LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas Sen. John Boozman says a controversial plan to turn Medicare into a voucher-like program for future beneficiaries helps start the discussion on how to address the costs of the program.
Boozman on Tuesday said he’s not worried about a political backlash from supporting the Medicare changes that were included in a House budget plan rejected by the Senate last week. The measure calls for transforming Medicare into a program in which future beneficiaries — people now 54 years old and younger — would be given a subsidy to purchase health insurance rather than have the government directly pay hospital and doctor bills.
Boozman is a Republican elected in November. He voted for the budget plan last week and Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor of Arkansas voted against it.