tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512362.post3806041499301357598..comments2024-03-10T13:59:19.230-04:00Comments on xpostfactoid: Victims of an ACA subsidy cutoff may live mainly in Republican districts -- but will they vote?Andrew Sprunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17601269968798865106noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512362.post-40584929406260141772015-06-22T20:16:58.083-04:002015-06-22T20:16:58.083-04:00thanks for an excellent article.
The discrepancy ...thanks for an excellent article. <br />The discrepancy in voting patterns explains why the USA can spend $605 a year in Medicare, plus over $100 billion in the parts of Medicaid that serve seniors, and there is rarely a complaint.<br /><br />Yet we spend $20 billion in ACA subsidies, and you think it was the coming of the Great Dspression.<br /><br />I noticed this in Tennessee last decade. The TennCare program was helping at leat 15-20% of adult residents. If all the recipients had voted en bloc, they would win every election for 30 years.<br />Instead, TennCare funding was slashed and the governor in charge of that was re elected easily.bob.hertzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09686373408419885558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512362.post-50484541231362923502015-06-19T05:58:44.693-04:002015-06-19T05:58:44.693-04:00Another good and unique piece, thanks.
This is why...Another good and unique piece, thanks.<br />This is why America can simultaneously have a European style welfare state for the elderly, combined with great vulnerability for workers and the poor.<br />The elderly are a huge voting bloc, and politicians of both parties respond.<br /><br />For example, the total amount spent by the Feds for ACA subsidies in 2015 is supposed to be about $20 billion. This is treated in the conservative press as something close to Armageddon.<br /><br />Yet the total amount spent on Medicare is $605 billion, almost all of that going to the elderly. Even in Medicaid, a large portion of the dollars goes to help elderly dual eligibles and nursing home residents.<br /><br />But the Tea Party can say "Keep your government hands off my Medicare," and the Republicans can win the 2010 Congress by saying that the ACA would hurt seniors.<br /><br />I guess the only answer is far more young voters.bob.hertzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09686373408419885558noreply@blogger.com