Save Medicare by Ending It?
April 28, 2011 at 7:42 pm Judith Stein Leave a comment
Save Medicare by Ending It? Reduce the Current Deficit with a Plan for 2022?
Really?
The Budget introduced by Rep. Ryan and passed by Republicans in the House of Representatives would eliminate Medicare as of 2022. Instead of guaranteeing coverage for specific health care, like Medicare does, the Ryan Budget would provide a voucher to each eligible person to buy private insurance. The voucher would be worth a flat dollar amount. There is no guarantee that someone would be able to buy insurance for that amount or that if insurance is available, the insurance would cover and pay for the same services as Medicare.
A voucher system is nothing like Medicare. You can’t save Medicare by eliminating it. And you can’t solve today’s deficit problems with a plan that begins in 2022.
This time, we’re not buying it!*
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* See, Kaiser Health Tracking Poll, http://www.kff.org (April 27, 2011)
Entry filed under: Medicare, Public vs. Private Health Coverage, Vouchers. Tags: Medicare, voucher.
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