.Democrats are still hammering an old, and since replaced, GOP proposal, claiming it would end Medicare, and cost seniors $6,000 more a year for their health care. The newest Republican budget, proposed by Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, keeps traditional Medicare unlike his plan from 2011 and the increased cost claim is no longer applicable to it.
Heres a quick rundown of the latest Ryan plan:
For seniors who are now in Medicare, nothing changes. They can stay with the traditional program as it is.
Beginning in 2023, 65-year-olds would have their choice of insurance plans private and traditional on a new Medicare exchange. A premium-support payment, like a subsidy, would be sent to the plan of their choice.
If the chosen plan costs more than the premium-support, the senior would pay the difference.
The Medicare eligibility age would be slowly raised to 67 by 2034.
All plans on the Medicare exchange would offer a base level of benefits, and they would be regulated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
The premium-support payments would be tied to the second-cheapest plan, which cant grow more than gross domestic product plus 0.5 percentage points. If the cost does grow faster, Congress would be required to step in and take some action to keep costs down
FactCheck.org : No End to ‘End Medicare’ Claim
Republicans and Democrats alike agree that something has to be done about the spiraling costs of Medicare. The Ryan plan above is the most responsible action plan the Congress has had. I think many of you will agree.