The answer to SS and Medicare

[Jasper07734]

1. Make old people into Soylent Green.
2. Also abolish Food Stamps, and replace with free gummint Soylent Green.
3. ???
4. Profit

[ElDucky]

The UK had this, and they might still. You give up all of your assets to the state and they'll give you health care and stay in a care home for the rest of your life. If you give up more they put you in the nicer places.

[SamCook]

Originally Posted by independent

Most people support other programs where taxes vary but the benefits are flat -- Medicare and public schools for example.

But, I'm not a political guru. I'm just saying what I'd do with the program, not what I think the average voter would think of the idea.

Many people on this forum do not and Republicans certainly don't.

A cap on the social security wag base at 50K and a flat benefit of $750 per month is a flat benefit. Liberals don't seem to like this solution though

[DanielSong39]

No COLA for the next 30 years.

That would make both programs less insolvent...

[asdfasdf]

Poor farm sounds like a place where you grow poor people, I'm not sure that's the track we should take....

[independent]

Originally Posted by SamCook

Many people on this forum do not and Republicans certainly don't.

A cap on the social security wag base at 50K and a flat benefit of $750 per month is a flat benefit. Liberals don't seem to like this solution though

I'm not sure what you mean by "liberals". I think there are lots of politicians who profess opposition to benefit reductions of any sort. They would also be opposed to my suggestion of $900 per month.

[bdschobel]

Originally Posted by independent

...I think reducing the SS benefit to a flat $900/mo would accomplish the same thing with less moral risk.

That benefit amount would exceed preretirement earnings for millions of people. A replacement rate exceeding 100% makes no sense.

Bruce

[Baron Von Raschke]

Originally Posted by asdfasdf

Poor farm sounds like a place where you grow poor people, I'm not sure that's the track we should take....

What do you think public housing is?

[DanielSong39]

Social Security:

5% immediate nominal cut, followed by no COLA increases for the next 30 years.

Reduce the maximum base gradually to $50,000.

Gradually move the current 62-70 window to 65-73.

Would that give the program some hope of becoming solvent?

[DanielSong39]

As for Medicare and Medicaid, there is no hope. The only way it becomes solvent is if it's obliterated.

Social Security is very bad but it is at least somewhat fixable.