Republicans have long supported a massive overhaul of Medicare, the health entitlement program for seniors, one that they argue will make the entitlement program more sustainable — but also would have seniors spend significantly more out of pocket.
Now, the party’s control of Washington opens the door to making that policy vision a reality.
Republicans have, under the leadership of House Speaker Rep. Paul Ryan, coalesced around supporting a “premium support” version of Medicare, where seniors get a fixed amount of money to shop for a health plan. They would choose between the traditional, public Medicare plan and a number of privately-run competitors.
– Vox