This One Goes to Eleven (Robert Wright & Mickey Kaus)

[DWAnderson]

Mickey and Bob: When you say that the Ryan plan involves "rationing" you betray your lack of understanding of what "rationing" means "a fixed allowance" (according to Websters first definition-- and the secondary definitions are similar).

Ryan's plan rations government expenditures on healthcare, but not healthcare. People can choose to purchase whatever type of coverage they want with the money. That is not rationing.

BTW, it is also true that the ACA isn't rationing either (even with its cost control board). A system that doesn't allow people to make expenditure outside the system would be rationing, but the ACA isn't that (at least not in its current incarnation).

The fundamental distinction between the Ryan plan and the ACA is that Ryan believe competition between private plan providers will drive better results, while Obama believes you need government mandates to acheive better results. But neither have anything to do with rationing.