The Cost of Medicare in Cartoons:
With a recent reports about Medicare costs making news, this week we bring you cartoons about the cost of Medicare. Enjoy these with your students as you take on some of the questions below!
“Coverage” by Kelly Kincaid
- What is expressed by this cartoon? How do you know? Do you agree or disagree with the opinion of the cartoonist? Why or why not? If you’re unsure explain what you would need to know to form an opinion.
- What (if anything) is funny about this cartoon
“Test Results” Joe Di Chiarro
- What does this cartoon communicate? How do you know? Do you agree or disagree with the opinion? If you are unsure explain what you would need to know in order to form an opinion.
- What (if anything) is funny about this cartoon? What group of people would find this funniest? What group of people would likely not find this cartoon funny, regardless of the way it expressed the same point?
“No Cuts in Medicare” by Harley Schwardron
- What is expressed in this cartoon? How do you know? Do you find it funny? Why or why not?
- What group of people is this cartoon making a generalization about? Why? How do you think this group would feel about the joke?
“Health Care Cost,” By John McPherson
According to an article in The New York Times, the latest Medicare trustees report says spending per beneficiary rose at a rate of just 1.7 percent a year from 2010 to 2012. In the prior two decades, it rose more than 6 percent a year, on average. This is unexpectedly good news for those who have watched increases in health care spending challenge the future of the program.
Up to half of the slowdown in spending may simply reflect reduced medical spending because of the recession, but there have been reasons to hope the slowdown will last. The 2010 health care law has reduced payments to many nursing homes and private health care plans, and insurers and health care providers have made efforts to rein in costs.
In combination with the increased revenue the government collects as the economy improves, the balance sheet for Medicare has improved modestly. Nevertheless, the Trustees continue to urge Congress to shore up the finances of both Social Security and Medicare.
However modest the good news, any change in the trajectory of medical spending is reason enough for politicians, students and teachers to reconsider Medicare, its cost, and the values behind the program as well.
Teachers may find this article to be an excellent companion piece when teaching Medicare and the National Debt (Lesson 1.2), Medicare, Governance, and the National Debt (Lesson 2.2), and Political Beliefs and the Federal Budget/National Debt (Lesson 2.4). Once this article has been read and digested by students teachers may want to consider one or both of the following questions..
Discussion Questions:
1. In this article the author mentions that, “[Medicare and Social Security] accounted for 37 percent of all federal spending last year, and the Congressional Budget Office estimates that, under current law, their share will grow to 42 percent by 2023.” Do you think this growth is sustainable? What would you need to know in order to be sure that this is an appropriate amount of the federal budget to dedicate to these programs?
2. Reconcile the article’s statement that the Social Security program and Medicare account for 37% of all federal spending and the fact that Social Security program is entirely self-funded. Can both things be true?
“Dilbert” by Scott Adams
Paul Krugman – the Noble prize winning economist – is angry. And according to his recent opinion article in The New York Times he thinks you should be angry too. The cause for Krugman’s ire? The latest farm bill released by the House Agriculture Committee would push about two million people off the Food Stamp program.
Krugman argues that, in addition to mitigating hunger, the Food Stamp program more than pays for itself. At a time when the economy still needs the stimulus of consumer spending, Food Stamps enable families on the edge to spend more on other necessities. He argues that, in addition, the Food Stamp program is an investment in the future because children who don’t suffer food insecurity do better in school.
Because Krugman is making a strong case for public assistance, teachers may find the article useful as an extension activity for UFR lessons on Political Beliefs and the Federal Budget/National Debt (Lesson 2.4) and/or Rhetoric and the National Debt (Lesson 2.5).
Should teachers want to use this piece in teaching only political belief lessons then special attention may be paid to sections dealing with the cost-benefit analysis that Krugman provides. Alternatively, if teachers want to make use of this article for teaching the rhetoric lesson it may be wise to focus on the value-laden language with which Krugman writes. In order to zero in on these areas of focus the following discussion questions have been provided below:
Discussion Questions:
1. Do you recognize the source for the title of the article? If you don’t recognize it, Google “mouths of babes.” Is the source significant? Discuss why Krugman might have used a title from this source. What might he be implying about the values of those who want to do away with food stamps?
2. The author says that food stamps have played a heroic role in reducing food insecurity and strengthening the economy. What is a hero? How might the use of this word make you think differently about food stamps? Do you agree with the use of this word to describe food stamps? Why or why not? Explain.
3. In characterizing the position of those with whom he disagrees, Krugman writes, “We’re becoming a nation of takers, and doing stuff like feeding poor children and giving them adequate health care are just creating a culture of dependency — and that culture of dependency, not runaway bankers, somehow caused our economic crisis.” Krugman doesn’t believe that this is true. How might those who disagreed with him characterize Krugman’s position?
4. Does this column by Krugman fit with the way Scott Adams portrays him in the Dilbert cartoon? Discuss.
“Medicare Plans” by Mike Luckovich
As the debate over health care, and more specifically, Medicaid, continues into the summer, politicians are forced take stances on whether or not to expand the reach of the public funding for medical expenses for the poor. Medicaid is a joint venture between the federal and state governments. Its expansion to serve more of the working poor who are not currently eligible for free healthcare but cannot afford health insurance on their own, was a signature part of Obamacare. However, the Supreme Court ruled last year that the federal government could not force states to participate in its planned expansion of Medicaid, leaving it up to individual states to decide whether they wanted to accept the federal subsidy to expand their programs while also obligating their own states to higher expenses. While we can expect elected officials to be split on this issue, it seems that party lines are not always the best indication of a given leader’s opinion.
In fact a recent article, from The New York Times reports that there is even a difference of opinion on Medicaid within the normally consistent Tea Party faction of the Republican party. Citing Gov. Jan Brewer of Arizona’s support, and her colleague and fellow Tea Party member Gov. Rick Perry of Texas’ dismissal, of Medicaid expansion, this piece looks at how economic and political factors affect decision-making.
As this article touches on both the money and the principles that go into positions on public health care, teachers may want to include this as an extension reading when discussing such UFR lessons as Medicare and the National Debt (Lesson 1.2), Medicare Governance and the National Debt (Lesson 2.2) and Political Beliefs and the Federal Budget/National Debt (Lesson 2.5). While the lessons deal primarily with Medicare, not Medicaid, it is a helpful opportunity for teachers to clarify similarities and differences between the two programs. No matter the lesson, however, teachers should insure that students are aware of the biases of both politicians as well as The Times’ Andrew Rosenthal, when considering this reading.
Once this article has been read and digested, teachers may want to propose any or all of the following discussion questions.
Discussion Questions
- This article states that Jan Brewer’s endorsement of the Medicaid expansion could cost her politically. What does that mean? If a policy of decision costs a politician politically, why might they continue to support that particular measure? What questions would you ask Governor Brewer to learn more about why she is supporting this policy?
- This article states that the proposed Medicaid expansion would cost states $8 billion dollars total, or a“0.3 percent increase through 2022. In exchange, federal spending on Medicaid will increase by $800 billion, or 21 percent.” Why might it still not be worth it for a governor to endorse this decision? What questions would you ask Governor Rick Perry of Texas about his decision to not support Medicaid expansion in his state?
“Elephant in the Room”
As we have mentioned recently, the economy is improving! The deficit is shrinking and things are looking up. But if you talked to your average American they probably wouldn’t seem so optimistic about the country’s financial state. In fact, according to a recent article by Matthew Phillips of Bloomberg Businessweek, the average American probably wouldn’t care at all about reductions in the deficit.
As related in Philips’ article, experts on the economy – much like the general public – are hardly encouraged by recent deficit reports. Some even find the news worrisome, arguing that the deficit is narrowing too quickly while the economy is weak; others are less concerned about the short-term deficit, arguing that it is too influenced by idiosyncratic events like changes to the tax code, and argue that long-term structural problems with the nation’s finances persist. As a result, reactions (or a lack thereof) to the drop in the deficit have been mild and mixed. The deficit is shrinking and nobody cares!
As this piece deals with people’s sentiments on the deficit as well as some economic philosophies behind deficit maintenance, teachers may want to consider introducing Philips’ article to their class as an extension activity for UFR lessons on Political Beliefs and the Federal Budget/National Debt (Lesson 2.4) and/or Balancing the Federal Budget (Lesson 1.5).
In order to foster discussion after this article has been read, the following questions are provided below.
Discussion Questions
1 .In the article Jared Bernstein, a senior fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, uses a metaphor to describe public reaction to the deficit. Bernstein says, “The patient is checking out of the hospital, and the doctors are still planning surgery.” What does this quote mean? What does Bernstein think of the shrinking deficit as a measure of economic success? What would you need to know about the deficit and its relationship to the economy to know if you agree or disagree with Bernstein?
2. The expression, “the elephant in the room,” is usually used to allude to some well-known or important fact that people fail to acknowledge (usually on purpose). Why would some people think that the deficit decreases are “an elephant in the room?” Why would others disagree with the use of this expression in this instance?
3. Based on this article, people’s opinions on the economy seem to be unchanged by the news of deficit decreases. Does this lack of change surprise you? Why or why not? What would you need to know about the deficit and the economy at large in order to form an opinion? What would you need to know about economics in order to understand what measures get people excited about changes in the economy.
Organizations that are classified as “social welfare” in nature don’t pay taxes and do not disclose their donors. This is an advantage over being classified as a political group. Political organizations do pay taxes and must disclose their donors. The IRS faces a scandal because some employees in the I.R.S. field office in Cincinnati used the terms “Tea Party” and “patriot” to search for “social welfare” groups that might actually be political in nature. In looking for groups to audit, it is alleged that they used terms associated with conservative political organizations.
Teachers and students can use the following cartoons to discuss the issue in class. Enjoy!
“Tax Bonus” by Christopher Weyant
- What is communicated in this cartoon by Christopher Weyant? How do you know? Do you find it funny? What would change to make it funnier?
- What political party (if any) would most likely find this cartoon funny? What political party would likely be upset both by this scandal and by the cartoon?
“IRS Scandal” by Dave Granlund
- What is communicated in this cartoon by Dave Granlund? How do you know? Do you find this cartoon funny? Why or why not?
- Are the sentiments expressed in this cartoon particular to one political party? Explain.
“Lurking Tyranny” by A.F. Branco
- What is expressed in this cartoon by A.F. Branco? How do you know? Do you find it funny? Why or why not? Explain.
- What political party would most likely approve of this cartoon? What political party would most likely disagree with this cartoon? On what basis would the disagreeing party likely make their argument? How would the opposite party respond?
“Tea Party” by David Horsey
1. What is expressed in this cartoon? How do you know? Do you find it funny? Why or why not? Explain.
2. Which political party would be most likely to be offended by this cartoon? How do you know?
Recent news about the economy has been largely promising. In light of that, this week we take a look at political cartoons on the economic recovery. Share these with your students and enjoy!
“Recession Grinder” by Jerry Holbert
- What is communicated by this cartoon? How do you know? Do you agree or disagree with this cartoon’s sentiment?
- Is this cartoon partisan or would both political parties feel equally happy and angry about it?
“Economic Recovery,” by Clay Bennett
- What is communicated by this cartoon? How do you know? Do you agree or disagree with the cartoon’s sentiment? Why or why not?
- How might you change this cartoon to reflect a different opinion?
“Economic Recovery” by Gary Varvel
- What is communicated by this cartoon? How do you know? Do you agree with this cartoon’s overall statement? Why or why not?
- Is this cartoon partisan? Or would both political parties likely respond to the cartoon in a similar way?
“Taxing Economics” by Khalil Bendib
According to cliché all is fair in love and war. But what about taxes? Apple Inc., famous for its design-oriented electronics, seems to think so, and so does a Congressional committee investigating the company for tax avoidance. The only problem is Apple and Congress disagree on what should be considered fair tax practices.
John Cassidy of The New Yorker writes that average taxpayers should be outraged by the computer giant’s use of tax loopholes to skirt paying what they would otherwise owe the government. Teachers of the UFR, particularly those working on lessons involving taxes, such as Taxation and the National Debt (Lesson 1.4) and Income Tax Models, the Budget Deficit, and the National Debt (Lesson 5.2), may like to consider sharing Cassidy’s article as an extension activity and conversation starter for a number of issues.
Among the points raised in the article, Cassidy argues that while tax avoidance has become commonplace for corporate entities, the effects of such a practice are negative, and create a system where cheating is implicitly rewarded. In order to curb such behavior, Cassidy urges readers to voice their frustration with corporations who avoid taxes.
After reading this articles students and teachers can discuss the implications of Apple’s tax payments, Cassidy’s argument against such practices, and possible ways to close tax loopholes. In order to help that discussion, consider asking any or all of the following discussion questions.
Discussion Questions:
1. Do you agree with John Cassidy that people should be outraged by Apple’s tax avoidance? Why or why not? If, yes, what if anything can you do about it?
2. Imagine you are a congressperson assigned to the Apple investigation. What questions would you have for Apple’s C.E.O. regarding the company’s tax practices?
3. Now imagine you’re a Congressperson responsible for drafting tax reform. What questions would you need to answer in order to begin fixing any loopholes that may exist in the system?
4. Who or what do you think is MOST responsible for tax avoidance, companies that circumvent the system, or the laws that allow taxes to be so easily avoided? In a world that is increasingly interconnected, do you think it is possible to create tax laws that are 100% effective?
“The Stimulus is Working” by Jill Stanek
New reports on the economy have been quite encouraging. As mentioned in a recent post, the deficit is decreasing, and employment rates are increasing. All of this is good news and could be cause for a reassessment of the monetary stimulus measures that were enacted to stave off further economic downturn. But if Ben Bernanke and the Federal Reserve have their way, changes in monetary policy won’t come just yet.
A recent article from The New York Times reports that despite some willingness on the part of a few politicians to cut back on fiscal stimulus spending, the Federal Reserve and its chairman Ben Bernanke advise against a reduction in that spending. According to Bernanke, the economy has still not fully recovered and stimulus is still needed, both in the form of fiscal policy decided by Congress and the President, and monetary policy, decided by the Federal Reserve.
What will happen is still unclear. For his part, Bernanke, can and does often make recommendations to Congress regarding the economy, but this doesn’t mean such recommendations are always followed. Furthermore, if Congress did seek a change in the country’s approach to stimulus, it is unclear what type of change they might make. The specifics of such changes are not discussed in this article, but teachers should encourage students to think about these ideas when considering the role of the Federal Reserve.
As this article outlines some of the procedures and functions of the Federal Reserve, including their role in setting the money supply and thus influencing interest rates, liquidity, and inflation, teachers may find this article to be a great extension when teaching the UFR lesson on the Federal Reserve System (Lesson 3.3)
In order to promote discussion, the following questions have been provided below.
Discussion Questions:
1. What questions would you ask Ben Bernanke in order to understand what he is thinking about how and when tightening monetary policy might be appropriate?
2. Imagine you are the president of the Federal Reserve (just like Ben Bernanke) and a member of Congress asked you whether the economy was strong enough to do away with stimulus, what variables would you look at in order to answer the question.
As one of this week’s entries dealt with the deficit, this week’s cartoons provide a number of images for teachers and students to discuss the nature of deficit management Enjoy!
“Ol’ Federal Deficit,” by David Horsey
- What is communicated by this cartoon? How do you know?
- Who does Horsey think is to blame for the majority of the deficit? How is this represented
“Ballooning Deficits” by William Warren
- What is communicated in this cartoon by William Warren? How do you know?
- What party (if either in particular) does Warren think is responsible for the deficit? How do you know?
“Obama Spending into Space” by Adam Zyglis
- What is being communicated by this cartoon? How do you know?
- What does Zyglis think Obama’s role is in the increase of the deficit? How is this communicated?
