GOP Budget Would Increase Future Medicare Costs For Seniors
Topics: Health Costs,
Medicare, Politics, Health
Reform
Apr 06, 2011 - Kaiser Health News
The budget document unveiled yesterday by House Budget Committee Chairman
Paul Ryan, R- Wis., includes sweeping changes to the Medicare program. For
instance, the plan would mean that, for people younger than
55, Medicare would be transformed into a "premium-support" program. It
would also raise Medicare's eligibility age and leave the program's
"doughnut hole" intact.
The Wall Street Journal: Medicare Cost Would Rise For Many
Under Ryan Plan
The House Republican plan for overhauling Medicare would
fundamentally change how the federal government pays for health care, starting a
decade from now, likely resulting in higher out-of-pocket costs and greater
limits to coverage for many Americans (Adamy, 4/5).
Kaiser Health News: CBO: Seniors Would Pay Much More For
Medicare Under Ryan Plan
Kaiser Health News staff writers Julie Appleby, Mary
Agnes Carey and Laurie McGinley report: "Seniors and the disabled would pay
sharply more for their Medicare coverage under a new plan by House Republicans
aimed at curbing the nation's growing deficit, a Congressional Budget Office
analysis shows" (Appleby, Carey and McGinley, 4/5). KHN also provides video excerpts of House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan,
R-Wis., and Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., sparring over the Medicare
provisions.
The Associated Press: GOP Budget Seen Raising Health Costs For
Retirees
Most future retirees would pay more for health care under a new
House Republican budget proposal, according to an analysis by nonpartisan
experts for Congress that could be an obstacle to GOP ambitions to tame federal
deficits (Alonso-Zaldivar, 4/6).
The Washington Post/Kaiser Health News: Rep. Ryan's
Proposed Changes Would Be Biggest Yet For Medicare
When House Budget Chairman
Paul Ryan announced his plan to redefine Medicare, as part of a broader
Republican budget proposal, he did not sketch in all the details. But the
outlines make clear that his ideas would represent the biggest change to the
federal health insurance program for the elderly since its creation nearly five
decades ago (Appleby, Carey, Galewitz, Serafini and Weaver, 4/5).
NPR: GOP's 2012 Budget Plan: Courageous Target For
Democrats
Ryan would radically change Medicare and Medicaid although he
mostly leaves Social Security alone. c For those younger than 55 years old, Ryan
would reshape Medicare to turn it into a "premium-support" program. In other
words, instead of the current single-payer approach of Medicare, under Ryan's
approach seniors would get payments of up to $15,000 a year to buy health
insurance from private insurers. Critics doubt this would do anything to control
health care inflation which, along with the aging of the Baby Boom, help explain
why Medicare's costs are expected to drive deficits if nothing is done (James,
4/5).
This is part of Kaiser Health News' Daily Report - a summary
of health policy coverage from more than 300 news organizations. The full
summary of the day's news can be found here and
you can sign up for e-mail subscriptions to the Daily Report here. In addition, our staff of reporters
and correspondents file original stories each day, which you can find on our home page.
© 2011 Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights
reserved.