Paul Ryan's Plan For Medicare: Essential Reading

[teko]

By choosing Wis. Rep. Paul Ryan to be his running mate, presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney has put Medicare on the table as a major 2012 campaign issue.

Ryan has had a long-standing interest in restructuring the health insurance program for the elderly and disabled. In 2010, Republicans won a majority in the House of Representatives and chose Ryan to lead the Budget Commitee -- a platform he has used to advance ideas that have won widespread support from Republicans and equally widespread denunciations from Democrats.

Kaiser Health News has extensive coverage of Ryan's proposals for Medicare -- and of competing proposals -- a sample of which you will find below.

FAQ: How Paul Ryan Proposes To Change Medicare
Aug. 11, 2012 -- Mitt Romney’s choice for vice president has provoked consternation from Democrats and anxiety among some congressional Republicans with his proposals to reshape Medicare.

FAQ: Obama v. Ryan On Controlling Federal Medicare Spending
May 3, 2012 -- Here are some questions and answers about the Democratic and Republican approaches to moderating spending on the popular program, which covers 47 million seniors and disabled people.

New Ryan Budget Would Transform Medicare And Medicaid
March 20, 2012 -- The Republican chairman of the House Budget Committee surprised no one when he released a spending blueprint that would drastically reshape the Medicare and Medicaid programs for the elderly and poor in an attempt to rein in their soaring costs.

Video: Ryan On 'Moral And Legal Obligation' To Fix Entitlements
March 20, 2012 -- House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., as well as Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., said that the sweeping changes proposed to Medicare in the GOP 2013 budget would protect the program for seniors and the disabled.

Can GOP Deliver On Its Promise To Preserve Traditional Medicare?
March 8, 2012 -- Proponents see the new proposal as more politically palatable than last year's House budget that would have eliminated traditional Medicare. But critics argue it would change the current program so fundamentally that it might no longer be a desirable – or affordable -- option.

House GOP 2013 Budget Proposal -- Health Programs
Selections from "The Path To Prosperity," the House Budget Committee's 2013 budget outline (PDF).

Analysis: Wyden-Ryan Plan Could Neutralize Medicare In 2012 Election
Dec. 15, 2011 -- Even with just two congressional supporters, a new Medicare overhaul plan could have big implications for next year’s congressional election.

Ryan-Wyden Plan
A proposal for Medicare "premium support" by Rep. Ryan and Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., released in December 2011 (PDF).

Understanding Rep. Ryan's Plan For Medicare
April 4, 2011 -- Ryan lays out a plan to convert Medicare into a premium support program for which the government will spend a specific amount for beneficiaries' care, a fundamental shift from the current fee-for-service program.

Republican’s Controversial Proposal To Mend Medicare
Nov 2, 2010 -- Ryan wrote the book, "Young Guns: A New Generation of Conservative Leaders," with fellow House Republicans Eric Cantor of Virginia and Kevin McCarthy of California. Because the GOP is taking control of the House, they will be in position to advance their ideas.

Rivlin-Ryan Plan
A proposal by Ryan and Clinton OMB director Alice Rivlin, released in November 2010.

Resources And Proposals On Curbing Medicare Cost Growth
A Kaiser Health News resource with details on the competing proposals.

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[orphanedhawk]

Thank you for the above.
Paul Ryan is looking scarier by the moment. He has charisma but his views are too extremist for my liking.

[mikesimon]

Campaign: Ryan's Medicare Policies Draw Fire
By David Pittman, Washington Correspondent, MedPage Today
Published: August 13, 2012

WASHINGTON -- Several healthcare groups are opposing the policy ideas of new Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan, claiming his proposals for Medicare and Medicaid reform would do more harm than good.

Ryan, a Wisconsin Republican and chair of the Budget Committee in the House of Representatives, has offered to transform Medicare into a "premium support" system. Offered for those who turn 65 in 2023 or later, Medicare would provide an average of $8,000 to help offset the cost of buying private health insurance. Those eligible would still have a choice to enroll in the traditional fee-for-service program -- but would receive premium support for that option just as those using private plans would.

Ryan's proposal, part of his overall budget plan, would also raise the age of eligibility from 65 to 67 and reopen Medicare Part D's "donut hole." It also calls for repealing the Affordable Care Act, an idea that's not currently advocated on the Congressman's website.

To control costs in the program, the amount of premium support would be equivalent to the cost of traditional Medicare or the second least-expensive private plan, whichever is less. As a backup, the growth rate would be limited to the rate of growth in gross domestic product plus one-half percentage point.

The GOP-controlled House passed Ryan's budget plan each of the last two years. However, it stalled in the Democratic-controlled Senate.

The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) opposes premium support. As health care costs increase, the fixed government contribution for premiums would prevent great increases in support, forcing beneficiaries to pay more, AAFP President Glen Stream, MD, noted in an interview with MedPage Today Monday.

"We believe there are better ways to constrain the growth in cost without resigning ourselves to the level of growth that's [now] happening and leaving the elderly on the hook to pay for that," he said.

The Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, a liberal think tank, says over time seniors would be able to purchase fewer benefits. The group's March analysis of Ryan's plan also states a premium-support proposal would increase health care costs because private insurance plans seniors would purchase provide higher payments to providers.

The center's analysis also disputes Ryan's claim that his proposal wouldn't affect people currently 55 and older. The group says that as the size of traditional Medicare's population shrinks, Medicare would have less power to demand lower payments from providers, and doctors would have less incentive to participate in the program, offering fewer providers for current beneficiaries.

In contrast, the conservative Heritage Foundation said in an issue brief that entitlement programs like Medicare and Medicaid must be overhauled to address the nation's crippling debt problems.

"Any serious budget should offer substantive proposals to improve benefits and make these programs sustainable and affordable in both the short term and the long term," the foundation said.

Ryan's proposal for overhauling Medicaid involves the use of block grants. The federal government would cap the Medicaid spending in each state and let the states figure out funding rates themselves.

Robert Block, MD, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, spoke against Ryan's proposed fiscal 2013 budget when it was offered in March.

The plan reduces funding levels for vital child health programs in a time when many families are still recovering from the economic recession, Block said in a statement, noting that transforming Medicaid into a block grant program would limit coverage for children. More than half of Medicaid's recipients are children, despite the fact they make up less than a quarter of the program's cost.

The American Hospital Association also expressed concern over Ryan's 2013 budget because half of its $5.3 trillion cuts in government spending over the next 10 years would come from health programs.

Research!America, a non-profit advocate for higher medical and health research funding, said Ryan's policies appear to counter his statements that funding basic research be a core government function. "His approach could bring our responsibility to combat deadly diseases and advance medical innovation ... to a shuddering halt," Chief Executive Mary Woolley said in a statement Monday.

The American College of Physicians declined comment Monday. The American Medical Association said it doesn't weigh in on presidential elections.

http://tinyurl.com/dyjggau

[teko]

brice, I agree in that polarization is a BIG part of the overall plan and has always been. Worked to didnt it?

[brice1967]

This is information I just heard from a radio stream.  It is vague but this was all I could grasp while trying to work and listen at the same time....

Right now, personal and government contributions to Medicare and Medicaid seem to be around a total of $1500.  That is not enough to keep the system afloat.  

In 2022, the government will give seniors vouchers/money for health care and they can seek health care from any professional doctor rather than "Medicare/Medicaid approved"...  (Not sure where this money will come from.  I must have missed that.)  Oh... apparently there will be $50 billion in Pentagon cuts, so maybe that is it.  

There was also that there was 1/2 a trillion in cuts to Medicare under this administration with more than 1/2 a trillion more to come.  Apparently this is under scrutiny and both sides seem to be going back and forth over it.  Republicans say that 1/2 trillion gone, regardless of where it is coming from or going to will affect Medicare and the Democrats are saying that they are cleaning up the fraud.  

I don't know... just like the last go around, I can't believe anything.  Both sides have "facts" that they want us to believe.  In those "facts" there are half truths that bolster either sides opinion of what is happening.  Both sides say they know whats right.... here is that polarization thing again and I can't help but think that the polarization is part of a bigger plan....

[mikesimon]

Yes, we agree on that OH.
I'd go so far as to call her brilliant.

Mike

[orphanedhawk]

I rarely watch television. But when I have seen Rachel Maddow I am very impressed with her intelligence.

A few months ago I saw her on an interview about her recent book,
Drift: The Unmooring Of American Military Power."

"We don't even really think of ourselves as being at war anymore. Being at war is the new normal for America. It should not be like that. It's not supposed to feel normal for us to be at war."

She said she wrote the book to discuss subjects that the news program doesn't give her time to do. I'm amazed that she could do her program and have the energy to write a book such as this.
Like her or not, she's no dummy.

[mikesimon]

I rarely watch anything nightly Vance but I have seen her show enough times to know she is always superbly prepared and extremely smart.

Why wouldn't she - and why wouldn't he?

Neither of them could adequately answer the others' question in the time they knew they'd be allotted........and especially in light of the Lowery's constant interruptions.

[Vance2335]

Am I correct to assume you watch her lies, I mean program nightly?

So she looked smart by not answering if she was for Obama's plan? She is paid to give an opinion not report the news, but she didn't want to give that opinion. Why?

[mikesimon]

She looked smart to me but Rachel always does.
Lowery was in character looking like the fool he always looks like with that vacant grin on his face.

[Vance2335]

She would not answer his so why is he going to answer hers? It's the point that she would not back up what she says on TV nightly. I'm sorry but she did look like a fool in my eyes. Being billed as the brightest on MSNBC she did not handle herself well. Part of the reason why she does not do those shows all that often.

Why she had the meltdown on Real Time.

[mikesimon]

Maddow didn't look like a fool at all.

She wasn't there to answer Lowery's question and, by the way, he didn't answer hers either.

[Vance2335]

Ryan's plan did the same thing to Medicare. Maddow and Lowery went on it yesterday with Maddow looking like a fool for not answering his question.

[el_em_en_oh]

I have to agree with you that point.

Having someone as running-mate, that's got a "Lets cut Medicaid & Medicare" mantra (even though it's being taken out of context, and WON'T effect current participants & those 55 and older), probably wasn't the smartest move.

The Democrats will distort and simply say, "He wants to cut Medicaid & Medicare" which isn't a lie, but isn't the whole truth.

It's an easy scam to pull on the Democrat voters, and will put the Romney'camp on their back foot (again).

[teko]

Out of excess and waste vance. No one is claiming it does not need work. The question is how is this going to affect us NOW when they consistantly tell us how bad things are. Threatening medicare during an election year to use to run on is not one of the smartest strategies out there. Florida is already up in arms. Do you not remember the fear from throwing grandma off the cliff and how it almost ruined peoples perception of the ACA? And as a woman, Neither of these are my cup of tea, period, but thats beside the point.

[Vance2335]

How much did Obama slash from Medicare? $700 Billion.

[el_em_en_oh]

I just read up on it... Ryan's proposal (plan-of-action) will not effect anyone that is currently on Medicare or Medicaid. It will not effect anyone aged 55, or older.

I guess he's taking the "you have to start somewhere" approach. In all honesty, I can't say I agree or disagree with the proposal, but I think the "you have to start somewhere" logic is sound.

It's a "grandfather clause" of sorts.

I'm willing to sacrifice my Medicaid & Medicare coverage, in an effort to balance the budget for future generations.

I'll say this... at least it's a PLAN of some sort. Neither Obama nor Romney has present anything to date, and Ryan's PLAN is a step in the right direction.

[teko]

I heard an interesting stat over the weekend. 45 percent of seniors have less than 10 thousand in savings. What this tells me is that we have lots of people concerned about issues concerning medicare and social security. This may well be Paul Ryans plan, but Romney has essentially stated he agrees with it and is pushing it. This plan on medicare from what I understand increases the liability onto the seniors in a big way. I think it deserves critical scruteny and the not affecting anyone under 55 is nothing more than a marketing tool and should not overshadow what is in this plan.

[Vance2335]

You are right EL is would not affect anyone on Medicare currently. And Medicare is going bankrupt, something needs to be done. But anything offered by republicans is bad...don't you know that?

[teko]

If you go to the link that takes you to the original article, you can go to the different segments outlined for more information on that particular subject. It didnt copy and paste to where you could click on the link here.

[el_em_en_oh]

From everything I've read, the Medicaid & Medicare spending "reshaping" and "cuts" don't effect the current participants, nor those that are ABOUT to be participants (those 55 years of age+).

The cuts he wants to make will effect those of us currently below the age of 55, to give us a little time to plan for it (and budget for it).

It won't effect those that CURRENTLY participate in the programs...

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, please. Still trying to wrap my head around Ryan and see what he's all about.

Funny... I can't remember Biden being talked about this much in 2007 when B.O. chose him as a running-mate. Just an observation, nothing more.