Why do the candidates and the media keep refering to Social Security and Medicare as "entitlements" ?

[Maureen]

These programs are paid for while working. Medicare is paid monthly when activated by retiree.
Congress had different retirement and medical plan that never is contributed to and yet these are not called entitlements. Who pays for Congress retirement and medical? Aren't "entitlements" something not contributed to?

[Pretty Good]

I KNOW, RIGHT?

It's just incorrect, that's all. But it's a great way for them to enrage their idiot base.

[Matt M]

Yeah, if you pay into the system then you're "entitled" to benefits. Personally, I prefer the term social insurance myself, but that's just my econ background.

Also you have to remember that some people end up getting way more than they paid in, like younger people who've been on unemployment for 18 months and didn't pay that much in payroll tax their whole lives, so participating is kind of complex.

I think the idiot base in enraged more because they contribute a lot, and might end up getting nothing, and other people contribute very little and get a lot. Some people don't like that, they must have been read the little red hen story a lot when they were kids, the one where all the other animals are too lazy to help her make bread. They must have never red the grasshopper and the ant story, where the grasshopper diligently saves for the winter, and when the ant comes knocking at his door because he was lazy and saved nothing, he let him in and shared his food.

[flower]

In the Social Security Act of 1965 and even in the revisions it refers to Social Security retirement as entitlement insurance. What is wrong with that?

Politicians dont understand social programs anyway since they have never used them, so they lump welfare programs with entitlement programs to denegrate them and make them sound distasteful to their Republican voters.

[clayjar_azn]

The amount of money from services paid for by Medicare comes no where near the little amount one pays into it while they worked. That's why.

We the taxpayers pay for Congress's medical and retirement.

[Judith]

Maureen, I suggest that you look up the word "entitlement." If someone meets the requirements e.g. working and paying social security taxes long enough, they become "entitled" to a social security benefit.

I never paid into the social security program because I began working for the federal government before 1984. Instead I paid into the Civil Service Program. I became "entitled" to a benefit when I worked for the government long enough to meet the requirements of entitlement. Same as Congress when they become "entitled" to their benefits by meeting the requirements of their program. And, by the way, Congress is also covered by Social Security as is the President, VP, Supreme Court justices and all other federal employees since 1984.

I don't know what is the matter with people thinking that Social Security and Medicare aren't entitlement programs. All they have to do is look up the damn word. Either that or they are stupid if they don't understand the definition.

Medicare is NOT paid monthly. Medicare is health insurance coverage. It is paid when presented with a bill by a health care provider. Social Security is paid monthly IF someone meets the requirements of entitlement to the benefit.