GOP is the Fern Gully of Economics-

Making Medicare sustainable is not about cutting program benefits or shifting costs onto seniors. Sustainability for Medicare requires fundamental changes to the way that health care is delivered – changes that will lead to better health, better care, and lower costs. The Affordable Care Act includes new policies and authorities that will make critically needed delivery system reforms while preserving Medicare’s guarantees for seniors and people with disabilities. Improved Value for Seniors and People with Disabilities Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, Medicare beneficiaries will enjoy better quality care, better access to care, and a more innovative care delivery system that will help to improve outcomes and reduce cost. People with Medicare have already experienced improved benefits that help to keep them healthy and make prescription drugs more affordable. The important changes called for in the Affordable Care Act will also produce savings for taxpayers and extend the solvency of the Medicare Trust Fund. Medicare’s long-term outlook is improved as a result of the development of new systems of health care delivery that will improve health care outcomes and cost efficiency, and provide more effective tools to reduce waste and fraud. These measures will also help people with Medicare by slowing the growth of their monthly premiums, and by keeping their copayments and deductibles lower than they would have been under previous law.

Here are just a few examples:

[Photo Credit: Chris Britt, Op-Ed, Creative Commons, 2011]