Debating Romney-Ryan on entitlement spending

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Democratic congressman Chris van Holland and Republican congressman Paul Ryan are no strangers to one another they both represent their party on the House Budget Committee.

And now congressman van Holland will play Paul Ryan in Joseph Biden's preparation for -- debate.

Congressman Bob Collins and joins me now live from Washington -- congressman.

And -- -- aria and doing just fine that's so what is it.

Feel like to be the one -- to do this prep work for the debate.

-- -- -- -- -- and I get along very well personally but anyone who's seen the Budget Committee debates knows that we have very deep differences.

On these policy issues so.

My job will be to sort of synthesize that but I also know how Paul -- presents his case and -- Look I'm I'm looking forward to that campaign and looking for the debates I hope we can focus on.

The big issues said because there are huge policy contrast to be drawn between.

The way Mitt Romney and -- -- would like to take country in the way of course the president and the vice president would so that's what this debate should be all about.

Well and it certainly will be because Medicare is going to be front and center and I think the American people.

A once and for all actually really want to get to the heart of this debate let's take a look at what he Ryan Romney plan encompasses me it's complicated but these are the basic points.

Provide subsidies let's plans compete against each other.

Citizens 55 and older grandfathered in eligibility at 67.

After 2023.

And it cuts Medicare spending by 750.

Billion dollars over the next ten years.

Why did the Democrats -- you specifically congressman have a problem with this whole idea.

Of letting the free market get involved where seniors would have the opportunity stay on Medicare under the Romney Ryan plan or.

Go to a private company.

Because this the way this works fundamentally is to say the way we're gonna deal with rising.

Medicare health care cost is simply to shift those costs on to senior citizens we already have a private option under the Medicare plan it's called.

Part -- it's called Medicare Advantage.

And in fact if you look at the history of that.

It's actually cost the Medicare program war and in fact one of the things we did under the Affordable Care Act under obamacare is to say.

We're gonna end the overpayments to the private insurers within Medicare.

We're gonna use some of those savings instead to strengthen other benefits so for example for seniors have high prescription drug costs we close the doughnut hole.

We improved the approach to preventive health care.

And in the Ryan budget.

Even though they're now criticizing.

-- present for those savings.

They adopted every penny of those savings what they did not do.

Is plow any of that money back it to strengthening -- so they reduced benefits and they're playing now compared to the Affordable Care Act.

And they're gonna pass the bill.

On to seniors in the form of vouchers.

But what about the idea is that under Obama care that it's actually the president.

Who's the one who's cutting Medicare by 716.

Billion dollars in order to paint for Obama care.

Actually the president doesn't hot.

One penny in benefits what the president did was and some of these overpayments to the private insurance companies and Medicare.

So for example they were being paid at a 114%.

Compared to the regular program the fee for service program.

And again the Ryan budget the Republican budgets they understood this was one of the sensible things to do which is why they -- -- Upton moved -- savings in their budget.

Isn't that right now -- now.

Doesn't excuse me just does not bring us to that to the basic point though of -- a lot of seniors are very concerned about.

Which is the quality of care that they will get and whether or not positions will be able to still take Medicare patients.

Because it's already starting that many physicians do not because of the reimbursement won't this won't obamacare actually make that worse for seniors.

No -- and here's why in addition to getting rid of the overpayments to the private insurance companies which obviously doesn't.

Doesn't hurt seniors health care just means that these private insurers don't get this huge windfall that they were before.

What the Obama -- did what they what that proposal does is to change Sunday incentives for reimbursement in Medicare so for example hospitals.

-- hospitals now won't get paid every single time a patient gets readmitted to the hospital based on the same condition instead.

They're gonna be paid whether -- -- be -- they're gonna be paid to coordinate the care for the patients so they have an interest in following up with the patient after the patient leaves the hospital.

Congressman -- Medicare for the chance to hard to break that this isn't this is proof how it's complicated but they yeah it.

We will read it again with you sometime very soon thank you some.

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Debating Romney-Ryan on entitlement spending

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