- Published: September 30, 2022
- Updated: September 30, 2022
- University / College: Dalhousie University
- Level: Undergraduate
- Language: English
- Downloads: 14
Fact sheet: Opposing Paul Ryan’s proposal for Medicare vouchers Health care is a fundamental utility that is largely treated as a public utility. Even though both the government and the public sector plays an important role, social plans such as Medicare and Medicaid have facilitated access to care by solving the problem of high cost of care. The ObamaCare offered greater hope through promising affordable care but Ryan’s proposal for Medicare vouchers seems to contradict this. The proposal is part of budget recommendations and though not a law, is likely to be implemented as a legal policy. I seek to express my position against the bill and to urge people, through our state legislators, oppose the Medicare proposal.
The proposed change to Medicare would replace the current Medicare insurance terms with a fixed rate monetary support that people would use to purchase private care plans or a modified form of Medicare and has the following challenges to affordability of care.
Care will no longer be guaranteed
The proposal shift the responsibility of care cover to individuals and this eliminates the guaranteed cover and care services that the current Medicare offers, because care would be provided based on individual’s plans (Water, 2014).
People with some categories of health complications would not afford care.
The proposed change would limit cover to people’s care plans and individuals whose medical needs require very high expenses would not be able to afford care. This is because their private care plans, under proposal, would be limited to the voucher value or an individual’s additional contribution (Water, 2014).
Proposal sets a bad precedent
The proposal allows the government to limit its responsibility over public utilities. This would be a bad example and could be used in future to stop government’s expenditure on critical services such as healthcare, education, and infrastructure (Water, 2014).
I therefore urge us to express our opinions against the voucher proposal that is a threat to affordable and accessible care. We can also submit our concerns to our legislators through the following telephone lines, besides peer mobilization through media.
Legislators contacts: Nick Rahall -304-252-5000
Joe Manchin -304-342-5855
Jay Rockefeller -304-253-2578
Reference
Water, P. Medicare in Ryan’s 2015 budget. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Retrieved from: http://www. cbpp. org/cms/? fa= view&id= 4121.