Democrats need to start crowing about strengthening Medicare now
Even as he plans to “sunset” the programs seniors rely on most, Rick Scott is preparing to run another GOP Mediscare campaign. And we know it can work.
One thing many Americans still don’t know about the Affordable Care Act is that it expanded Medicare.
KFF notes:
The ACA included provisions to improve Medicare benefits by providing free coverage for some preventive benefits, such as screenings for breast and colorectal cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes, and closing the coverage gap (or “doughnut hole”) in the Part D drug benefit by 2020.
But one thing voters did hear a lot about the ACA is that it “cut” Medicare.
The bill enhanced and reformed America’s favorite single-payer health care system, and used the savings to put us on a path to the lowest uninsured rate in American history.
And Republicans hammered Democrats with this false attack trumpeted by Paul Ryan, claiming Democrats were harming Medicare as they were strengthening it.
This “Mediscare” campaign helped the GOP engineer a wave in 2010 that America may never recover from. The gerrymandering Republicans’ wins in Obama’s first midterm have warped the gears of American democracy irreparably, possibly irreparably.
And you know what happened next, Paul Ryan immediately used the GOP’s new majorities to demand massive cuts to Medicare, pushing a plan that would have ended the program as the rock solid benefit seniors have depended on for half a century.
Now, Rick Scott is trying to do what he does best – Medicare fraud.
Earlier this year, Scott – who leads the effort to elect Republican Senators – put forward a plan that would “sunset” Medicare and Social Security (while raising taxes on the poorest Americans).
But first, Scott is set to pull a Paul Ryan.
And it could work.
Republicans had half a year to lie about Medicare in 2010. They have much less time now. But seniors still watch a lot of TV. And if the GOP lies about Medicare overwhelm the truth about the incredibly popular reforms to Medicare that Democrats just passed, that could be enough to help Republicans win one or both houses of Congress.
So Democrats need to start now – loud and proud for Medicare.
Don’t just call out Rick Scott’s obvious plot to end the program, which is supported explicitly by Ron Johnson and implicitly by just about every Republican candidate for Senate. And don’t get caught up in a fight about the details of the good things in the bill, which won’t be immediately obvious.
Instead, listen the smartest communicator on the left – the fabulous Anat Shenker-Osorio:
Democrats must make a case to seniors about the incredible thing they just did – they saved Medicare from Republicans, again. And they did it by making sure every American can breathe easier and know Medicare will be there for them and everyone they love.
And they need to do this with their “outside screaming over a jackhammer” voice and they need to do this fast.