Hoekstra Press Release – Stabenow Forced to Go Negative, Lies to Seniors

Claim: Hoekstra Would Cut Medicare

Fact: Hoekstra would vote to restore the $716 billion that Debbie Stabenow cut from Medicare to fund ObamaCare.

Claim: Romney-Ryan Would Create a Voucher Program

Fact: The Romney-Ryan plan would not affect those in or near retirement. The plan also keeps traditional Medicare option, even President Obama acknowledged that fact in the debate. The premium support program flows through to whatever plan the recipients chooses. The program would operate the same as Debbie Stabenow receives through the Federal Employees Health Benefit Program. In fact, the program would be similar to the way President Obama envisions the American Health Benefit Exchange would work— Americans pick the plan that works best for them from multiple offerings, and the government provides support to help pay the cost of the premium.

Former Clinton Budget Director Alice Rivlin has made it clear that premium support would not be vouchers with the following statement in testimony before the House Ways and Means Committee: “premium support as we define it is definitely not a voucher.

Claim: Plan Would Cost Seniors $6,400 More.

Fact: Stabenow uses an outdated analysis that has been shown in all Fact Checkers to be false, and a proposal Hoekstra never supported. Stabnenow is insisting on referring to an analysis that applied to the FY2012 House budget—not the FY 2013 House Budget, or even Governor Romney’s proposal. That analysis, performed by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), failed to account for what CBO’s director admitted was a “gap in [CBO’s] toolkit.” The incomplete CBO analysis of this proposal ignored the potential benefits of competition.

Hoekstra supports a plan that allows future retirees to have the option of traditional Medicare.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444508504577595350022637244.html

http://m.mittromney.com/blogs/mitts-view/2012/08/policy-memo-6400-medicare-question21

Source: Press Release – Hoekstra for Senate