Similarities Between Ryan’s Medicare Plan and Affordable Care Act Make Democratic Pushback Tricky

[Better Believe It]

Similarities Between Ryan’s Medicare Plan and Affordable Care Act Make Dem Pushback Tricky
By: Jon Walker
April 5, 2011

I would love if the entire Democratic establishment could unequivocally beat up on Ryan and the rest of the Republicans for promoting such a horrible plan. They could point out how the Medicare Advantage private insurance exchange ended up significantly more expensive than traditional Medicare, show how public insurance has always been more cost effective (PDF) than private insurance and explain how the largest private health insurance exchanges in America have been a total failure at controlling cost. They could mock that we are to believe an 85-year-old with the beginnings of dementia is going to be a super savvy shopper able to understand the complexities of insurance and select the best deal.

Unfortunately, this task has become monumentally more difficult in the last year because President Obama, Congressional Democrats, and the bulk of “liberal” pundits endorsed the new health care law, all claiming profusely what an amazing idea it is to use sliding scale premium support payments to provide individuals with insurance on private exchanges.

The basic description of Ryan’s Medicare privatization program is essentially indistinguishable from the new “Obamacare” exchanges. So, basically every progressive complaint you will hear about the horrible design of Ryan’s Medicare privatization plan could apply equally as well to the Democrats’ new health care law.

Democrats could have made a very clearcut and principled case for why Ryan’s plan is so wrong, but now they need to tie themselves in logical knots explaining why it is a great system for Americans under 65, yet a horrible one for those over 65.

Read the full article at:

http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2011/04/05/similarities-between-ryans-medicare-plan-and-affordable-care-act-make-dem-pushback-tricky/

[Shagbark Hickory]

1. Medicaide for all is the only solution we need.

[Tippy]

2. I agree

[alsame]

3. It's a horrible system for Americans of any age. nt

[ProSense]

4. More nonsense

"The basic description of Ryan’s Medicare privatization program is essentially indistinguishable from the new “Obamacare” exchanges."

Just ask California and Vermont and the teabaggers.

"Similarities Between Ryan’s Medicare Plan and Affordable Care Act Make Democratic Pushback Tricky"

No it doesn't

[ProSense]

5. Oh, and while FDL is trying to draw absurd parallels between the health care law and Ryan's proposal

others are pointing out how ridiculous his plan is.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

6. Not exactly

It's going to be a lot harder (impossible?) for elderly people to find insurance coverage in the private market than for younger people and the costs for their health care are more than likely to exceed the voucher given to them. The Ryan plan is toxic for the GOP and it will be completely picked apart in due course (and never be enacted).

[ejpoeta]

7. you'd think so, but i am not sure. there are a lot of brainwashed idiots out there.

one would think that considering that we all have parents and relatives on medicare who will end up having to take care of them if they can't get coverage or have lots of bills..... people who are barely hanging on as it is!! And while we'd gladly help our parents (most of us) this would break almost anyone who is still standing right now. I mean, my dad died two years ago yesterday from cancer. both of my parents are gone now but i still know plenty of elderly who are barely hanging on as it is. and who will get blamed for it!! the DEMS! they end up getting blamed for shit the republicans do. and while they rightly would deserve some of the blame, the fact that the republicans can go out and say this and have the media whores to try to pass it off as such a great idea and there are people who will BELIEVE IT because they said it on the tv box just makes me shake my head.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

9. Hopefully

this will go over as well as Bush's social security privatization. Bush's social security privatization scheme got a lot of media coverage and press but despite all of the fearmongering, lies, and misinformation, the public still ultimately turned against it in the end and, though I feared the worst, the Democrats in Congress stood together against it. The elderly and others whom are already on Medicare and/or Medicaid may be more conservative than most of us but most of them love their children too and will likely not support this either even if, like with social security privatization, it won't affect them personally.

[Faryn Balyncd]

8. That is the logical consequence of abandoning our principles and declaring a bad bill a "victory".

[ProSense]

10. GOP Budget Ignores CBO To Claim Health Care Repeal Will Reduce The Deficit

GOP Budget Ignores CBO To Claim Health Care Repeal Will Reduce The Deficit


Let's help the Republicans with their messaging!

[BzaDem]

11. This is a really, really dumb article, even for FDL (which is saying something). Ryan's plan ends

Medicare over time. And not just the public nature of the program -- the value of the vouchers will decrease exponentially each and every year relative to medical costs, gradually approaching 0%.

Think about it this way. How much money will you get from Medicare in 30 years now? However much medical costs are in 30 years (more or less).

How much would you get under Ryan's plan? Think about putting money in your mattress right now (earning no interest at all), and then taking it out in 30 years -- with inflation DOUBLE the normal rate. Your percentage loss in real terms would be approximately equivalent to the percentage loss in Medicare dollars. You wouldn't be able to get treatment. Ryan's plan takes Medicare today and gradually stops paying for Senior's healthcare over time.

Jon Walker has been obsessed about unjustifiably bashing the affordable care act since its inception. But this article really takes the cake or being the most uninformed piece of junk he has written in a long time on this issue (unless I missed something dumber).

[chemp]

12. Rachel nailed it the other night

"Old is a pre-existing condition."