Asian Science Camp

Congratulations to the Asian Science Camp for choosing Israel as the site for the 2012 camp. This is a step for reason, for science, for progress, and for peace.

Medicare

Today, I want to discuss an issue facing our country, America. Romney's new vice presidential candidate Ryan is an uncompromising Right Wing ideologue. He has trumped up a voucher plan to replace Medicare to start in about 10 years if he gets his way. He has grandfathered in the present generation over 55 years of age because he knows it would be political suicide to screw the present generation of elderly. He is betting that he can pull the wool over the eyes of the people in the 30s and 40s. He figures that they are more concerned with immediate needs, namely dealing with the present economic slow down (which was started by the policies of the previous Republican administration). That generation would be double screwed. They would have paid for the Medicare of the present grandfathered elderly, but will not enjoy the same benefit when  they reach that age.
The way medical insurance works (like any insurance), everyone pays in whether sick or well (or without knowing who will become sick later). Private insurance companies try to accumulate as many healthy members as possible and as few sick people as possible (if unregulated). Private insurance companies will deny coverage to sick people or charge them higher fees. So people who arrive at old age healthy (and wealthy) will more likely opt for the voucher system. People who arrive sick without the money to sufficiently supplement the voucher will have to go with traditional Medicare.
So, in the Ryan system, the private insurance companies will get the well members who will cost them less and sick people who can afford to pay more money. Traditional Medicare will get the the people who are the most sick and unable to afford the supplement required by private insurance. This will penalize traditional Medicare and articially set it up for failure.