Page 10 - Support Plan News Today

Medicare, overhaul and how big a problem do you think for the g.o.p. >> it is a problem in explaining it, and -- there are two pieces to this whether you move to a premium support plan, which you might call the voucher plan, but -- and do you that, and the other question is, do you put more of the cost burden on seniors by doing that? and i think michelle bachmanns response was telling when she was willing to back away on the question of, you know, if it will be more of a cost burden on seniors ...

Medicare overhaul. how big a problem to do you think for the gop? >> i think it is a problem in explaining it. there is two pieces to this. whether you move to a premium support plan which you might shortcut and call a voucher plan. but and you do that but the other question is do you put more of the cost burden on seniors by doing that. and i will michele bachmanns response was telling when she was willing to back away on the question of, you know, if it is going to be more of a cost burden on ...

Sacrisanct as far as im concerned. >> shannon: congressman, you also happen to be a medical doctor and you have got experience with medicare and medicaid. what could you make of the criticism of the plan which would turn medicare into it a voucher system where seniors eceptionly then would go on the open market with the voucher and try to get insurance for themselves. is it going to work? >> well, shannon, both you and eliot are describeing that incorrectly. it is not a voucher program. it is a ...

Entitlements, youre talking about social security. thats still got a surplus for the next several years. but medicare, medicaid, what they call the drivers of the debt, both sides are talking about reform. the problem is, they are so dramatically different in their approaches. the president says he wants to find more efficiencies, find better ways of doing things in medicare. republicans want to institute what they call a premium support plan. others call it a voucher plan. where the government ...

Delivered his budget for 2012. and the ensuing ten years that did not have any of the recommendations from his own debt commission, did not address the long-term debt and the way he apparently is going to be doing today. another significant fact is that it does come, as you pointed out, savannah, the day before the house of representatives begins debate on that paul ryan plan. and thats part of the plan here. to draw a distinction with what many people, mostly democrats, are calling a dangerous ...

>> paul: okay. the other thing striking to me about the deficit commission draft the new chairman put out and something im critical of, they do almost nothing on medicaid and medicare. >> no, didnt touch it. >> paul: who are the big cost drivers in the budget. why arent they touching those two programs? >> i dont think they touch it because the administration didnt want them to touch it. i dont think the presidents commissioners were going to go after his health care law. elliss and i are offeri...

Administration came to congress and said, one out of six hospitals and nursing homes are going to go out of business as a result of this -- >> thats not what they said. >> 7.4 million seniors are projected to lose the coverage they have, thats a $3200 benefit cut -- >> poor people -- more people signed up for medicare advantage after the change. >> what they are saying -- >> nobody is -- >> mr. vice-president, i know -- [overlapping dialogue] >> i know you are under a lot of duress to make up fo...

>> paul: the other thing that is striking about the deficit commissions draft this is something im critical of, they do almost nothing on medicaid and medicare. which you know are the big cost drivers in the budget. why arent they touching those two programs? >> because the administration didnt want them to touch it. i dont think the presidents commissioners were gonna go after his health care law. alice rivlin and you are offering a premium support plan. we think one of the problems in this pla...