going to argue against Obama, at least make up some likes like ginaswo.

[xemomuffinsXX]

Aregant fool. He needs to be cut from office.

[ginaswo]

BWAAAAAHAA!! And Obama is GUTTING MEDICARE and BLOCKING the reimportation of rxs today!!!! 500 Billion he cuts and he made a deal with PHARMA!!

[TheMan6376]

Medicare is a HUGE waste of money.

[gomiamigo]

Guess Obama really is the worst President in history, not just the biggest liar.

[enriquemartineziii]

he said it aint right dddddddddddddddddddduuuuuuuuuu­uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhh­hhhhhhhhhhhhh

[CaveatEmpty]

"Scare Tactics"?? indeed