Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told attendees at a Tuesday HHS forum that the debate over Paul Ryan’s Medicare plan “is not likely to stop over the next three months.”
“Medicare, and I’m sure you’ve noticed in the last 48 hours that has become a lively debate which is not likely to stop over the next three months, but in spite of some of the back and forth I would suggest strongly that all the facts show that Medicare indeed is far stronger than it was just two years ago,” said Sebelius.
Sebelius, speaking in Washington, D.C., also spoke of Medicaid coverage under Obamacare and said that “together, we’re moving closer to the day where we’ll be able to say for the first time in American history that whether you’re young or old; whether you work for a big company, a small company, or for yourself; whether you’re rich or poor, you will have access to quality affordable heath insurance and we’re on our way to that goal.”
She added that, “under the health-care law, Medicaid coverage will be simplified and it will cover millions of low-income uninsured Americans who don’t have coverage today. Because it is jointly funded by states and federal government and administered at the state level we both have roles as responsible stewards of this important program. So our goal in Medicaid, is to provide a policy framework for the program while giving states significant flexibility to deliver quality, cost-effective care to their residents.”
Videography by Sarah Hofmann