Ryan's Plan for Seniors

Dear Madame L,

I know you don't like Rep. Paul Ryan's proposed 2012 budget, which includes changing the way Medicare is delivered to seniors who are 55 and under.

But your claim that his proposal would "change Medicare as we now know it" seems bogus.

Please explain,

Curious Reader

Dear Curious,

Madame L thanks you for your question. Ryan and his Republican colleagues in the House of Representatives all continue to claim that his proposal would not change Medicare, even while saying at the same time, "Not to worry, those of you who are seniors now. It won't change anything for YOU! I would never want to take away the Medicare benefits of some 78-year-old woman. [an actual example given by a Republican Member of Congress]... But for those who will be 65 ten years from now, not so lucky."

Madame L has found an interesting document that explains how Ryan's proposal would make it impossible even for those future seniors to make ends meet:

The Congressional Budget Office, the non-partisan accounting office that keeps track of the cost of legislative proposals, has written a letter to Rep. Paul Ryan giving the results of its calculations on how Ryan's proposed budget would "help" seniors in the future.

(Remember that Ryan and the other Republicans in the House are claiming that his plan would "help" seniors in the future by giving them "opportunities" to choose health care plans and providers. Remember than seniors who need medical attention are not really "consumers" of goods, as Ryan et al. want to consider them. They are patients. Also, they're generally without an income....)

Here's the CBO's analysis, from the letter to Rep. Ryan:

Any more questions?

Sincerely,

Madame L