The chairman of a key House committee pledged Thursday that congressional Republicans will change Medicare in order to save it.
GOP Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas, head of the Ways and Means Committee, insisted Republicans won’t be deterred by the politics, even though Donald Trump won election as president on promises to protect the popular health care program for older Americans, and Democrats are already warning of a “war on seniors.”
“Democrat tactics of ‘Medi-scare’ have been around a long time. They’ve stopped working,” Brady told The Associated Press in an interview in the Capitol. “Voters have figured out Republicans want to save Medicare for the long term, and they know that those who say everything’s just fine with it aren’t leveling with them.”
But Brady also said the GOP will move cautiously on Medicare, starting with smaller changes. And he declined to say when the party might try to pass “premium support,” the controversial approach that would, over time, remake Medicare into a voucher-like program that would force seniors to buy health insurance on the open market.
Critics say such coverage would take away the “Medicare guarantee” and give seniors subsidies whose value won’t keep up with inflation.
“I think it’s important, especially in health care, to take this step by step,” Brady said. “Whether it’s the replacement of the Affordable Care Act, how we make Medicaid work better, how we save Medicare for the long term.”
“So I envision 2017 as taking steps, small, in preparing for larger steps to save Medicare for the long term,” he said, mentioning early reforms in the areas of post-acute care, nursing homes, home health care agencies and rehabilitation facilities.
“I’m absolutely confident, in fact I’m optimistic, that by focusing on quality and innovation in Medicare that we can save that program for the long term in a very positive way,” Brady said.
Democrats have already made clear that they view the GOP focus on Medicare as a ripe political target. The incoming Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer of New York, fired an opening salvo earlier this week when he declared at a press conference: “It’s clear that Washington Republicans are plotting a war on seniors next year. Every senior, every American should hear this loudly and clearly: Democrats will not let them win that fight.”
“We say to our Republicans that want to privatize Medicare, go try it, make our day,” Schumer said.
Democrats have had political success in the past by attacking GOP plans to overhaul entitlements. Right after getting re-elected in 2004, President George W. Bush held a news conference in which he claimed a mandate for change — and that meant entitlements. The ongoing Iraq war and that push on Medicare and Social Security cost the GOP control of the House and Senate in 2006.
Now, with Republicans in control of both chambers of Congress and the White House next year, Democrats clearly view those same issues as their path back into the majority.
The lesson is not lost on Republicans, and several Senate Republicans said this week that they would not be eager to make Medicare changes their top priority, especially given their plans to move quickly to repeal President Barack Obama’s health care law.
“I think the first priority is Obamacare and that’s going to take most of the oxygen out of the room,” said Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. “The Medicaid issue, Medicare is very controversial. We were committed to repealing Obamacare, and that’s what we’ve got to do first.”
Medicare, in place more than a half-century, is considered the government’s flagship health insurance program. It covers about 57 million people, including 48 million seniors and 9 million disabled people. Medicare has strong public support across party lines and generations.
Adding to the political complications for the GOP, Trump campaigned as a protector of Medicare, saying in an interview with The Daily Signal last year: “I’m not going to cut Social Security like every other Republican and I’m not going to cut Medicare or Medicaid. Every other Republican is going to cut.”
But Trump already appears to be shifting. His transition website mentions modernizing Medicare, though without details, and his nominee for secretary of Health and Human Services, GOP Rep. Tom Price of Georgia, has also backed the premium support idea.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
Seniors have not had a cost of living increase for years. I am one of those that have to live with no increase when everything cost more.
Congress forgets that they took millions of dollars out of the Medicare Lock Box
and just left a bunch of IOU’s.
Cutting all is ok ,as long they cut theirs also
The Gov gives you nothing, it’s what we have already pd for out of our pocket.If they would get all the people off that don’t belong,
ANY PERSON OR PARTY MESSES UP MEDICARE, THAT WILL BE THE END OF THEM AND THE PARTY.
R u Billy’s curbow, the tractor man’s, son ? A Bama man…?
Sorry but Ryan’s plan will replace Medicare with private insurance which the federal government will shell out even more than it does for Medicare. Trump promised us that he would not touch Medicare, that was part of the reason we voted for him. Raise the rate one half of one percent if you have to. Since getting rid of Obamacare will remove the provition that those receiving more than $250,000 in capital gains would half to cough up 0.5% to Medicare will be gone. Ryan’s ‘Better Way’ is a horrible way and this is confirmed by even Republican sponsered think tanks. I have paid into Medicare for over 50 years and will not be happy to see it go to ‘free market’ insurance companies whoese only purpose is to inflate pay for their senior executives and doctors and hospitals!
Being a Medicare user, I have mixed feelings but I would love to see comparisons of Federal ran program vs a hybrid privatization with limited Federal support. We all pay Medicare tax, and Medicare premiums cover a part of the premium cost. I know I am billed every quarter for Medicare premiums, and then have to take out a supplement to cover what Medicare wont pay, which is getting larger and larger. It is getting close to what I was paying for private insurance before I turned 65. We have a system that will collapse without correcting some flaws that I perceive will become serious in coming years. I am not knowledged enough about Medicare and Medicaid. I am very suspicious that Medicaid should be partially paid out of the welfare system instead of the Medicare system for people who are not disabled or aged enough to qualify for the Medicare coverage.
medicaid and Medicare are two completely different criters. Medicaid comes out of the general Fund Medicare is ran by different people and is paid for by what we have and are paying in and what you are charged for Part B (Non hospital visits mainly) Congress has helped themselves to the reserve over the years. Biggest problem with Medicare (same with private health care) is that cost have doubled every 5 years for the last 20 or so years. And unlike private health care the rates haven’t gone up accordingly. We are still charged 2.9% and the Part B premium hasn’t went up much.
My wife has a Medicare gap plan that pays 100% of what medicare doesn’t. Cost is about $125 per month. Her bills are really steap! A private insurer would break even at $3000 per month
I will put my trust in Trump to do the right thing for seniors.He will make america Great again for everyone seniors too. I am also thinking because he is a great business man, He will look into our social secerty payments being refered to as intitlement money.How our money is being used with no intrust being paid to us. Medicare and Medicaid does need to be looked into .
They should start paying back the money they “borrowed”, making good on those IOUs and get all the people off Medicare that are not eligible. They should keep Medicare for the seniors as part of social security and make medical help for anyone else part of the welfare program. Finally there should be accountability for the money they have spent on Medicare. I’d like to see where it all went.
Update Medicare plans, make competitive, CUT regulations & allow MDs to take said patients. Modernize Medicare plans IE offer: Organic RX, Preventative Care, De stress care, massages, etc to CUT HC costs alone.
More can be done.
Co fund with NIH alone & use for NIH studies alone.
We have completed an election campaign in which our country’s debt/deficit was barely mentioned. It was Lyin’ Ted, a reporter’s bloody whatever, the size of Trump’s hands/fingers, and all sorts of foolishness. The Press who’s responsibility it is to inform the public, completely ignored their job. And now the election is over, but the important issues remain. Surprise!!! Trump and the Republican Congress will have to deal with these issues. And no matter what solution they come up with many millions of Americans will hate them. Well, Mr. Trump, you desperately wanted this job. And now it’s yours. Good luck.