Rep. Ryan Votes to Cut Seniors Social Security Checks in a Recession.

Seniors misplaced fear over losing Medicare services in Obama's health care reform bill have been the victims of a Rep. Paul Ryan shell game.

Medicare Part B payments are deducted from a persons Social Security check, averaging $96 right now, and were set to go up again. That would have devastated seniors Social Security payments which were frozen do to the Great Recession. House members voted to freeze Part B payments, Medicare Premium Fairness Act, so senior wouldn't see a reduction in their Social Security checks in these difficult economic times.

Rep. Paul Ryan was one of just 18 politicians who voted to allow the increase, thus reducing what retirees have to live on, rejecting the Medicare Premium Fairness Act. It was spelled out in The Philadelphia Inquirer:

Medicare premiums. Voting 406-18, the House sent the Senate a bill (HR 3631) to freeze Medicare premiums in 2010 at the current level of about $96 per month. Medicare premiums are deducted from Social Security checks, and the rationale of this bill is that since there will be no Social Security inflation adjustment in 2010, there should be no rise in Medicare premiums.
A yes vote was to pass the bill.

Rep. Paul Ryan voted no. That vote would have affected 27 percent of enrollees (11 million), who would have seen increases to $110-$120 per month, from $96.40 per month. Ryan apparently wanted to protect the Medicare Improvement Fund, a non-controversial set-aside fund in Medicare, which covered the cost of the bill.

And the voters in his district will once again give him another two years for Ryan to thumb his nose at them. Just how smart are conservative voters anyway?