Why Senior Citizens Should Prefer Ryan's Medicare Plan To Obama's

Forbes ^ | 09/29/2012 | Peter Ferrara

[SeekAndFind]

DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz described the Medicare reforms proposed by GOP Vice-Presidential nominee and House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) as “literally a death trap for seniors.” White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters that Ryan’s reforms would “change Medicare as we know it.”

But it was Obamacare that already changed Medicare as we know it, transforming it literally into a death trap for seniors. Obamacare cut Medicare by $716 billion over the next 10 years alone, mostly by slashing Medicare payments to doctors and hospitals. And that is just a down-payment on what is to come.

Ryan explained all this to last week’s AARP convention, calling it “the President’s raid on Medicare.” Ryan reported, “The first step to a stronger Medicare is to repeal Obamacare, because it represents the worst of both worlds. It weakens Medicare for today’s seniors and puts it at risk for the next generation. First, [Obamacare] funnels $716 billion out of Medicare to pay for a new entitlement we didn’t even ask for. Second, it puts 15 unelected bureaucrats in charge of Medicare’s future.”

Medicare’s Chief Actuary Rick Foster reports that by the end of this decade, Medicare will be paying less to doctors and hospitals for health care for seniors than Medicaid pays for health care for the poor. And Medicare will be falling further and further behind Medicaid each year. Ultimately, Medicare payment rates will be one-third of what will be paid by private insurance, and only half of what is paid by Medicaid.

But Medicaid does not pay enough for the poor on the program to get timely, essential health care, particularly the sickest and those most in need of the best health care. Academic studies show that the poor suffer worse health outcomes as a result, including premature death.

[SeekAndFind]

If you’re a senior depending on Medicare, mark my words...

Under Obamacare, by 2016, you will be lined up behind welfare mothers in trying to find doctors who will see them, and hospitals that will admit them.

Medicare cuts to pay for Obamacare will affect seniors already retired today, not just those years into the future.

[Venturer]

Ryan explaining anything to AARP is a waste of time.

AARP is busy selling insurance the more frightened the old folks are the more insurance AARP sells.

AARP does not represent the Senior Citizen -—if they ever did.

[Alberta's Child]

When you have a Republican VP candidate criticizing the opposing ticket for cuts to a Federal entitlement program that is facing bankruptcy, you can be damn sure this country isn’t going to be fiscally sound anytime soon.

[ANGGAPO]

Being a senior citizen, I just got a dose of Obamacare that makes a point, it really sucks. If you need effective mediation, you will get the cheapist on the market. And if that don't work you can purchase you own, at list price. Worse yet, your access to Medicare is blocked. It is their way or the highway.
I signed up for the program not knowing what I was getting into, and when I was in I found that I could not get out.
Best advice, be warned.

[a real Sheila]

Will seniors no longer be able to buy Medicare supplemental insurance?

[New Jersey Realist]

If you have 2 minutes, this is a great piece about how bummer is screwing old people like me.

http://my.brainshark.com/The-President-s-8-Billion-Coincidence-356086344

[BallandPowder]

Powder..patch..ball FIRE! I just went out and pulled the C-span of his speech and listened to the whole thing. He got some applause for several points and good applause at the end.

Sadly, this is the first time I spent listening to this important speech.