Domestic Policy

Bush Cuts Healthcare While Reducing Government Spending

February 7, 2006 ⋅  E-Mail Article ⋅  Print Article ⋅ Post a comment

The President has advised that he wants to cut Government spending, and Government programs, and he wants to start right now. In an effort to reduce the growing federal debt, President Bush is cutting and slashing any program in sight. However, is his actions jeopardizing the Health of many Americans? Some say it is, others say we have to od this to get by. Most Americans feel the real truth lies somewhere in between these two statements.

Bush is seeking around $36 billion in savings from Medicare. But many health professionals say that messing with Medicare is messing with the publics overall health. Medicare covers around 42 million Americans, including all Americans age 65 and older; it also helps with about 6 million disabled people. Many of the individuals on Medicare cannot afford any other reasonable healthcare, these individuals are afraid that any change in their coverage could cause them to not be able to afford the health care they need.

The President also has proposed reducing the Medicare payment increases paid out to hospitals while also freezing fees for other health care providers. Many providers state any rise in fees are only justified by their incurrence of a rising charge, they are not just trying to jack up the profit margin. However, it appears the President disagrees.

The President has also proposed that he would like to expand tax preferred Health Savings Accounts. The Bush Administration has repeatedly stated that Health Savings Accounts will help people become more intelligent health-care consumers while also restraining rising health costs. However, detractors of the policy say that the proposal only serves to give tax breaks to more wealthy people while actually doing very little for the uninsured.

There are many issues involved with health care, and Medicare, but one thing is for sure, those who rely on Medicare consider it their only lifeline to a healthier life and they fear any change or reduction in what they currently have.

Bush cuts health care

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