House Republicans want to ration health care for old people, privatize Medicare, balloon the deficit
Everything the GOP accused the health care reform bill of doing--which it really didn't do at all--are their actual solutions to the health care problem.
This is basically, "In order to save Medicare and make health care affordable for seniors we need to destroy Medicare and make health care more expensive for seniors."
It's crazy-person logic.
House GOP considers privatizing Medicare - Yahoo! News
WASHINGTON – Months after they hammered Democrats for cutting Medicare, House Republicans are debating whether to relaunch their quest to privatize the health program for seniors. House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., is testing support for his idea to replace Medicare with a fixed payment to buy a private medical plan from a menu of coverage options.
Party leaders will determine if the so-called voucher plan will be part of the budget Republicans put forward in the spring.
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But replacing Medicare's open-ended benefit with a fixed payment would cut projected spending much more deeply.
"Anyone who doesn't think privatization will mean severe cuts to Medicare benefits, I have a bridge I'd like to sell them," said Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. "Privatization will make the cuts previously proposed by either party look tame."
Republicans say it may be the only way to preserve taxpayer-funded health care for seniors in an aging society. The Congressional Budget Office reported this week that the government will borrow 40 cents of every dollar it spends this year, as the deficit hits a staggering $1.5 trillion. Over the long term, health care costs that keep growing more rapidly than the economy are the biggest challenge to the budget.