Greg Murphy: 2024: The RSC Budget Called For Converting Medicare To A “Premium Support Model” That Would Turn Medicare Into A Voucher Program

2024: The RSC’s Budget Called For Converting Medicare To A “Premium Support Model,” Making Medicare Compete With Private Plans. “The budget was released Wednesday by the Republican Study Committee, a group of more than 170 House GOP lawmakers, including many allies of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. […] The new budget also calls for converting Medicare to a ‘premium support model,’ echoing a proposal that Republican former Speaker Paul Ryan had rallied support for. Under the new RSC plan, traditional Medicare would compete with private plans and beneficiaries would be given subsidies to shop for the policies of their choice.” [NBC News, 3/20/24]

• 2012: President Obama Said Converting Medicare To A “Premium Support Model” Would “End Medicare As We Know It.” “The budget was released Wednesday by the Republican Study Committee, a group of more than 170 House GOP lawmakers, including many allies of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. […] The new budget also calls for converting Medicare to a ‘premium support model,’ echoing a proposal that Republican former Speaker Paul Ryan had rallied support for. Under the new RSC plan, traditional Medicare would compete with private plans and beneficiaries would be given subsidies to shop for the policies of their choice. The size of the subsidies could be pegged to the “average premium” or “second lowest price” in a particular market, the budget says. The plan became a flashpoint in the 2012 election, when Ryan was GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s running mate, and President Barack Obama charged that it would ‘end Medicare as we know it.’ Ryan defended it as a way to put Medicare on better financial footing, and most of his party stood by him.” [NBC News, 3/20/24]

Proposals To Turn Medicare Into A Premium Support System, Also Called A Voucher Program, Would Leave People Without Coverage If Their Voucher Did Not Cover The Full Cost Of Care. “Proposals to turn Medicare into a premium support system, also called a defined contribution system or a voucher program, are evergreen. Such programs would give people with Medicare a voucher or coupon worth a certain amount toward the purchase of health coverage. If the voucher did not cover the full cost, the person would presumably have to pay the rest or go without coverage.” [Medicare Rights Center, 7/1/24]