The Boston Globe has published the story Majority opposes Paul Ryan’s Medicare plan from Bloomberg News.

House Republicans twice have approved legislation sponsored by Ryan to convert Medicare to a voucher program. The plan would rely on competition among private insurers to hold down health care costs.

I wrote the following letter to the editor of The Boston Globe.

I pity the reporter who had to write “House Republicans twice have approved legislation sponsored by Ryan to convert Medicare to a voucher program.  The plan would rely on competition among private insurers to hold down health care costs.”  A fit of rolling on the floor laughing is not a pleasant sight to see.

Is there anyone alive today or who has read any history who understands why Medicare was invented?  As I recall it, Medicare was needed because it was just about impossible for people over 65 to get private health insurance at a reasonable price.  That was decades ago.  Has anything changed that would make us think that reverting to that era would be an improvement?

Considering our history of astronomically rising health care costs under the current private insurance market for those under 65, why would we assume that having more of the same would produce radically different results?  30% of the current costs for health care already go to private insurance companies with no health benefits to the public at all.

I am surprised that we cannot hear the collective roar of laughter from all over the country  when Republicans make such obviously silly proposals.  Yet, as much as 38% of those between 18 and 49 don’t get the joke.

Maybe the ROTFL isn’t so bad, but to see LMAO may be traumatic.