Let's see if Republicans can sell privatizing Medicare? Public must sacrifice, while cutting tax burden for corporations.

Again, for the those fact check organizations who claimed Democrats were wrong saying Republicans wanted to privatize Medicare, here’s more proof to the contrary.

The Hill: A top Republican this week endorsed a GOP plan to rein in deficit spending by privatizing Medicare and scaling back the program's benefits. Rep. Spencer Bachus (Ala.) said the controversial measure — championed by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) — would shore up the nation's entitlement programs … the "Roadmap" replaces Medicare's single-payer system with vouchers for those entering the program after 2020 — vouchers that would be worth less, when the program launched in 2021, than the projected benefits for Medicare enrollee under the current program, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).

"Beneficiaries would therefore face higher premiums in the private
market for a package of benefits similar to that currently provided by
Medicare," CBO said.

Also, because the value of the vouchers is expected to grow more slowly than medical inflation, more and more costs would shift to seniors as the voucher program ages, CBO said. "Beneficiaries would therefore be likely to purchase less comprehensive health plans or plans more heavily managed than traditional Medicare, resulting in some combination of less use of healthcare services and less use of technologically advanced treatments than under current law."

Giving Republicans a pass without stirring up public outrage over the cuts aided the conservative efforts to dismantle the safety net programs seniors depend on. So instead of lazily sitting around in assisted living facilities, they can hit the pavement and shop for health care coverage.

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• Union-backed groups oppose GOP Medicare voucher plan (seattletimes.nwsource.com)