[anxiety247]

With medicare being privatized under the new administration? From my understanding this means people who have medicare are given what seems to be an allowance each year which we pay our services directly.

I am scared to even think what could happen to SSDI. I been reading online most republicans view that as extended welfare and want to get people off of it.

[Unrigged64072835]

It's upsetting but not surprising.

[LucyG]

Originally Posted by anxiety247

With medicare being privatized under the new administration? From my understanding this means people who have medicare are given what seems to be an allowance each year which we pay our services directly.

I am scared to even think what could happen to SSDI. I been reading online most republicans view that as extended welfare and want to get people off of it.

Before you go into meltdown, think just how difficult it really is to change these types of programs that care for the sick and elderly. Social Security and related programs are used as hot button issues by both parties to work people into a tizzy so they'll vote for them. I remember back in the mid 90s hearing Rush Limbaugh talk about how the goal was to scare senior citizens into believing if so-and-so got elected they'd be eating cat food they'd be so poor. Unless the country goes bankrupt which is more likely than you think, there's no way to get rid of social programs completely.

Republicans are very cold hearted thinking that if people just got off their butts, they'd be rich. Democrats assume that people aren't capable of providing for themselves so they encourage people to become dependent on the system to control them. From what I've seen and heard of Trump and his policies, his goal will be to take the waste out of the system. I saw on some articles on Facebook that one state is planning on drug testing welfare recipients. How true that is I don't know, but I would support that. I also saw another article saying that Trump is going to force them to work for their welfare check. Again, how reliable anything on Facebook is is questionable.

[BeyondtheRainbow]

I'm scared too. I have read that some of the proposals would just have cuts for new people and those already receiving benefits wouldn't have cuts---but I've read that we will as well.

It does help that senior citizens are a strong lobbying group and will fight hard against this.

Nonetheless my professional license is due to expire in June. I was going to let it because nobody thinks it is practical or wise for me to return to working at any level at this time. As things stand I am probably going to do the things I have to do to keep my license active another few years so that if I lose benefits I can somehow work a little. I have no idea how but it's better to have the option than to have to find something else to do that would be even worse. I talked to my pdoc about it and she supported it and up to now she's supported letting my license lapse if I was emotionally ready.

What a huge, horrible mess.

[HALLIEBETH87]

I am very worried. About everything

[tradika]

Please cite sources for this information. Is this speculation only, or has DA-elect decided to privatize SS?

[anxiety247]

Here:

After GOP wins, Paul Ryan puts Medicare in the crosshairs | MSNBC

or

Paul Ryan is determined to gut Medicare. This time he might succeed - LA Times

Also a video i saw on youtube on the gop plan to privatize medicare (2015) the guy in the interview is a A#$!!! But explains how it could work

[shezbut]

It scares the dickens out of me as well, as I'm afraid that I may be one of the people rooted out of SSDI (since my disabilities are brain-related and not OBVIOUS to others).

[shortandcute]

Originally Posted by anxiety247

Here:

After GOP wins, Paul Ryan puts Medicare in the crosshairs | MSNBC

or

Paul Ryan is determined to gut Medicare. This time he might succeed - LA Times

Also a video i saw on youtube on the gop plan to privatize medicare (2015) the guy in the interview is a A#$!!! But explains how it could work

"Ryan’s plan would do nothing to rein in healthcare costs, but would likely increase them, in part because Medicare beneficiaries would be saddled with paying not only for their care, but for the shareholder dividends and executive pay of private insurance companies. The savings Ryan touts would be illusory: They would merely be shifted from government to seniors."

This has already happened under Obama's watch. My BIL is proof of that.