Carolyn Maloney: “A close examination shows the changes that our Republican colleagues are proposing to Medicare would actually make…”

“A close examination shows the changes that our Republican colleagues are proposing to Medicare would actually make things much worse, not better. To begin with, the Republican proposal would add to the program's cost. Privatizing Medicare would cost 11 percent more than it would for providing exactly the same services under the current Medicare plan. And the additional cost for going private would just widen over time. According to the nonpartisan politifact.org, under the Republican plan, those just becoming eligible for Medicare, those 55 years old and under 10 years from now, would have to pay a whopping $6,400 more per year than they would under the current plan. This kind of foreseeable increase in costs actually works just like a tax aimed squarely at our retiring seniors. The Republican plan would be a disaster for our seniors and our economy. ____________________”