June 3rd, 2011 – Paul Ryan, a Republican House Representative from Wisconsin authored the House Republican 2012 budget which was approved in the House in April and includes a proposal to overhaul Medicare. The House Republican Medicare plan would convert it into a subsidized program for the private insurance market.
Last week Senate Democrats forced a vote to defeat the House Bill. This was a strong tactical move in that the Democrats forced Senate Republicans to show if they supported Medicare Reform or not, which very well may become a political hot potato in the 2012 elections.
A new CNN poll says that 58 percent of the public oppose the Republican plan on Medicare and 35 percent support the proposed Medicare overhaul.
CNN Polling Director Keating Holland said, “Half of those we questioned say that the country would be worse off under the GOP Medicare proposals and 56 percent think that GOP plan would be bad for the elderly. Opposition is highest among senior citizens, at 74 percent, suggesting that seniors are most worried about changes to Medicare even if those changes are presented as ones that would not affect existing Medicare recipients.”
House Republicans countered that Democrats do not have a credible plan of their own to ensure the long-term survival of Medicare and continued their criticism of the health care overhaul sometimes called “Obamacare.”
