The great Avik Roy makes the argument that the traditional “Mediscare” attacks won’t work, because the Ryan plan preserves the program for those most focused on the issue (those 55 years and older), because those who denounce Ryan must ignore that Obamacare will reduce Medicare spending by approximately $743 billion, and because Paul Ryan understands the issue so thoroughly.

Allow me to offer even more basic points that need to be brought in response to the “Mediscare” attacks: Medicare currently covers roughly 40 million elderly Americans. Medicare is paid for by taxes on 162 million Americans. Medicare is broken into different parts that cover different aspects of health care; Medicare Part A covers hospital costs. As you hear how horrific and radical Ryan is, keep in mind that Medicare Part A started seeing costs outpacing revenue in 2008; the government has made up the shortfall by shifting funds from other accounts. The future is now.

From the Social Security and Medicare Boards of Trustees 2012 report:

The Disability Insurance Trust Fund fails the short-range test because its projected trust fund ratio falls to 83 percent by the beginning of 2013, followed by exhaustion of assets in 2016.

From that same report: “The long-run actuarial deficits of the Social Security and Medicare programs worsened in 2012… Both Medicare and Social Security cannot sustain projected long-run program costs under currently scheduled financing, and legislative modifications are necessary to avoid disruptive consequences for beneficiaries and taxpayers.”

As for those alleged savings from enacting Obamacare, those “cost saving[s are] attributable to a reduction in the annual payment updates for most Medicare services (other than physicians’ services and drugs) by total economy multifactor productivity growth, which the Trustees project will average 1.1 percent per year. The report notes that sustaining these payment reductions indefinitely will require unprecedented efficiency-enhancing innovations in health care payment and delivery systems that are by no means certain. In addition, the Trustees assume an almost 31-percent reduction in Medicare payment rates for physician services will be implemented in 2013 as required by current law, which is also highly uncertain.”

We all know the basics of our entitlement program problems: Too many collecting benefits, not enough paying in. A system that was endangered by the Baby Boomers retiring is greatly exacerbated of four years of recession, high unemployment, millions of Americans working part-time instead of full-time, etc.

So Paul Ryan puts forth a plan to raise the eligibility age by two months per year until it reaches 67. For those 55 and older, no change to the program. For everyone else, you get an $8,000 voucher. If you’re in the wealthiest 8 percent, you get less; if you’re in the wealthiest 2 percent, you get much less. Payments would be adjusted for inflation based on the consumer price index.

Is that radical? Not nearly as radical as doing nothing. President Obama and Joe Biden have had four years to address this issue and they have done what Democrats have always done: act as if the current system is fine and demonize anyone who puts forth a plan. They are the antithesis of hope and change.