From Medicare Watch, by medicarerights.org

The House Budget Proposal Means Changes for People with Medicare

According to a poll conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation, 62 percent of people aged 65 and older oppose changing Medicare from its current form to a system in which the government contributes a capped amount to people with Medicare to purchase private insurance, as proposed under the House budget resolution passed on April 15. However, the poll also highlights confusion over the terms of the debate. Only 12 percent of those polled understood the term “premium support,” 28 percent stated that they had heard the term but were unsure of its meaning, and 58 percent responded that they had never heard the term before. The term “voucher” was slightly better understood by individuals polled: 30 percent understood the term when used in reference to Medicare, 36 percent had heard the term but did not know its meaning, and 32 percent had never heard the term “voucher” in the context of Medicare.  

The Medicare Rights Center has developed its own materials to help explain the terms of the debate and the implications of the House budget resolution. “Decoding the 2012 House Budget Resolution” explains some of the fundamental changes the House resolution would make to Medicare and Medicaid and highlights the impact that these proposals would have on people with Medicare, both now and in the future. For example, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that the House budget resolution’s scheme to convert Medicare into a “premium support” program—also known as a “voucher” or “defined contribution” program—will double projected costs for people with Medicare.