Unlikely political marriage to fix Medicare

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Baby boomers exit the workforce every day -- and your retirement the strain on the social network gets bigger.

And what to do about that is a major issue in the fall elections chief national correspondent Jim Angle tells us it has also led to an unlikely political marriage.

There is one disturbing fact some lawmakers try to avoid every household in America would have to pay 230000.

Dollars more in taxes to cover the unfunded promises made under Medicare.

101000 seniors turn 65 every single day Medicare.

And the Medicare guarantee.

It -- ball game.

For the federal budget.

That's why liberal Oregon senator Ron Wyden a former legal aid lawyer who -- seniors with -- health care is co sponsoring a plan with conservative house member Paul Ryan.

To reform Medicare before budget problems leave the program in tatters.

-- steady diet of benefit reductions for senior citizens.

And cost shifting and now all take place until the Medicare guarantee is threatened.

And I'm just not gonna sit -- and to let that happen.

Medicare -- only eighty cents for every dollar private insurance pays which makes it hard for many seniors to get a doctor.

Wyden says that's why more than 40% of seniors in Oregon already get Medicare from private insurance companies.

A lot of them tell me run I'm going to those plans because yes they do offer me prevention and other kinds of services.

But most importantly the guarantee that I won't get to see -- -- After so senator Wyden join Paul Ryan -- proposing something called premium support.

Which would allow health care insurers to compete for the business of seniors -- still have the Medicare guarantee the insurance companies would have to cover everything Medicare does seniors would get premium support equal to the second lowest bidder meaning they'd always have to affordable choices for insurance.

And the level of support would be updated every year we think we have a program.

Has a guaranteed benefit that's guaranteed affordability what we have choice and competition though this was originally a democratic idea and -- he's not disown it.

While we do need to reduce health care costs I'm not going to allow that to be an excuse.

For turning Medicare into a voucher program that leaves seniors at the mercy of the insurance industry.

They're one and the Medicare guarantee -- want seniors to pay more.

Did as good as the Medicare guarantee is terminated.

Wyden says he voted against an earlier Ryan plan over just such concerns that says the current plan would update the amount of support seniors get every year.

And that ideology cannot be allowed to block reform.

I don't see it as an ideological issue.

When you've got seniors all over the country who tell you may have a heart condition -- -- high blood pressure they can't see it -- Wyden says that's got to be fixed and that he says -- both political parties have to come together -- Jim thank you Republicans are press.

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Unlikely political marriage to fix Medicare

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