A debate that has been fought largely over the airwaves is about to go head-to-head. Medicare reform is a huge part of that debate, and the left—bolstered by the media—has been promoting two huge falsehoods on the issue.
Several proposals from conservatives and liberals for Medicare reform, including The Heritage Foundation’s Saving the American Dream proposal, are based on a financing model called “premium support.” What that means: Medicare has a premium cost, just as other health insurance does. When the government makes a contribution (sometimes referred to as a “defined contribution”) toward paying your premium, that is called premium support. The difference with reform is that the government would no longer dictate to seniors which Medicare plan they would have to use. The government would still support the premium, but the seniors would have the option to choose from a variety of plans tailored to their needs, including traditional Medicare.
The concept is already working in several areas of Medicare, including Medicare Advantage plans and the prescription drug benefit program. Program savings in the drug program have been spectacular, and in Medicare Advantage and the drug program premiums have been stable. Patient satisfaction is very high in both programs.
But two whoppers are still circulating—let’s put them to rest once and for all.
1. “Vouchercare”
Vice President Joe Biden has described the Medicare reform proposal championed by Representative Paul Ryan (R-WI) and others as “Vouchercare.” Heritage expert Robert Moffit dispatches this claim with zero ambiguity:
There is no major Medicare reform proposal, including the Ryan proposal, that would issue future senior citizens a voucher (a certificate or coupon or a check for a fixed dollar amount) and then force them to fend for themselves — on their own – in negotiating with health-insurance companies…It’s all scary nonsense.
Read More at heritage.org. By Amy Payne.
Photo Credit: Floyd Brown (Creative Commons)
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The whole thing is a lie! My husband and I recently were in a doctor’s waiting room and overheard a doctor telling his two receptionists that soon their patient care was going to change….that when a patient needed a treatment such as surgery, he would have to petition a government panel (including providing them with all your personal health information) for permission, or he wouldn’t get paid. If the panel deems the patient to be “too old” (he didn’t define “too old”), then the treatment would be denied. It sounds like the “panel” would determine your “value to the State” and if you have little or no value, you get the aspirin instead. If you think this is bogus, then check with your doctor, but do so before you vote. If the dictator is reelected, his socialist healthcare program will go into effect completely, and there will be no returning from it. All of his cohorts and he, himself, lie about how this program will affect you, and they think we’re too dumb to know the difference. I’ll give you, a lot of his base ARE TOO DUMB to know the difference, but we outnumber them big time…..so pay attention……check it out!!!
Hey old folks, received my new medicare book today and we are screwed……..I am sure the Doctors have had theirs for a while because some are already not excepting medicare patients…….this is the start of doing away with health care for anyone that is on a long term illness, including children….if you cannot produce something productive, the socialist goverment does not want you breathing their air……1938 Germany is a good example