The "Medicare" Debate -- or Debacle

Vice Presidential candidate Paul Ryan's Medicare reform does not affect seniors over 55.

The reforms start with the 54 and under crowd, who will have the option of receiving a voucher and stepping into the market to find insurance.

The real issue, at stake, is putting the power and the responsibility back in the hands of the recipient. The voucher program will stop the rampant fraud which robs Medicare into the multi-billions every year. Not only that, but putting the power back in the hands of the consumer forces competition among private insurers.

Competition, though, may become moot to the degree that ObamaCare is pushing insurance carriers to give up offering health insurance altogether. Competition means very little if costumers cannot purchase health  insurance across state lines. Competition means very little if doctors are burdened with incredible insurance premiums to protect themselves from arbitrary malpractice suits.

Medicare vouches can compete, provided that they other forces of competition are enforced.

The punishing, crushing effects of ObamaCare have not received enough attention. The only reason, therefore, that Democratic and liberal pundits can make any hay about "throwing grandma" over the cliff is that ObamaCare is already doing just that!