Capito's vote to end Medicare would hurt West Virginians

by: Carnacki

Mon Jun 06, 2011 at 13:07:49 PM EDT

This analysis shows the immediate and long-term impacts of these changes in the 2nd Congressional District in West Virginia, which is represented by Rep. Shelley Moore Capito.
The Republican proposal would have adverse impacts on seniors and disabled individuals in the district who are currently enrolled in Medicare. It would:
• Increase prescription drug costs for 11,500 Medicare beneficiaries in the district who enter the Part D donut hole, forcing them to pay an extra $114 million for drugs over the next decade.
• Eliminate new preventive care benefits for 121,000 Medicare beneficiaries in the district.
The Republican proposal would have even greater impacts on individuals in the district age 54 and younger who are not currently enrolled in Medicare. It would:
• Deny 450,000 individuals age 54 and younger in the district access to Medicare's guaranteed benefits.
• Increase the out-of-pocket costs of health coverage by over $6,000 per year in 2022 and by almost $12,000 per year in 2032 for the 106,000 individuals in the district who are between the ages of 44 and 54.
• Require the 106,000 individuals in the district between the ages of 44 and 54 to save an additional $24.8 billion for their retirement - an average of $182,000 to $287,000 per individual - to pay for the increased cost of health coverage over their lifetimes. Younger residents of the district will have to save even higher amounts to cover their additional medical costs.
• Raise the Medicare eligibility age by at least one year to age 66 or more for 57,000 individuals in the district who are age 44 to 49 and by two years to age 67 for 348,000 individuals in the district who are age 43 or younger.

But it would be a real boon to the insurance companies so that would make her investor husband happy and richer.