Tornado Alley (PROG)

[StephanieVanbryce]

The Republican Party's plan to repeal and replace Medicare



Jed Lewinson Mon Apr 04, 2011 at 09:40 AM PDT

The Wall Street Journal describes the GOP's plan to "essentially end" Medicare's function as a payer of medical bills and to transform it into an agency responsible for doling out vouchers for private insurance: [ http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703806304576240751124518520.html?mod=WSJ_hp_LEFTTopStories ]

The plan would essentially end Medicare, which now pays most of the health-care bills for 48 million elderly and disabled Americans, as a program that directly pays those bills. Mr. Ryan and other conservatives say this is necessary because of the program's soaring costs. ...

Mr. Ryan's proposal would apply to those currently under the age of 55, and for those Americans would convert Medicare into a "premium support" system. Participants from that group would choose from an array of private insurance plans when they reach 65 and become eligible, and the government would pay about the first $15,000 in premiums.

Does anyone else find it funny that the GOP campaigned on a pledge to "repeal and replace" health care, but instead the only thing they've actually proposed replacing is Medicare?

[ http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2011_04/028774.php ] [ http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/04/04/963210/-GOP-to-propose-eliminating-Medicare,-replace-it-with-voucher-like-subsidies ]

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/04/04/963280/-The-Republican-Partys-plan-to-repeal%C2%A0and%C2%A0replace%C2%A0Medicare