Should buying health care be like buying a lawnmower? The comparison came up recently in Hudson, as Congressman Sean Duffy fired up St. Croix County Republicans to support Mitt Romney’s selection of Paul Ryan as vice presidential running mate.
The freshman lawmaker defended Congressman Ryan’s plan to convert Medicare into a system where its enrollees are given money from the government to buy their own insurance in the private sector. WIXK’s Jeff Petersen asked Duffy what would prevent insurance companies from increasing the cost of those policies above what the elderly could afford.
AUDIO: Duffy on competition driving insurance costs down (:26)
Pat Kreitlow is Duffy’s Democratic challenger in the 7th CD.
AUDIO: Kreitlow responds to the analogy (:26)
Duffy said he would change Ryan’s plan to include health insurance exchanges for the uninsured and require health care providers to provide clear information about the cost of their procedures. Kreitlow responded “It’s hard to shop from a gurney.”
Meanwhile, the state Democratic Party has jumped on Duffy’s statement. “In his zeal to justify the unjustifiable Romney-Ryan plan to end Medicare by turning it into a voucher program, Sean Duffy has mown down his credibility,” said Chair Mike Tate.
Duffy will be among speakers in the opening night of next week’s Republican National Convention in Tampa.
