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Strictly speaking, it is not, as those who don't contribute don't receive anything from the system. Pure socialism would redistribute the money to EVERYONE, regardless of participation. Does it have qualities of socialism? Yes. But it also has capitalistic restrictions.
The Social Security tax that is taken out of everyone's paychecks ends somewhere above $100,000, so the wealthy can pay less as a percentage. As all workers, rich or poor, are eligible for SS, it is very much a "socialist" idea.
Exactly. Saying we'll "take care of" our parents is noble but who ON EARTH could actually afford it? There is of course the option of having parents move in with the grown children. That would cut down on rent but what about medical care?
I had a patient who was a staunch Republican. He was an 80 year old farmer who suffered from COPD. I knew he was a Republican because during an office visit in 2000, he railed against AL Gore and the "Communist Democrats" for trying to take his money away, and he tried to persuade me to vote for Bush. He owned some land in rural Illinois.
Two years later, his health took a turn for the worse and was hospitalized several times over a 6 month period. I stabilized his condition, but it was clear he was becoming terminal. With COPD, you can be terminal but you can be clinically stable for months before you finally take a nosedive and never recover. During this stable phase, you can be cared for at home or in a nursing home and not necessarily need to be in a hospital.
One day I got a call from the ER saying that this man was in the waiting room and wanted to be admitted to the hospital. When I evaluated him, I saw that nothing had really changed with his condition; he wasn't any worse than a few weeks before. Why did he want to be hospitalized this time?
He told me that he really wanted to be admitted to a nursing home, but if he went there directly, he would have to pay the nursing home bill out of his own pocket. He said he didn't want to sell his farmland to pay the bill. Instead, he wanted me to admit him to the hospital and keep him there for at least 3 days so that Medicare would then pay for his nursing home bill. (Medicare stipulates that if you are admitted in an acute hospital for at least 3 days and then transferred to a nursing home for convalescence, Medicare will foot the nursing home bill.)
So this anti-Communist Republican man was basically asking me to defraud the government, sock Medicare and the taxpayers with a nursing home bill that he himself refused to pay. Hospitalizing as a way station for someone who really doesn't qualify for admission just to get into a government-subsidized nursing home is FRAUD.
Like I said before, I've met the Republican base. There's many of them out there. I suspect some of them hang out on this forum. They like to suck on the government teat as well. These people like their socialist goodies. Don't let their anti-socialist rhetoric fool you otherwise.
If your parents are healthy, you will be paying in the range of 20000 a year for their basic coverage. If they are not, you will be paying out of pocket for their care because you will not be able to get them covered. I hope you are a multimillionaire. Also, most private insurance after 65 will expect you to get your medicare benefit as part of their continuing to cover you.
Even if your parents are healthy, you will not be able to get primary insurance for them if they are eligible for medicare.
I had a patient who was a staunch Republican. He was an 80 year old farmer who suffered from COPD. I knew he was a Republican because during an office visit in 2000, he railed against AL Gore and the "Communist Democrats" for trying to take his money away, and he tried to persuade me to vote for Bush. He owned some land in rural Illinois.
Two years later, his health took a turn for the worse and was hospitalized several times over a 6 month period. I stabilized his condition, but it was clear he was becoming terminal. With COPD, you can be terminal but you can be clinically stable for months before you finally take a nosedive and never recover. During this stable phase, you can be cared for at home or in a nursing home and not necessarily need to be in a hospital.
One day I got a call from the ER saying that this man was in the waiting room and wanted to be admitted to the hospital. When I evaluated him, I saw that nothing had really changed with his condition; he wasn't any worse than a few weeks before. Why did he want to be hospitalized this time?
He told me that he really wanted to be admitted to a nursing home, but if he went there directly, he would have to pay the nursing home bill out of his own pocket. He said he didn't want to sell his farmland to pay the bill. Instead, he wanted me to admit him to the hospital and keep him there for at least 3 days so that Medicare would then pay for his nursing home bill. (Medicare stipulates that if you are admitted in an acute hospital for at least 3 days and then transferred to a nursing home for convalescence, Medicare will foot the nursing home bill.)
So this anti-Communist Republican man was basically asking me to defraud the government, sock Medicare and the taxpayers with a nursing home bill that he himself refused to pay. Hospitalizing as a way station for someone who really doesn't qualify for admission just to get into a government-subsidized nursing home is FRAUD.
Like I said before, I've met the Republican base. There's many of them out there. I suspect some of them hang out on this forum. They like to suck on the government teat as well. These people like their socialist goodies. Don't let their anti-socialist rhetoric fool you otherwise.
+1, and I agree. I see people even here on this forum who are receiving "assistance" but have a whole backstory about why their needs are legitimate...and then turn around and scream about the "lazy" people who "probably" just don't feel like working! That is some serious nerve, and is almost unbelievable.
The Social Security tax that is taken out of everyone's paychecks ends somewhere above $100,000, so the wealthy can pay less as a percentage. As all workers, rich or poor, are eligible for SS, it is very much a "socialist" idea.
I don't know all of the rules, but I believe there's a cap on benefits, too, and that's why there's a cap on the tax itself. You can't tax folks more after a certain level if you don't increase the benefits, too. Or that would be PURE socialism.
I had a patient who was a staunch Republican. He was an 80 year old farmer who suffered from COPD. I knew he was a Republican because during an office visit in 2000, he railed against AL Gore and the "Communist Democrats" for trying to take his money away, and he tried to persuade me to vote for Bush. He owned some land in rural Illinois.
Two years later, his health took a turn for the worse and was hospitalized several times over a 6 month period. I stabilized his condition, but it was clear he was becoming terminal. With COPD, you can be terminal but you can be clinically stable for months before you finally take a nosedive and never recover. During this stable phase, you can be cared for at home or in a nursing home and not necessarily need to be in a hospital.
One day I got a call from the ER saying that this man was in the waiting room and wanted to be admitted to the hospital. When I evaluated him, I saw that nothing had really changed with his condition; he wasn't any worse than a few weeks before. Why did he want to be hospitalized this time?
He told me that he really wanted to be admitted to a nursing home, but if he went there directly, he would have to pay the nursing home bill out of his own pocket. He said he didn't want to sell his farmland to pay the bill. Instead, he wanted me to admit him to the hospital and keep him there for at least 3 days so that Medicare would then pay for his nursing home bill. (Medicare stipulates that if you are admitted in an acute hospital for at least 3 days and then transferred to a nursing home for convalescence, Medicare will foot the nursing home bill.)
So this anti-Communist Republican man was basically asking me to defraud the government, sock Medicare and the taxpayers with a nursing home bill that he himself refused to pay. Hospitalizing as a way station for someone who really doesn't qualify for admission just to get into a government-subsidized nursing home is FRAUD.
Like I said before, I've met the Republican base. There's many of them out there. I suspect some of them hang out on this forum. They like to suck on the government teat as well. These people like their socialist goodies. Don't let their anti-socialist rhetoric fool you otherwise.
It's true that under certain circumstances Medicare will pay the NH bill for a short time if the pt. is hospitalized first. I think it's about 90 days, and the pt. has to be receiving rehab services. Medicare will not pay long term nursing home care. Someone misinformed your patient. I agree it is fraud, as are some other sketchy things I have heard on this forum from staunch Republicans.
Its much like so many other programs like the farm bill for instance.Then there are programs that help small business and all kinds of things like the arts ;etc. They are all programs that could be considered socailist if you want to. But these type programs have been around for centruies and are part of the market system really.As long as individualls can becoime more than the average without being part of the ruling group; we are alive and well in this republic.
SS is my money and it aggravates me that they deny you for it when you are disabled. So, no, its definitely not Socialism.
They do not deny you when you are disable. All you have to do is to PROVE it to them. It certainly helps to have a lawyer. I do agree that they seem to automatically deny the first application for SSDI but if one has a lawyer and the medical proof then one will get their SSDI. The big deal I see is that they take so long and too many people lose too much because of the time delay.
SSI, though, is welfare because it is for people who have not qualified for social security disability or regular social security.
My Dad is healthy, 66 years old, owns his own business and has private insurance.
Am I misunderstanding what you mean?
If social security is a form of socialism then so is everything else funded through taxpayer monies...education, police, infrastructure....
Exactly
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That is some serious nerve, and is almost unbelievable.
