Out-of-Pocket Medical Costs Would Skyrocket for Low-Income Seniors and People with Disabilities Under the Ryan Budget Plan
"House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan's (R-WI) budget proposal to convert Medicare into a system of vouchers and to block-grant Medicaid would substantially increase out-of-pocket costs for millions of low-income seniors and people with disabilities who are 'dually eligible' for both programs.
"Based on CBO estimates, … a 65-year-old who lives at the poverty line (which would be $13,620 for an elderly individual in 2022) [would pay] on average, $4,700 more in 2022 than he or she would under the programs as they exist today. These higher out-of-pocket costs would consume about one-third of the individual's total annual income, leaving little remaining for basic necessities such as housing and food. Seniors living below the poverty line would pay an even greater share of their income.
"As a result, many [dually eligible individuals], who have the most significant medical needs among both Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, would likely end up forgoing needed medical care."
View the full report:
http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=3473
http://www.cbpp.org/files/4-15-11health.pdf 3pp.
No comments:
Post a Comment