Ryan Redux: Another Medicare Cage Match Smackdown is Coming
The FY 2013 budget battle lines are being drawn up now here in DC and Democrats are licking their chops over the idea of another GOP budget that attempts to dramatically reform the Medicare program. House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) said this week that his budget will address Medicare and could include the revised plan he crafted with Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR). Under their plan, seniors would get “premium support” to decide between buying private insurance coverage through Medicare Advantage or traditional FFS Medicare at inevitably higher out-of-pocket costs. In an election year it portends another Medicare cage match smackdown heading into November.
Democrats have been successful in framing the original Ryan plan — under which FFS Medicare wasn’t an option — as “the end of Medicare as we know it.” They’ll do the same this year when seniors are critical to the presidential and down-ticket races. They’re confident that Wyden’s singular alliance with Ryan won’t diminish the power of the message that they’re the defenders of Medicare.
Ryan, on the Sunday talking heads last weekend, was undeterred: “We’re not going backward; we’re going forward. We’re not backing off of any of our ideas, any of our solutions.”
I think it’s a shame that Democrats are already demogoguing the issue — Ryan/Wyden is a vast improvement over his original plan and worth a thoughtful debate — but hey, it’s an election year, what can you expect? Here’s what: alot of incumbent blood on the floor of the House and Senate over the next several months, more “Medi-Scare” tactics by both sides, and likely, no major reforms until a monster deficit reduction package in 2013.