I don't buy into the Ryan Plan although I absolutely accept...enthusiastically accept...that major changes to Medicare are needed. Changes along the lines of what I mentioned in my initial post.

I buy into the Ryan Plan's objectives, but not the plan itself. My main reason for not supporting the Ryan Plan is that over a relatively short period of time--25-35 years--Medicare would be replaced by private insurance coverage. Medicare would be eliminated and every senior would have healthcare insurance provided by a handful of private insurance companies. Simply put, I do not trust private, profit and bonus-driven insurance companies to provide good and affordable insurance over a long period of time.

The Ryan Plan proposes a $15,000 limit that the government would pay per year for the healthcare insurance of qualifying senior families. The average premiums for family coverage from private insurers is already at 70-80% of that amount right now. How few years would it take for the premiums to increase beyond the permitted $15,000? After premiums increase beyond that level, people would be on their own hook. They'd either have to pay the increased premiums out of pocket, or go without health insurance. Going without health insurance isn't an alternative that should even be considered by a country with the size and resources of the U.S.

If the insurance company executives made coverage decisions to control cost, what would we have to say about them? If they began to "ration" coverage or "kill grandma" by tightening what end-of-life procedures would be paid for, or significantly increased deductibels or co-pays in an effort to keep you from going to the doctor when you thought you needed to, who would you complain to? Would you be happy talking to someone at an insurance company call center?

While I think I've made clear my dissatisfaction with the U.S. Congress and the way our democracy seems to be working these days very clear, at least we have a vote to replace them every 2-4-6 years. What recourse do we have against the corporate bureaucracies of a handful of insurance companies who either increase the cost or reduce the benefits of our health insurance? None that I can think of.

So to me it's the lesser of two evils--rely on greedy, profit-driven corporate executives or depend on what is currently a dysfunctional Congress. I can vote to change the Congress, but I'd have no control or influence whatsoever over a few large insurance companies. That's why I chose to vote NO to the Ryan Plan.

By the way, if that makes me a Democrat or a liberal or a progressive, so be it. I'd choose to say that I'm making a considered decision based on what I think would be best for me and lots of other folks of my age. What I will tell you is that regardless of their party stripe, if they hold federal office, it's unlikely that they'll get my vote in upcoming elections.