Strengthening Medicare

Statement

The surest way to end Medicare is to follow the status quo. There is just no ignoring this fact, try as some politicians in Washington may want to skirt the issue or make empty promises. Republicans are working hard to protect Medicare for current beneficiaries and strengthen the program so that it is there for future generations.

Medicare is a lifeline for our nation's seniors. When I talk to folks in Wisconsin, they ask me if Medicare will be there for their children and grandchildren. But the way it stands now, it won't be. Health care costs are skyrocketing and Medicare is in danger.

Many Members of Congress continually accuse those of us trying to preserve and protect Medicare of trying to destroy it. But Politifact, a national non-partisan news organization that checks politicians' statements, named the accusation that the Republican plan will "end Medicare" as the Lie of the Year of 2011.

More than 10,000 Baby Boomers are reaching retirement age every single day. But at the same time, according to the American Medical Association, one-in-three primary care doctors are limiting the number of Medicare patients that they see.

Last year, the Medicare Board of Trustees announced that Medicare will be bankrupt in 2024, five years earlier than projected in 2010. Medicare is going bankrupt--only 12 years from now.

And thanks to the Democrats' health care law, the status quo is a bleaker picture than just two years ago. The health care law, commonly called Obamacare, only made the program more vulnerable. Obamacare cut over $500 billion from Medicare and gave 15 unaccountable bureaucrats the power to make cuts to health care providers.

Because of these provisions, Obamacare's effects will limit access to care for our seniors now, and destroy the program's fundamental safety net for future generations.

Last week, the House passed a budget that reins in our debt and strengthens Medicare. Our current path is unsustainable for our economy, and Medicare will cease to provide vital services to our seniors. We can't expect to grow our economy and create opportunity for future generations unless we address the true drivers of our debt.

The Republican budget we voted on last week includes a bipartisan plan that gives patients the power to choose which plan works best for them. The plan would provide beneficiaries with premium support to purchase either traditional Medicare or opt into the private insurance market. This plan makes no changes for individuals 55 years and older.

We must strengthen and preserve the Medicare guarantee. This is a challenge that House Republicans have faced head on because ignoring the facts about Medicare's future will only leave our seniors without the health care they need.

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