New Critz ad hits Medicare, again
Medicare has been center stage throughout the battle between Mark Critz and Keith Rothfus in the nationally-watched PA12 race and the Democrat's campaign gets back to the fight with a new ad set to run this week in the Johnstown and Pittsburgh markets.
The Critz campaign ad hits back at the Rothfus claims that it's a "lie" that the Romney-Ryan ticket would change Medicare, and turns on an Aug. 16 story I did for the P-G on the issue. The ad cites that story when it says "the Ryan budget ends the current Medicare program in 10 years," and the Rothfus campaign complained today the story never said that. (PS, ads in this race have battled over news articles on ads before.)
It's true that those exact words weren't there, but the story did say Ryan's proposed budgets included "fundamental changes to Medicare in future years" and has this explainer graf on the vouchers/premium support future seniors (ie, those right now aged 55, who will be 65 in a decade) would be offered along with an option for regular Medicare:
For budget balance, both Mr. Obama's health bill and Mr. Ryan's budget proposals lean on the same roughly $700 billion in Medicare efficiencies. The difference for Republicans is Mr. Ryan's plan would eliminate the rest of Mr. Obama's bill, and Mr. Ryan's proposed voucher system would not touch current retirees, only those joining Medicare in a decade.
The Critz ad, notably, does not contain the $6,400 annual cost estimate from Ryan's original budget that Critz and so many other Democrats have previously used this fall. It does however refer to an April 7, 2011 article in the PG on projected cost increases facing seniors under an earlier Ryan plan by the Congressional Budget Office, but that story (while appearing in the paper) was by the news service of the Kaiser Family Foundation.
UPDATE from Rothfus spokesman Jonathan Raso:
"If it weren't so serious for our seniors it would be laughable – after Congressman Critz was forced to address the lies in his ads about Keith Rothfus, he's responded with ...the exact same lies. Mr. Critz again says Keith will end Medicare and make seniors pay more, but the paper he cites on the exact same day said "It wouldn't do that" and "This is also an exaggeration." Critz continues to take page after page from President Obama's playbook of deceit and distraction to hide from the fact he is the only one in this race that has voted to cut Medicare and leave the program to go bankrupt. It should be noted that Mr. Critz never says in the ad that he is not actually lying, because he has again issued the PolitiFact "Lie of the Year." But he is right that it is up to the voters to decide: a career politician in Mr. Critz who will apparently say anything to keep his job, or Keith Rothfus, a non-politician who is actually committed to doing what it takes to save and strengthen Medicare."
"With the latest polls showing Keith Rothfus gaining all the momentum and leading among likely voters, it's no wonder the Critz campaign is doubling down in desperation."
The ad is above. A fact-check from the Critz campaign is expected soon after the jump:
Critz: I'm mark Critz and I approve this message.
Anncr: Keith Rothfus says Mark Critz is lying. You decide.
Keith Rothfus supports the Ryan budget.
On screen: Beaver County Times, 6/21/12
Rothfus Supports Ryan Budget Plan
In June 2012, the Beaver County Times reported that "Republican/Tea Party-endorsed 12th Congressional District candidate Keith Rothfus backs the Ryan plan." [Beaver County Times, 6/21/12]
Rothfus Backs Paul Ryan Budget
Rothfus supports the Ryan Medicare plan, which the Wall Street Journal wrote "would end Medicare as we know it" and make seniors pay $6,400 more per-year in health care costs. [Rothfus Facebook Page, 4/27/11, 3/15/11; Wall Street Journal, 4/4/11; Kaiser Family Foundation]
Anncr: The Ryan budget ends the current Medicare program in 10 years.
On screen: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 8/16/12
Ryan Budget would End Medicare in Current Form in 10 Years
In August 2012, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that Congressman Paul Ryan's budget proposals would "partially replace Medicare with vouchers for private coverage starting in 2023."
Ryan's proposed voucher system would not touch current retirees, only those joining Medicare in a decade. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 8/16/12]
Anncr: Instead seniors would get a set amount of money to negotiate with insurance companies.
On screen: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 4/07/11
CBO: Ryan Plan Forces Seniors to Negotiate with Insurance Companies
In April 2011, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported on analysis of the Paul Ryan budget recently completed by the Congressional Budget Office. According to the CBO, "seniors and people with disabilities would pay much more for Medicare under the House Republicans' new plan aimed at curbing the nation's growing budget deficit."
For example, by 2030, typical 65-year-olds would be required to pay 68 percent of the cost of their coverage, which includes premiums, deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs, according to the CBO. They would pay 25 percent under current law, the CBO said. The GOP budget proposal also would raise the eligibility age for the popular program and repeal big chunks of the health care overhaul law that Congress approved in 2010.
Medicare enrollees would get a set amount from the government to buy private plans. Those plans would cost considerably more than traditional Medicare, the CBO said, partly because private plans pay hospitals, doctors and other providers more and have higher administrative costs. At the same time, enrollees would pay a higher percentage of the overall cost of their coverage. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 4/07/11]
Anncr: There would be no more guaranteed benefits.
On screen: Reuters, 8/12/12
Ryan Plan "Called for an End to the Guaranteed Benefit in Medicare"
In August 2012, Reuters reported that Democrats' efforts to cast Congressman Paul Ryan - and, by extension, Mitt Romney - as a threat to Medicare could be key in the Presidential election.
"Ryan's plan calls for an end to the guaranteed benefit in Medicare and replaces it with a system that would give vouchers to recipients to pay for health insurance," they wrote. "The risk in such a plan is that if healthcare costs rise faster than the value of the vouchers, seniors would have to pay the difference." [Reuters, 8/12/12]
Anncr: And seniors would pay thousands of dollars more every year.
Keith Rothfus supports it all and that's no lie.
On screen: USA Today, 10/03/11
Rothfus Supports Ryan Budget Plan
In June 2012, the Beaver County Times reported that "Republican/Tea Party-endorsed 12th Congressional District candidate Keith Rothfus backs the Ryan plan." [Beaver County Times, 6/21/12]
Rothfus Backs Paul Ryan Budget
Rothfus supports the Ryan Medicare plan, which the Wall Street Journal wrote "would end Medicare as we know it" and make seniors pay $6,400 more per-year in health care costs. [Rothfus Facebook Page, 4/27/11, 3/15/11; Wall Street Journal, 4/4/11; Kaiser Family Foundation]
USA Today: Seniors Would Pay $6,400 More Annually
Those proposals pale compared with what House Republicans passed in April: Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan's plan to offer future Medicare beneficiaries a flat federal payment in order to buy private or government insurance. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that plan would cost beneficiaries an average of $6,400 more annually. [USA Today 10/3/11]