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By Scott Rigell
Now is the time, in this Congress, to agree upon those bold steps needed to avert national bankruptcy and protect our republic. This includes preserving and strengthening one of our nation's most valued and beneficial programs: Medicare.
We have a deep moral obligation to our seniors to ensure they receive quality, affordable health care. We have an equal obligation to our children to pass on an America rich in opportunity and free from the bonds of debt. I am committed to meeting both obligations, and I am mindful of the catastrophic consequences that will befall us if the trajectory of our nation's finances is not altered dramatically. That is why resolving this problem is one of my top priorities.
One plan that confronts that problem, accelerates job creation and meets our obligation to seniors, children and my generation is the Path to Prosperity proposed by Republican House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin. I studied it carefully, and it has earned my support. It passed the House on April 15 and now sits, un-acted upon, in the Senate. It is the minimum we must do to prevent our exploding debt from crushing our economy. Its changes are so gradual that our addiction to deficit spending would continue for 26 more years.
Unfortunately, the severity of our financial condition is routinely understated, and the Republican solution is often misrepresented. While I welcome a spirited debate on solutions to our spending problems, I respect positions that rest on sound facts. Here are the facts on the Path to Prosperity plan and Medicare:
Fact: Under the Path to Prosperity, there are no changes to Medicare for anyone 55 and older; those 54 and younger would receive the same kind of health care options now enjoyed by members of Congress.
Fact: If we do nothing, Medicare as we know it will end. The Congressional Budget Office says the Medicare trust fund is projected to be zero in just nine years.
Fact: With the Path to Prosperity, Medicare would provide guaranteed and personalized health coverage for seniors and give greater support to low-income seniors and those with greater health challenges. Currently, many of today's Medicare patients are being denied the care and personal choice they deserve. One in three primary doctors limits how many Medicare patients they see.
Democrats have not offered an alternative plan, but I hope they do. I am open to considering other plans so long as they:
1. Leave unchanged all benefits for those on Medicare and those close to eligibility;
2. Provide a true solution to the financial trends that are placing every American at risk; and
3. Not hurt our economy, which is already ailing.
We can debate what should be done to save Medicare, but there is no debate over what lies ahead if inaction prevails: A program that is vitally essential for the health of thousands of Virginia's seniors will be gone because some were willing to use it as a political weapon.
So if you receive a call or mailer from those who are willing to misrepresent the Path to Prosperity, I encourage you to ask: If you truly value Medicare, what then is your plan to preserve it? The time for rhetoric has long passed. We are Americans, and we meet our obligations. Now is the time to act.
Scott Rigell, a Republican, represents Virginia's 2nd Congressional District, which includes Virginia Beach, the Eastern Shore and parts of Norfolk and Hampton.
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Rigell on medicare
Not only is Rigell still regurgitating the talking points handed to him by his superiors, he continues to spew the ones that have been proven to be false and misleading such as the myth that seniors won't have any changes. (how about the increase in out of pocket expenses to the tune of almost $6,000) More nonsense from the Stepford Congressman. If he were really concerned with fiscal responsibility, he would remove his opposition to tax increases on the wealthy and not continue to support the deregulation of the financial industries in light of their pillage of the American economy. And I didn't even mention his nonsense about offshore drilling!
I've got to be honest
I wasn't aware we were under a moral obligation to give seniors health care and thus use tax dollars thefted from our pay checks to pay for it.
I read Congressman Rigells'
I read Congressman Rigells' comments on Medicare and his vote to kill the program and replace it with a voucher system with interest. As a political science who has taught government and political science for forty years,I would like to make two key points
Point 1. Congressman Rigell voted for HR1 that would overturn the National Health Care and Affordability Law. This point is important because the law eliminates preexisting conditions exclusions.
Point 2. Under the Ryan Budget Plan, those who are 54 or under would receive a voucher of $7,000 to purchase an health insurance plan and would not have Medicare available. Today, a good health insurance plan such as OPTIMA, costs $7200 a year. Since health insurance rates have averaged a 13% per year rate increase over the last ten years, the average cost of insurance for a single person will be $27,616 when the Ryan Plan goes into effect in 2022. It does not add up. $7,000 voucher in 2022 vs possible $27,616 cost of health insurance, if the 65 year old can get insurance. After all, by then the Obama Health Care Law may have been overturned. This is the major flaw in the Ryan Plan to replace Medicare.