RE “NEXT seniors may find benefits tied to means” (Page A1, Oct. 15): Means testing may save some money in the short run, but once higher-income people are no longer entitled to the same Social Security and Medicare benefits, the programs will be labeled as welfare, and political support for these programs will quickly erode.
President Roosevelt, in the case of Social Security, and President Johnson, with Medicare, knew that by making these programs universal, they built enduring political support from a broad majority of our country. Means testing will undermine it to the detriment of all.
Comments
They are already means tested
The problem is they want the one's that pay full social security taxes say $10,000.00 per year plus company match and maybe higher and after putting large amounts you turn to these people you are not entitled.....after 20 or 30 yrs etc.....that is wrong. Social security is income and is added to other income.....if the income is very high they will pay taxes on it. But they are entitled to it.
I don't have that problem, but fair is fair.....and same as medicare...
Breaking News--SS is ALREADY means-tested! As any recipient knows, the (almost disappeared) annual adjustments are "adjusted" depending on the recipient's income that is reported to the government. SS is already a welfare program; with the contributors being increasingly penalized for their current level of income that has been reached as result of working hard PLUS paying into SS all their lives.