Warning -- $178 Billion Cut in Medicare ... and More

Oh dear ... here we go again. One of My Rural America's core values is specific to family. It celebrates children, good neighbors, friends helping friends and teamwork -- working together to solve problems. As we see it, keeping our commitment to America's seniors is part of the promise of our country as is making sure that our children are loved ... with food in their stomachs and access to education.

The President formally releases his Budget for fiscal year 2009 today. It's a budget which will dramatically cause pain in America's families who already have access to affordable health care on their list of big worries, e.g.,

• Medicare: MINUS $170 Billion for Medicare over the next five years. Cuts include MINUS $1.2 Billion for Medicaid next year and MINUS nearly $14 Billion over five years.
  
• Poison Control Centers: MINUS 62 percent cut in funding.
• Health Services for 9/11 Workers: MINUS 77 percent.
• Low Income Home Energy Assistance: MINUS 22 percent.
• Rural Health Programs: MINUS 87 percent.

Ambulances, hospices, hospitals and home care agencies will likely be most directly affected by these cuts. One small bright spot for health care is that the Budget requests come additional funds for low income families' children ... plus $19.7 billion.

Education got whacked, too, so look for equally dramatic cuts in programs like Even Start -- promoting family literacy; scholarships and; technology for schools.

Overall, it's a pretty sad state of affairs. While families all across America are struggling to balance their budgets, this Budget jumps the deficit about $400 Billion in 2008 and 2009. That's compared to the $163 Billion deficit we ran up in 2007. Meanwhile, it is America's middle class families who will have to make up the difference.