GOP Rep. Paul Ryan: "We're saving Medicare"

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) told CBS News there's "a lot of misinformation about what we're proposing" in his budget plan, specifically on Medicare.

The House budget committee chairman was in his home state Tuesday to attempt to drum up support for his plan among his constituents, holding multiple standing room only town halls. Ryan asked the mostly older crowds for a "civil debate."

"A lot of people don't realize how bad Medicare's financing in the future is going to be," Ryan told CBS News congressional correspondent Nancy Cordes in Wisconsin. "We're saving Medicare for the elderly."

He plans to do so by tranforming Medicare for future generations into a plan that provided subsidies to pay for private insurance instead of the the current government-run health coverage.

Ryan described President Obama's budget proposal as "rationing" Medicare, countering that the program needed support and solutions, "not government."

"Put the power in the hands of the senior citizen, subsidize the wealthy less and the middle and lower income person more," Ryan said. His plan would make "no changes" to Medicare for people 55 and over.

"If we don't tackle this problem, it's going to tackle us," he added.

Ryan also tackled tax reform at his town hall meetings, telling constituents his proposal did not provide tax cuts for the wealthy, but is instead tax reform he calls "revenue neutral."

The "Paul Revere" of budget issues, as he referred to himself with Cordes, is hosting 19 town hall meetings in Wisconsin. He was greeted by both cheers and jeers Wednesday, even in areas he won re-election by over 70 percent.

[abbymomu]

First, on the pension front, it is a fact that the government cannot afford to keep paying pensions to people for more money than they ever made while working. Secondly, I'm sure it's easy to harass the republicans for the changes they want to make to our country, when the only idea democrats want to put forth is to raise taxes. As most of you could figure out if you actually looked for yourself instead of getting talking points from the media is that the majority of our country is for revamping the tax code. Half of the people in this country pay no taxes. They actually get free money from the government in the form of EIC among other entitlements. If everyone actually paid taxes then they would have more at stake when it came to the taxation of our country. Only then can we fix the financial problems our country faces. Until we fix the problems we are already facing it is illogical to add more debt to our already floundering country!

[san850]

We need to also stop giving corporations and the wealthiest Americans so many loopholes, taxbreaks, and opportunities to shelter money that most of them pay ZERO taxes as well. It doesn't matter whether we raise, lower, or leave the corporate tax rates as is...they still won't pay their fair share. It seems to all be on the backs of the middle class...we get absolutely no real tax breaks and now some of the Repubs are making noise about elminiating mortgage interest as a deduction...give us a break.

[williamjd2011]

All these years the baby boomers payed into the Medicare plan and have supported those who have gone before them. Now when its our turn to collect , THE Republicans want to change all the rules and leave you hanging. They don't want you to have a Pension. They don't want you to have Medicare. And they don't want you to be able to collect social security untill your about 75. In other words the Republican soulotion is for all us boomers coming of age and those behind us . JUST WORK TILL YOU DIE AND NEVER GET SICK.

[rebazhin]

Babyboomers will not be affected. Babyboomers are those who were born in the mid 1945 to 1955. They are all over 55 years of age. It is for those people who are under the age of 55 that the change will affect.

[taylorsucram]

HEY, I'M STUPID. I BELIEVE YOU !!!

[atomant59]

Hey, he's a republican, he's doing his job, he is protecting the rich......

[Mystic_Redcat]

He may be "saving Medicare for the elderly". But that only applies to everyone over 55. If you are 55 or younger by the time you are eligible for Medicare the "vouchers" the government would provide will not even come close to covering medical needs.

[san850]

He may be "saving Medicare" but the elderly wouldn't be able to afford healthcare under his plan...they will have to pay 2-3 times as much as they do now. Won't work.

[doeriver]

I am still wanting for the sociopathic frat boy and U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan to present verifiable evidence that he has actually held some significant work experience in the private sector...

[san850]

"We're saving Medicare for the elderly." Yeah, Paul, but the catch is that the elderly won't be able to afford it.

Seniors on average would spend 2 to 3 times as much for healthcare in 2030 as they do now under a Republican plan to transform Medicare from a classic entitlement program to one that gives subsidies to individuals to purchase private health insurance, according to a new analysis from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO).

The CBO analysis, published yesterday, also says that the GOP proposal to cap federal contributions to state Medicaid programs through block grants would probably force states to lower pay for physicians and hospitals, reduce eligibility and benefits, or force beneficiaries to pay more out of pocket.

The CBO cited 2 reasons why the new plan to provide premium subsidies for private insurance will shift more costs to Medicare beneficiaries. For one thing, private health plans would need to charge higher premiums and require more out-of-pocket spending than traditional Medicare because their costs typically are greater, both in terms of administrative expenses and payments to physicians and hospitals. And unlike the government, they want to earn a profit. In addition, the government's premium support, pegged to increases in the Consumer Price Index and advancing age, would grow more slowly than healthcare costs.

Soooo, remember those "death panels" you Repubs accused the Dems of supporting? Your plan will insure that seniors will die since they will not have affordable healthcare.

[nicolay55]

The interviewer did a great job of aping the Democrats talking points. Great job!

[jimbom121]

I did not realize the CBO was part of the Democrats.

[jackbe]

A major problems I see with the Republican plan for Medicare is the consequences of insuring a large population of senior citizens through private insurance companies. Would health insurers eventually refuse coverage to seniors much as they did with flood insurance (insurance companies do not cover floods, not enough profit)? As a large number of seniors get health-care coverage, the insurance companies will have to offset the increased costs of covering these seniors by raising health-care costs on all individuals. As health-care costs rise, healthier individuals, and business, would begin dropping coverage because they could no longer afford the increases, thus insurance companies would have to again increase insurance costs until only the wealthy, seniors, and the sick, had health insurance, making covering seniors an unacceptable risk to insurers.

[abbymomu]

The only way to make it work , and I believe it can, is to ensure that the private insurers cant dump people for health issues.

[cbsblogger]

The Republicans wanted a private Medicare program and so Medicare Advantage was created just to help out private insurers. What they rarely tell you is that Medicare Advt costs taxpayers thousands more than a regular Medicare coverage.

This is what Republicans want... a total program of private unaffordable Medicare that will enrich the insurers, while seniors fall ever more behind with coverage.

We need the ability for every American to buy into a Medicare policy and that would shore up Medicare coverage and drive down costs. Keep the greedy overcharging insurance companies out of our pockets and out of making and interfering in our health care decisions.

A country that isn't enslaved to employer provided health care will become an entrepreneurial country and it will eliminate the incentive to outsource jobs.

[san850]

EXACTLY! Repubs, as usual, lining the pockets of insurance companies...like they love to do with big oil and big pharma as well. It's a "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" kind of game they love to play.