Ryan: 'We Will Decide Later' How And When To Tackle Medicare Privatization [View all]

[DonViejo]

Source: Talking Points Memo

House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) said that plans to overhaul Medicare remain “unresolved” in the lead-up to Donald Trump’s inauguration. “We haven’t addressed that. That’s an unresolved issue. I haven’t even spoke with the president-elect about that,” Ryan told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel in a Monday interview.

The House speaker has for years proposed radical reforms to Medicare that involve replacing the current system with private health insurance supported in part by government subsidies.

A number of Republican House lawmakers, including Rep. Tom Price (R-GA), Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, have called on Congress to move quickly on Medicare privatization now that the GOP has control of the House, Senate and White House. Some GOP senators have expressed reservations, however.

Ryan suggested he has no plan of dropping the issue but that the timing and method for taking on Medicare is not yet decided.

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Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/paul-ryan-medicare-reform-unresolved-not-addressed-with-trump

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Ryan: Obamacare 'Transition' Will Take Time To Make Sure 'No One Is Worse Off'

House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) acknowledged Monday that the GOP’s long-held goal of repealing and replacing Obamacare would take time and involve some kind of “transition" to ensure that Americans are not “worse off” after President Barack Obama’s signature health care program is dismantled.

“Clearly there will be a transition and a bridge so that no one is left out in the cold, so that no one is worse off,” Ryan told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “The purpose here is to bring relief to people who are suffering from Obamacare so that they can get something better.”

The House Speaker recently listed addressing Obamacare as one of his top four priorities for the new Congress, but his comments to the Journal-Sentinel suggest that replacing this complex legislation may not be done quickly.

“It will clearly take time. It took them about six years to stand up Obamacare. It’s not going to be replaced come next football season,” Ryan said.

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http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/paul-ryan-transition-obamacare-ensure-no-one-worse-off