Karen Thurman: “Let me repeat that, under Medicare, and that would look and operate like the benefits they already get such as…”

“Let me repeat that, under Medicare, and that would look and operate like the benefits they already get such as hospitalization and physician care because we would use those same providers that we use today. However, very interesting, the Republican bill can only guarantee private HMO-like drug plans and will participate in every area we think almost by bribing the taxpayer, because this is what they do. To entice plans to participate, the Republicans allow a giveaway to the private insurers of up to 99.99 percent of the risk they would incur. In other words, in areas of the country where private plans are worried they might not make a profit, the government would guarantee at least a minimal profit to the private insurers at taxpayers' expense. The GOP plan does not require that the HMO-like insurers pass on the subsidies to the beneficiaries, directly to what they are saying. First of all, we do not know that there would even be a plan that would be offered.”