Kirkmeyer Denies Saying Medicare Should Be ‘Temporary,’ But That’s What She Said

In a 9News debate, congressional candidate Barbara Kirkmeyer denied saying that she’d advocated for making Medicare a temporary program, when — in fact — in a candidate questionnaire, she stated that Medicare should be made “temporary.”

During the Oct. 13 debate, Kirkmeyer’s Democratic opponent, Dr. Yadira Caraveo, asked Kirkmeyer about her plan for the health care needs of seniors in light of Kirkmeyer’s stance that Medicare should be “temporary, essentially kicking thousands if not millions of seniors off of the program.”

Kirkmeyer denied that she’d made the statement about Medicare. “I believe I spoke about Medicaid, not necessarily Medicare. There is a difference,” replied Kirkmeyer during the debate. “… When it comes to Medicare and Social Security, I don’t think that we should be making cuts there.”

In fact, in response to a question on the iVoterGuide questionnaire, Kirkmeyer did say she wants Medicare to be “temporary.”

In addition, she wrote that Medicare and other government insurance programs are “bankrupting America” and “should be transitioned” into programs where beneficiaries pay their own health care bills, not the government.

“Government-provided health insurance is a big cause of our debt and is bankrupting America. Reform is necessary,” wrote Kirkmeyer in her iVoter answer. “Government insurance distorts the marketplace and, because of below-market-rate reimbursement rates, drives up the cost of private insurance and provides substandard care. Many doctors refuse to even serve Medicaid and/or Medicare patients. Instead of third-party payor, health care should be transitioned as much as possible into a first-party payor system, so consumers make cost-conscious decisions. There is a role for temporary assistance for people, but too often it has become a permanent insurance solution. I believe the success of Medicaid should be measured by how few people need it, instead of how many it insurers. Medicare should likewise be transitioned into a first-party payer system.”

Kirkmeyer did not respond to questions from the Colorado Times Recorder about her health care stances.