Re: Question on Charity

[Dora Noble <dryopter@richnet.net>]

1.)Privatizing SS is very complex.  None of these questions are answered
when asking the question, "should we privatize".  I am afraid this is
youth speaking and not the experienced older person.

(A)  An extremely high percentage of people develop disabilities as they
grow older.  Something like 70% by age 55 have some catastrophic
illness.  Because of this SS money needs to be secured, investment
brokerage houses cannot assure the security of Benefits.  The whole
thing is contingent upon the fluctuations of the stock market. Would the
Government still guarantee the benefit at equal level?

(B)  Very few people are able to look at the market and determine where
to invest.  Bad investments could be made on the World market. How much
of this would the Government be responsible for?

(C)  Do we want the Government in Stock Market, or other investment
businesses.  Is this not Socialistic?

2.) Nowhere do you address Insurance fraud, Medical Professionals fraud,
or unnecessary billings by Nursing home.   ie.; Gail Wilensky (SS
advocate under Pres. Bush)  Is asking  more money for nursing homes.
Yet Pennsylvania, in it's law suit, found that nursing homes, bill
Medicare for unused and health  depleting items indicated and proven to
be fraudulent.
  A) Nursing homes bill for and get paid by Medicare for wheelchairs
whether an individual needs one or not.  Every room ends up with a wheel
chair, eventually the older person will be put into it and use it.  When
in fact, it is unhealthy and takes away what little mobility they have,
and limbs begin to deteriorate.  What is being done to stop this?

    B) Gail Wilensky as also  asking  more money for Home Health Care
Nurses.  Highly paid nurses are being paid for clerical positions taking
applications from ill elderly and disabled.  When in fact they know
right off the bat there are no program for these people.  Yet they are
being paid $100.00 an hour and the sick get nothing.  There are many
more less expensive ways of handling this, and is just a job created for
educated nurses who are NOT NEEDED. As I said this is clerical work, and
charts are available.

 (C) Therapist fit into this same category.  Some therapy is needed, but
when it happens day after day, year after year,  it is no longer
therapy, but exercise.  Medicare and SS is again paying for this.  Is it
going to stop?

 (D) Medicare accepts and pays for fraudulent billings.  Supplemental
insurance refused to cover certain doctors, treatment, or hospitals and
end up paying nothing.  What is being done to stop this?

3.) Money and poverty.  Current Social Security is forcing disabled
person into a poverty situation.  Disabled people are allowed to earn
$499. GROSS a month, before benefits are taken away completely, not a
dollar for dollar deduction, but zip gone.  Pay raises, bonuses,
insurance and so on are taken from that $499. leaving  little to be self
sustaining. Even forcing some people into a government subsidized
housing situation.  Individuals  on regular Social Security can earn far
more than this.

Bob Carlitz wrote:

>                         QUESTION ON CHARITY
>
> Many of those advocating privatization have argued that both charity
> and family should play a greater role in a reformed Social Security
> system.
>
> 1. Do you favor a privatized system which eliminates the current
> system's redistributive benefits formula (which gives relatively
> higher benefits to lower-income people)?
>
> 2. Under the present system or some of the proposed alternatives,
> will some people be forced to choose between food, lodging or
> medicine in their daily budgets?
>
> 3. Will charitable organizations be able to fill the gap between
> the needs of the poorest sector of the population and the benefits
> provided by government programs?  Should this be the solution to
> this problem?
>
> Bob Carlitz, moderator
> Information Renaissance