The future of both Medicare and Medicaid — America’s solid promise to our seniors and most vulnerable citizens for almost a half-century — may well be at stake in this election. Everyone knows that there have to be reforms in order to make these programs stronger over time, but the two sides see the problem and the solution very differently.
Many Republicans are scaring seniors with false claims that they are about to lose the security they have; meanwhile they propose to turn Medicare into a voucher program, which shifts major costs onto seniors. They propose to change Medicaid into a program of block grants — stripping its core guarantees, cutting it, and shifting costs and risks to states and the most vulnerable Americans.
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He says “closing the donut hole is) a policy that has already saved Massachusetts seniors an average of about $610.” What a deceitful person. Obamacare’s effect on the Part D donut hole only saves money for the few high-income people in the state who reach the hole AND have so much income in retirement that they cannot qualify for the Federal Extra Help program for low income seniors or the state's Prescription Advantage program for middle income seniors. It does not save Massachusetts seniors an average of about $610
He says "Republicans... claim that Obamacare cuts $700 billion from Medicare. As the former administrator of the Medicare program, I know that that claim is wrong.” Actually the person that said this is Richard Foster, the Medicare Actuary, a guy who used to work for Rationing Man.
He says: "they propose to turn Medicare into a voucher program, which shifts major costs onto seniors.” I have seen no proposal that involves vouchers and as former Medicare director he knows that the cost sharing and shifting in Medicare happened 40 years ago. Seniors now pay well more than 50% of their healthcare costs themselves on average. Medicare pays well less than 50% on average
Rationing Man says "it is a false claim "that (seniors) are about to lose the security they have" I've already lost my security. Tufts Health Plan dropped its Medicare health plan in Worcester County on October 2. I will have to go to a much more expensive Medigap plan to keep my doctor or possibly change my doctor to keep the capitated/coordinated care I have had for 35 years. (Ironicall the former Medicare health plan I had until Tufts killed it is exactly the sort of program Rationing Man claims everyone should have to lower healthcare costs.)