by Paul Craig Roberts, Paul Craig Roberts:
We are constantly told we cannot afford Social Security and Medicare. Fighting Russia in Ukraine is more important than the survivability of the American population.
I doubt anything can wake up the ignorant insouciant American population, but perhaps the Biden regime’s rip-off of Medicare in the interest of Big Pharma profits can introduce some reality into American consciousness.
Recently I have had physical therapy for a shoulder injury hoping to avoid an operation and received two Medicare “summary notices” setting out the charges and payments. Incidentally, Medicare cost me annually five to ten times more in Medicare taxes than I receive in Medicare payments to providers. This is because I am still working despite being well passed retirement age and am subject to the Medicate tax on income. Then there is the surcharge for Medicare part B that is income based, and then there is the cost of the private supplement to Medicare as Medicare never pays the full cost of the bill. On me, Medicare makes a large annual profit.