Ryan Medicare Plan: Seniors Would Pay Most of Their Income for Health Care

[Born_A_Truman]

Representative Ryan Proposes Medicare Plan Under Which Seniors Would Pay Most of Their Income for Health Care (LINK)

That is what headlines would look like if the United States had an independent press. After all, this is one of the main take aways of the Congressional Budget Office's (CBO) analysis of the plan proposed by Representative Paul Ryan, the Republican chairman of the House Budget Committee. Representative Ryan would replace the current Medicare program with a voucher for people who turn age 65 in 2022 and later. This voucher would be worth $8,000 in for someone turning age 65 in that year. It would rise in step with with the consumer price index and also as people age. (Health care expenses are higher for people age 75 than age 65.)

According to the CBO analysis the benefit would cover 32 percent of the cost of a health insurance package equivalent to the current Medicare benefit (Figure 1). This means that the beneficiary would pay 68 percent of the cost of this package. Using the CBO assumption of 2.5 percent annual inflation, the voucher would have grown to $9,750 by 2030. This means that a Medicare type plan for someone age 65 would be $30,460 under Representative Ryan's plan, leaving seniors with a bill of $20,700. (This does not count various out of pocket medical expenditures not covered by Medicare.)

~~~
Democrats have to drive this home!!

[jaxx]

Good grief that is horrid. This needs to get out there and fast. Thanks Pat, huge information.

[Born_A_Truman]

Everyone born in 1957 or later better be paying close attention to Ryan's voucher scam!!

[Still a Democrat]

(04-06-2011 09:46 AM)Born_A_Truman Wrote:  Everyone born in 1957 or later better be paying close attention to Ryan's voucher scam!!

In best Maxwell Smart voice.... "missed it by THAT much." I was born in 1958.

In are seriousness, this is horrific.

[Eponine]

And to think that Sarah Palin cynically accused President Obama of creating death panels with the Affordable Care Act.

This makes me happy to be 61. At least I'll be safe, but so many others will be up that famous creek if this becomes law. I can't see the Senate passing it or President Obama signing a piece of legislation that is so bad.

A piece on Salon says Ryan's goal is to dismantle LBJ's Great Society. That's turning the clock back 45 years.

http://www.salon.com/technology/how_the_...index.html

[Born_A_Truman]

Yep. The GOP...Taking the country back ....

.
.
.
.
and back
.
.
.
and even further back.

[Eponine]

This eejit has me seriously pissed off. I am almost 62 and so mostly protected. Ryan not only wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act, but also LBJ's Great Society -- Medicare and Medicaid.

Republicans -- taking away 45 years of progressive accomplishments.

[RoyGBiv]

(04-06-2011 07:25 PM)Eponine Wrote:  This eejit has me seriously pissed off. I am almost 62 and so mostly protected. Ryan not only wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act, but also LBJ's Great Society -- Medicare and Medicaid.

Republicans -- taking away 45 years of progressive accomplishments.

The thing is, you won't be protected.

The only reason for the cut-off is an attempt to make this palatable to current voters. Given that most people are basically selfish, the hope is that what is now a very large voting bloc will look at this, think it doesn't apply to them, and be okay with it.

But one of the many flawed underlying assumptions in his proposed budget is that there will be no legislation in the future that amends this. The way it is constructed, enormous pressure is going to emerge from the split as those who are currently under 55 end up with horrible, expensive coverage (if they can even find it) while someone who is 56 right now gets the full benefits of a system that works fairly well. And in ten years, that will create a massive push either to bring back the old system for everyone, at a point when it will be economically very difficult to do so given the sorry state of revenue flow under this plan, or take it away from everyone.

In short, if this or anything like it were to pass, it's not over. It just changes the debate and makes it much, much uglier.

[Cha]

(04-06-2011 07:25 PM)Eponine Wrote:  This eejit has me seriously pissed off. I am almost 62 and so mostly protected. Ryan not only wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act, but also LBJ's Great Society -- Medicare and Medicaid.

Republicans -- taking away 45 years of progressive accomplishments.

They'd love to take away FDR's Social Security Accomplishment, dig up McCarthy tactics and while they're at it resurrect Reagan's silver tongue if it were at all possible.

[There Is No Spoon]

This plan is SO absurd that Rachel's guest seemed all too happy to have this budget taken seriously and ripped apart day after day.

[SeattleGirl]

If this budget goes through (and I doubt it will, they way Ryan wrote it), he'd better find a solid bunker to hide in, because everyone on Medicare right now will storm his office building.

Even the teabaggers.