The Ryan plan’s weakness

Matt Miller [“Understanding the Ryan plan,” op-ed, Aug. 12] was right about the fraud behind Rep. Paul Ryan’s budget proposals. But he was mistaken to give Mr. Ryan (R-Wis.) any credit for his solution to the dramatic rise in Medicare costs.

The problem with Medicare costs is one symptom of the overall problem with our health-care system. We spend far too much on health — twice the share of our gross domestic product compared with that of other advanced countries — with no discernible benefits for life expectancy or quality of life. If competition among insurers and providers was capable of containing costs, it would have done so in the huge market for private health insurance.

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There is no reason to believe that the Ryan approach would have any effect on costs. Rather, it would merely shift a portion of costs from the federal government to others, primarily individuals and families. What we need are specific actions to increase efficiency and reduce waste in the health-care industry. The Affordable Care Act took a modest first step in that direction, but much more is needed.

Harry S. Havens, Alexandria