Politifact: Obama says Romney wants to turn Medicare into a voucher program

[flpoljunkie]

Obama says Romney wants to turn Medicare into a voucher program



President Barack Obama wasted little time deriding Mitt Romney’s Medicare plan as a "voucher program" while talking entitlements in the first presidential debate.

"First of all, I think it's important for Gov. Romney to present this plan that he says will only affect folks in the future," Obama said during the Oct. 3, 2012, debate at the University of Denver. "And the essence of the plan is that you would turn Medicare into a voucher program. It's called premium support, but it's understood to be a voucher program."

In the past, PolitiFact has found Obama’s "voucher" characterization reasonable, though as Obama noted, Republicans prefer "premium support."

Merriam-Webster defines a voucher as "a written affidavit or authorization … a form or check indicating a credit against future purchases or expenditures; a coupon issued by government to a parent or guardian to be used to fund a child's education in either a public or private school."

The plan pushed by Romney’s running mate, U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, isn’t exactly a coupon, but it’s not so far off.

more...

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2012/oct/03/barack-obama/obama-says-romney-wants-turn-medicare-voucher-prog/

[liberal N proud]

1. It's not a voucher, it's premium support

I think that is what Romney called it "premium support"

[AnnaLee]

2. "Mostly true"? Vouchers are vouchers. To turn is to turn.

[alc]

3. there are different ways to do vouchers

1) Here's a check. Good luck

2) Here's a list of 10 approved policies, one of which is traditional medicare. If you don't check one, you get traditional medicare. If you do check one, the government will take care of putting you into that program (i.e. sign you up and pay premiums for you). Make sure you do research and/or talk to AARP before you pick a private policy each year. In general, policy 1 is better for high prescription costs. Policy 2 if you are in an assisted living facility. Policy 3 if you live somewhere that most doctors don't take medicare or want a doctor who doesn't take medicare...


I've heard Ryan's plan described as the second, not the first. It's like Obamacare with the government paying and a public option.
Obama needs to be careful, and make sure he addresses the second. If Obama says "vouchers are vouchers and they are bad", then Romney responds with the second description, it would be probably be a bad debate move. If Obama brings it up, he needs to explain why the second method won't work (but Obamacare will without a public option). Or focus on how the 2nd method is only planned for people currently over 55. The rest of us don't know what we'll get.