Monterey Social Security & Medicare May Be Safe For Another Year: View From A Private Duty

Caregiver Serving, Carmel, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Marina, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, Salinas
& Seaside, California

An Associated Press-Gfk poll released in the Monterey Herald May 24 shows little faith in claims by
politicians that cuts need to be made in Medicare and Social Security in order to balance the budget. In
the poll, 54% said it's possible to balance the budget without cutting spending for Medicare, while 59%
said it's possible to balance the budget without cutting Social Security. Democrats and political
independents were far more likely than Republicans to say that neither program would have to be cut. In
total, 70% in the poll said Social Security is "extremely" or "very" important to their financial security in
retirement and 72% said so for Medicare. 62% said that both programs are extremely or very important.
Obviously, the sentiment was much stronger amongst the elderly. 84% of those surveyed over the age of
65 said both programs are central to their financial security. The results of the poll are likely to make
politicians think twice about proposing any entitlement cuts prior to the upcoming 2012 elections.
American's are worried about the future of the programs, the poll found, and 3 out of 5 queried say the
two programs are vital to their basic financial security as they age. "I'm pretty confident Medicare will be
there because there would be a rebellion among voters, Nicholas Read, a 67-year-old retired teacher told
a reporter. "Republicans only got a hint of that this year. They got burned. They touched the hot stove,"
he said. Economists say the cost of retirement programs (Social Security and Medicare combined
account for about one-third of government spending) is the most serious budget problem facing the
nation. The trustees who oversee Social Security and Medicare recently told the public that the programs
are "not sustainable" over the long run, but clearly they haven't yet sold the message to the general
populace. "Medicare is an incredibly complex area," former Senator Judd Gregg (Republican, New
Hampshire), who used to chair the Budget Committee, told a reporter. "It's a matrix that is almost
incomprehensible. Unlike Social Security, which has four or five moving parts, Medicare has hundreds or
thousands. There is no single approach to Medicare, whereas with Social Security everyone knows
where the problem is." he said. I own a company which provides private duty caregiving services for
senior citizens so they can remain in their own homes and live independently. Many of them are
extremely frustrated by the lack of an increase in Social Security for two years running while the cost of
day to day living, food, gas, utilities, medical costs, etc. continue to rise. It's good to see that there will
likely be a reprieve in further cuts until after next year's elections.

http://www.montereyherald.com/rss/ci_18126890?_requestid=9081132

About Richard Kuehn & Family inHome Caregiving of Monterey:

After more than a decade of caregiving, both in a professional environment and for a 97 year old family
member Richard Kuehn was dissatisfied with service from local caregiving agencies. He became
convinced of the need for a service which provides very personal assistance to the elderly and founded
Family inHome Caregiving serving the Monterey Peninsula. Please visit my blog where I talk about
important senior issues at:
http://www.familyinhomecaregiving.com/Blog