Republicans Vote to Increase Cost of Medicare

Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily.


Conservative Republicans talk endlessly about reining in the cost of entitlement programs like Medicare, but when it comes to specifics they suddenly become camera shy. Now, though, it’s gotten even worse. Not only are they unwilling to propose actual, concrete cost-cutting measures for Medicare, they want to dismantle the ones that Democrats have already put in place. Sam Baker of The Hill reports that House Republicans are set to vote on a package of rules that would effectively hog-tie the Independent Payment Advisory Board, which is charged with recommending cost-cutting measures for Medicare. Ed Kilgore comments acidly:

Having medagogued the IPAB–which Sarah Palin notoriously labeled a “death panel”–and the health care cost savings it was charged with securing not just by Obamacare but by earlier Republican legislation, it figures House Republicans would make this the first step to obstruct implementation of ACA, despite the massive hypocrisy involved.

What’s really maddening is that IPAB–following the overall thrust of Obamacare–is designed to secure savings not just for Medicare but for the entire health care system by encouraging better medicine, not reductions in health coverage for seniors. It seems Republicans are only interested in health care cost containment measures or “entitlement reform” if it comes at the expense of beneficiaries.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the modern Republican Party.

BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things they don’t like—which is most things that are true.

No one gets to tell Mother Jones what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

payment methods

BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things they don’t like—which is most things that are true.

No one gets to tell Mother Jones what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

payment methods

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate