CMA Health Policy Blog

Ryan Plan is Not About Helping Medicare or the Deficit

August 15, 2012 at 5:42 pm Judith Stein Leave a comment

Here’s the truth follks: Rep. Ryan’s plan is about a governing philosophy, not about saving money, Medicare or reducing the deficit. If his plan was really about saving money, it would encourage movement back to traditional Medicare – which is less expensive than private plans. At the very least, his plan would equalize payments between traditional Medicare and private plans. But Mr. Ryan wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act’s payment reductions to private Medicare plans. Further, if Ryan’s private voucher system was really about deficit reduction, it would begin ASAP, not in 2022, as he proposes.

The Medicare “cuts” Mr. Ryan purports to be concerned about are almost entirely savings to Medicare’s expenses, which taxpayers and beneficiaries should welcome. They are largely from reducing wasteful overpayments to private plans and slowing increases for some providers, including hospitals, NOT from cuts in benefits. Neither taxpayers nor beneficiaries can afford to pay any more than is necessary to provide the same coverage available through traditional Medicare. Everyone should appreciate ACA’s efforts to hold down overall health care costs by looking to providers to create efficiencies in providing care.

The Affordable Care Act did not cut Medicare for beneficiaries; it added benefits (including an annual wellness visit, “Donut Hole” coverage for medicines, and no-cost preventive services). Thus, ACA represents a thoughtful approach to controlling health care costs, and reducing payments to private plans, while increasing Medicare coverage for valuable, cost-effective services. If his intent really was to save Medicare and money, Mr. Ryan would agree.

Entry filed under: Affordable Care Act, Deficit Reduction, Fiscal Responsibility, Health Care Reform, Medicare, Medicare Reform, Premium Support, Reform, Ryan Plan, Vouchers. Tags: Affordable Care Act, Deficit; Medicare, Health Care Reform, Health Reform & Next Steps, Medicare, Medicare Reform, Premium Support, Private Plans, Ryan, voucher.