How are reforms going to help future participants in Medicare? Medicate already covers everyone over a specific age. They will not see greater benefits or more coverage, but rather a cut in their benefits.

The issue is that Medicare costs must rise as the number of Medicare beneficiaries grows. But Obama's opponents are casting the rising costs as a sign of government incompetence, and what can be expected if there is a wider public option. That's great FUD against which Obama's speeches don't seem to make headway. If he can get across that more grandmas = higher costs then he's made a start. As for benefits: if people don't want to pay the higher costs, benefits will indeed have to reduce. Which gives Obama a chance to turn the "death panel" accusation around. "If there are ten grandmas and people only want to pay for five, that's when you need a death panel."

What you are basically stating (if I understand your point) is that if a new system is not put into place, then there will be no Medicare in the future.

No, I'm saying that if there are 10 grandmas and you have funding for 5, either you pay more or you reduce care. This is the Medicare reality. Obama's proposal does involve moving some of that $ around but his proposals are not the *cause* of the rising cost and blocking him will not prevent the rise. He needs to get across that costs are going to rise REGARDLESS because he and his fellow Democrats are not prepared to tolerate calls for death panels, but that his proposals will save the country money while helping prevent bankruptcies and recissions. Once people understand that, he can flesh it out with comparative efficiencies and satisfaction ratings (which makes Medicare look quite good, fwiw) but IMHO people aren't ready for that yet.