Posted in Those Kooky Conservatives!, Video, Wisconsin Politics

Alberta Darling wholeheartedly supports turning Medicare into a voucher program!

   June 12, 2011

Watch as Republican State Senator Alberta Darling, who’s facing a tough recall election fight, explains how she wholeheartedly supports Rep. Paul Ryan’s proposal to turn Medicare into a voucher program.


Under the proposal authored by Rep. Ryan and enthusiastically supported by Sen. Darling, seniors would be forced to haggle with insurance companies for health insurance coverage while hoping that their government-issued voucher covered the whole cost of the coverage, lest they be forced to pay the difference out of their own pockets.

No doubt Sen. Darling supports Rep. Ryan’s plan to turn Medicare into a voucher program because she likely won’t have to worry about little details like living on a fixed income once Sandy Pasch retires her, given Darling’s far from being lower or middle class. However, Rep. Ryan’s plan to turn Medicare into a voucher program could have dire consequences for millions of seniors who don’t have bunches of disposable income to be able to pay for their health care costs out of pocket.

UPDATE: The Maddow Blog has picked up this story, with their own take on things.

UPDATE II: The Plum Line blog has also picked up this story.

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9 thoughts on “Alberta Darling wholeheartedly supports turning Medicare into a voucher program!”

  1. Except his current proposal is not a voucher program and you damn well know it. Why the continued perpetuation of lies?

    1. Just because Rep. Ryan doesn’t call it a voucher program doesn’t make in NOT a voucher program…by the same measure then the school voucher program isn’t a voucher program either.

    2. If it’s not a voucher program, then what is it?

      What would you call a program that gives seniors a set amount of money with which to purchase their own health insurance?

      Here’s how Rep. Ryan’s plan is described on his House Budget Committee website:

      For those currently under 55 – as they become Medicare-eligible – it creates a Medicare payment, initially averaging $11,000, to be used to purchase a Medicare certified plan.

      Sounds a lot like a voucher to me…

      1. Thanks for the link to the Roadmap, which is not the current budget proposal. The Roadmap gives the payment to the individual(your voucher), The Path to Prosperity pays the insurance company directly(not a voucher).

        1. My mistake….but let’s not forget that the voucher system was an idea Rep. Ryan thought was great when it was a part of his Roadmap.

  4. And, the increase in the amount of the voucher is to be set at inflation, about 2 percent currently. Meanwhile health care costs are increasing 5 percent annually. Seniors will have to make up the difference out of their own pockets. Ryan’s plan does nothing to control health care costs.

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