The roundtable panel on ABC‘s This Week (5/29/11) spent some time talking about the politics of Medicare, specifically the idea that the recent Democratic victory in a special Congressional election in New York could mean that Paul Ryan’s Medicare plan might be a tremendous liability for the GOP.
One of the most prevalent talking points from the Republican side is to complain that while Ryan’s plan might have its flaws, at least they have something–unlike the Democrats. It was a point that ABC reporter Jonathan Karl passed along as fact:
[Bill Clinton] said that I hope Democrats don’t use this as an excuse to do nothing. And that is exactly what Democrats are doing right now. There is no Democratic plan on reforming Medicare; we’re waiting for the president to come out with a plan. The president’s old budget lost 97-0 in a vote in the Senate, so, you know, I mean–Republicans are scared. They are definitely scared. But there is nothing coming from the other side.
Most people remember a big national debate over healthcare happened not too long ago. The law that passed–the Affordable Care Act, or “Obamacare” to its GOP critics–included several provisions intended to control the cost of healthcare, including Medicare. This was part of the reason Republicans were screaming about “death panels.”
The parts of the Affordable Care Act that pertain to shrinking the cost of Medicare have been pretty well-explained for a while now. A recent piece from the Kaiser Health News explains how the Independent Payment Advisory Board created by the law would work:
Q: What will IPAB do?
A: Beginning with fiscal 2015, if Medicare is projected to grow too quickly, the IPAB will make binding recommendations to reduce spending. Those recommendations will be sent to Capitol Hill at the beginning of each year, and if Congress doesn’t like them, it must pass alternative cuts–of the same size–by August. A supermajority of the Senate can also vote to amend the IPAB recommendations. If Congress fails to act, the secretary of Health and Human Services is required to implement the cuts by default.
This (and more) was explained in a Washington Post column by Ezra Klein in April. Igor Volsky at Think Progress wrote a post last year showing how Medicare cost containment will work. There’s no shortage of information explaining how this will work now that it is law. One could argue that none of it will work, of course, but that’s not the same as saying there is no plan but the Paul Ryan plan. That’s what Republicans want people to believe–and reporters like Jonathan Karl are doing their best to help.
Either a liar or uninformed? Well tune this toad Karl out!
If the Democratics want a plan they could have it. It’s called “Improved Medicare for All” and hasa strong advocate in Bernie Sanders. Vermont has a plan, California has a plan. How about putting those plans “on the table”?
Why are they trying to copy Romney’s unsuccessful , ineffective plan for Massachusettes?
The Democratic plan for cutting healthcare cost across the board is SINGLE PAYER and the PUBLIC OPTION. What IDIOT is not aware of that FACT?
Public Option and Single Payer NOT on the table? Put it on the table. dixiePublicans want competing plans for Congressional debate, put up the damned public option (single payer) and say, CALL, RAISE or FOLD!
The Ryan plan for Medicare IS “Obamacare”: push seniors into the high-profit insurance market. The cure for “Obamacare”? Medicare for all! Let’s allow ourselves to have non-profit health insurance, and maximize competition and choice! When the people can choose where to get care, then healthcare providers will compete to provide the best care!
The reluctance 0f the Democratic leadership to handle these small scale snipers has allowed the Republican party to carry out attack after attack on truth and to project their perversions ad nauseum. Is there no oversight of journalists? Some of us actually watch all this stuff in a state of shock at the apparent naivety of those who represent us in Congress. I have come to the understanding that everything that is not far right is under malicious attack by extremists and that they arre being allowed to attach unopposed due to some form of impotence that is deadly to progress, sanity, civility and our priceless democracy.
I suspect that funding Medicare will be the subject of conversation during the President’s golf game with the Speaker scheduled for next week. This is not good news for Americans.
Both men have shown that Medicare is on the carving table. Here’s the evidence. Paul Ryan’s ascendence is due to the Speaker’s endorsement of him as Budget czar in the House. Last year, the President’s Commission committed to Medicare “reform.” At about the same time, the President offered up a reduction in FICA tax further depleting the “reserves” used to pay out benefits. Both men want to keep their jobs and will do whatever their benefactors (people who HATE anything that doesn’t “socialize” THEIR risk) wish them to do.
We are a generation past Tip O’Neill and Reagan crafting a plan to save Medicare. This new iteration of leadership has a different focus, I fear. They are into saving jobs. Theirs. And they are betting that the election result will be determined by fat cats in high places, not educated voters at the ballot box.
Anyone who thinks these two will be just “playing golf” during their guy-tryst is as clueless as Jonathon Karl’s reporting is dishonest.
I’m betting that corporate media will not cover the content of this meeting, especially what is discussed under the tree on the fourth tee.
Well the New York election was chock full of lies and innuendo.So lets not try to use that as a basis for anything.Obama care is dead and dying as is the idea of taxing the wealthy in some socialist redistribution of wealth, so moving past that we move on to consider Paul Ryans ideas.Will they be left wanting?We shall see we shall see.At least its back to the drawing board.
When the GOP wins special elections they’re referendums on Obama, when Democrats win special elections they’re not a referendum on anything. Funny how that works.
The Ryan plan is a total fraud. Doesn’t cut medical costs, adds $6 trillion to the debt over 10 years and will leave the next generation with totally insufficient health coverage.
It does cut taxes on the rich though, so it deserves SERIOUS consideration.
I hope that’s a joke, BS D’tektor.
No Bs……Some elections are referendums.Obamas win over Bush(sic) for instance.People were rightly pissed at the powers that be.Later the house elections had a similar dynamic.I just don’t think this election was.
Your reading of Ryans plan is as skrewy as Obama’s reading of it. Which is why Ryan had a sit down with Obama to educate him on the Ryan plan.And to stop him from painting it in ways that were incorrect.Hopefully now he will stop peddling fear mongering lies.
Just remember we can not tax or spend our way out of this.
Nice work, know_then_do. You’re exactly right, I’m afraid.