Tarryl Clark Continues to Gut Medicare

Tarryl Clark supported the government healthcare takeover that cut $500 billion in Medicare benefits for seniors: (Associated Press, 3/22/2010)

• “The reform plan includes cutting the costs of Medicare, the government-run health plan for seniors, by about $500 billion.” (“Pelosi: GOP Used Fear to Turn Elderly Against Health Care Bill,” CNN’s “Political Ticker,” 3/29/2010)

Moreover, Clark’s plan induced steep cuts to the Medicare Advantage program, and billions of dollars in new taxes and fees:

• $136 Billion In Cuts To Medicare Advantage: “Another $136 billion comes from reducing payments to private Medicare Advantage health plans, through which about one-quarter of seniors get Medicare benefits.” (Marilyn Werber Serafini, “Some Hill Races Hinge on Seniors’ Anger Over Medicare,” Kaiser Health News, 10/26/2010)

• 7.4 Million Seniors To Lose Medicare Advantage Due To Obamacare: “The new provisions will generally reduce MA [Medicare Advantage] rebates to plans and thereby result in less generous benefit packages. We estimate that in 2017, when MA provisions will be fully phased in, enrollment in MA plans will be lower by about 50 percent (from its projected level of 14.8 million under the prior law to 7.4 million under the new law).” (Richard S. Foster, “Estimated Financial Effects of the ‘Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act as Amended,” Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 4/22/2010)

• CBO: ObamaCare Increases Taxes And Fees By At Least $525 Billion: “The two pieces of legislation [that make up the health care law] were estimated to increase mandatory outlays by $401 billion and raise revenues by $525 billion.” (“The Budget and Economic Outlook: An Update,” Congressional Budget Office, August 2010)

Medicare’s financial condition worsened this year and is headed for bankruptcy sooner. That means the Democrat plan for Medicare is an immediate 17% cut in benefits, an immediate 24% tax increase or bankruptcy. The Democrat plan will also lead to unelected bureaucrats making healthcare decisions best left to your doctor:

• Medicare’s Trust Fund Will Go Bankrupt In 2024, Five Years Earlier Than Forecast Last Year: “Medicare’s trust fund will run dry in 2024, five years earlier than forecast just last year, and Social Security’s will be exhaused by 2036, adding fuel to the debate over cutting one or both programs to reduce annual budget deficits.” (Richard Wolf, “Medicare, Social Security Money Running Out Faster,” USA Today, 5/13/2011)

• Democrat Plan Means An “Immediate 17-Percent Reduction” In Benefits Or “Immediate 24-Percent Increase” In Taxes: “The long-range financial imbalance could be addressed in several different ways. In theory, the standard 2.90-percent payroll tax and the additional tax 0.9-percent tax on high-income earners could be immediately increased by the amount of the actuarial deficit to 3.69 percent, or expenditures could be reduced by a corresponding amount. Note, however, that these changes would require an immediate 24-percent increase in the tax rate or an immediate 17-percent reduction in expenditures.” (pp. 28-29, “2011 Annual Report of the Board of Trustees of the Federal Hospital Insurance and Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Funds,” The Boards of Trustees of the Federal Hospital Insurance and Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Funds, 5/13/2011)

• WSJ: Obama Medicare Plan Is Medicare “Rationing”, Will “Throw Granny Over The Cliff”: “One place to start is by attacking the Democratic plan to cut Medicare via political rationing. Mr. Ryan’s budget had the virtue of embarrassing President Obama’s spend-more initial budget, and the White House responded by proposing to increase the power of the new Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) to decide what, and how much, Medicare will pay for. The ObamaCare bill goes to great lengths to shelter this 15-member, unelected board from Congressional review, with the goal of letting these bureaucrats throw granny over the cliff if Medicare isn’t reformed. Yet few Americans know anything about IPAB or its rationing intentions.” (Editorial, “The GOP’s New York Spanking,” The Wall Street Journal, 5/26/2011)
Friends,
Please consider the following statement from the National Republican Congressional Committee as you cover Cheri Bustos’ announcement that she will run for Congress in Illinois’ 17th District.
“Cheri Bustos has a disturbing record of supporting higher taxes and job-destroying regulations that have hampered job growth in Illinois. Bobby Schilling’s pro-growth record of cutting spending and removing harmful regulations is in stark contrast with out-of-touch Bustos, who will be another vote for reckless spending and soaring taxes in Washington.” – NRCC Spokeswoman Andrea Bozek