Political Quotes

“Madam President, much attention has been given to how the Ryan plan ends Medicare as we know it by turning Medicare into a voucher program. For example, on April 6, 2011, AARP wrote to Congressman Ryan: Today's budget proposal appropriately acknowledges that health care costs must be addressed if the federal budget is to be balanced. However, rather than recognizing that health care is an unavoidable necessity which must be made more affordable for all Americans, this proposal simply shifts these high costs onto Medicare beneficiaries, and shifts the even higher costs of increased uninsured care onto everyone else. By creating a ``premium support'' system for future Medicare beneficiaries, the proposal will increase costs for beneficiaries while removing Medicare's promise of secure health coverage--a guarantee that future seniors have contributed to through a lifetime of hard work. The Center for Budget and Policy Priorities put out a statement on April 6, 2011 stating: Many future Medicare beneficiaries with modest incomes, such as elderly widows who must live on $15,000 or $20,000 a year, also would likely be hit by the plan's Medicare provisions; the Medicare voucher (or defined contribution) they would receive would fall farther and farther behind health care costs--and purchase less and less coverage--with each passing year.…”