Yesterday the Obama campaign released a web video illustrating the way the Romney ticket has been distancing itself from its own position on Medicare. The ad relies on reports from several mainstream news organizations to debunk the myth that the Affordable Care Act will decrease benefits to seniors and remind voters that the infamous Ryan plan would turn Medicare into a voucher program. According to CNBC "Benefits to seniors actually increase under Obamacare which reduces payments to providers in exchange for more people covered by insurance."
Its no surprise that Romney is trying to have it both ways on Medicare. He knows the program is popular with seniors and could break him in Florida - an all but a must-win state- where Obama currently maintains a steady 2 point lead. Last month a Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that 59% of respondents wanted no reduction to the funding of Medicare and 45% to 34% trust Obama over Romney to handle the program. In his 59 point economic plan Romney expressed support for Ryan's Medicare plan saying it, "makes important strides in the right direction by keeping the system solvent and introducing market-based dynamics." Romney has publicly disavowed the part of the plan that cuts $700 billion but has yet to clarify where their plans truly differ. "We haven't gone through piece by piece and said 'oh, here's a place where there's a difference...but my plan for Medicare is very similar to his plan for Medicare."
Ryan has defended his plan saying it would not affect anyone currently on Medicare while Republicans accuse the Obama campaign of trying to scare seniors. The fact is his voucher plan would increase the cost of care by thousands every year for millions of seniors and a new AARP poll revealed 59% of aging Baby Boomers really are concerned about their ability to retire and fear they will be more reliant on Medicare than previously anticipated. So, Romney many be used to taking both sides of an issue, but the fact remains that most seniors are not used to living without Medicare and they don't plan to anytime soon.
Yesterday the Obama campaign released a web video illustrating the way the Romney ticket has been distancing itself from its own position on Medicare. The ad relies on reports from several mainstream news organizations to debunk the myth that the Affordable Care Act will decrease benefits to seniors and remind voters that the infamous Ryan plan would turn Medicare into a voucher program. According to CNBC "Benefits to seniors actually increase under Obamacare which reduces payments to providers in exchange for more people covered by insurance."
