Recently, an outside organization named the American Action Network (AAN) sent a mailer thanking Congressman Paul Gosar for his support for the House Republican budget and for “fighting to protect and preserve Medicare.”

However, independent analysis shows Gosar’s support for the House Republican budget would have cost millions of seniors far more than the increased expenses the organization called “devastating.”

Gosar Actually Supported:

A House Republican budget that would “essentially end Medicare,” cost millions of seniors more for prescription drugs and would increase seniors’ out-of-pocket health care costs by more than $6,000.  

• Voted to End Medicare. Paul Gosar supported the House Republican budget. [H Con. Res. 34, Vote #277, 4/15/11]

• Wall Street Journal: The House Republican Budget Would “Essentially End Medicare.” “The plan would essentially end Medicare, which now pays most of the health-care bills for 48 million elderly and disabled Americans, as a program that directly pays those bills.” [Wall Street Journal, 4/4/11]

• House Republican Plan Would Increase the Cost to Current Seniors. “The policies in the House GOP budget, if enacted, would begin affecting millions of seniors almost immediately by increasing their costs for prescription drugs and probably long-term care. Further, Medicare costs could rise over time if healthier seniors choose to abandon the traditional benefit program.” [National Journal, 6/2/11]

• House Republican Budget Would Cost Seniors More Than $6,000. “The Republican plan will significantly increase the out-of-pocket costs of health care for Medicare beneficiaries. In fact, out‐of‐pocket health care costs will more than double under the Republican plan. Based on estimates from the non‐partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the typical 65-year-old’s out-of-pocket health care costs will increase from $6,154 to $12,513 in 2026—or an extra $6,359.” [Congressional Joint Economic Committee, 5/20/11]

• Republican Budget Would Almost Double Healthcare Costs For Seniors. “The Republican congressman's proposal to privatize Medicare would mean a dramatic hike in U.S. healthcare costs for the elderly, an independent analysis finds. Seniors would pay almost double — more than $12,510 a year.” [Los Angeles Times, 4/7/11]

• CBO: Elderly People Would Pay More for Health Care Under the Republican Plan. According to the CBO, “most elderly people would pay more for their health care than they would pay under the current Medicare system.” [CBO, 4/5/11]

The Republican Plan Would Restrict Access to Current Seniors’ Health Care

• AARP: Budget Undermines Vital Programs for Older Americans. “Among its provisions, the proposal would drive up costs for people in Medicare, take away needed coverage for long-term care from millions of older and disabled Americans and reduce critical help for seniors facing the threat of hunger.”  [AARP, 4/7/11]

• House Republican Budget Will Lead to “Rationing.” The CBO warned that higher payments could affect care as beneficiaries might be less likely to use “new, costly, but possibly beneficial, technologies and techniques.” According to NPR, that is “exactly the sort of rationing that so frightened Republicans when they were fighting the health law – the health law that Ryan’s proposal would repeal, by the way.” [NPR, 4/6/11]

• GOP Would Lead to “Greater Limits” on American’s Health Care Coverage. The Wall Street Journal reported that Republican plan would lead to “great limits” on coverage for many Americans. According to the newspaper, “The House Republican plan for overhauling Medicare would fundamentally change how the federal government pays for health care … likely resulting in higher out-of-pocket costs and greater limits to coverage for many Americans.” [Wall Street Journal, 4/6/11]