"Democratic critics of the plan suggest that enacting it would be akin to pushing Grandma over a cliff. But they rarely point out that the premium-support model is in some ways similar to the system set up under President Obama’s health care law. If choosing among competing private plans on a government-regulated exchange is a good idea for someone at age 50, why is it so horrific for someone who is 70?"

This ridiculous quote can be found in Greg Mankiw’s puzzling column, “Seriously, Some Consensus on Health-Care”, today in the New York Times.

I suppose the answer goes something like this: It’s not the competitive exchange model that Democrats hate. It just might (IMHO) be the fact that the Ryan plan’s Medicare subsidies decline over time, until Medicare covers only a very small percentage of the average senior’s costs. It’s not quite pushing Grandma over a cliff, but it is like giving her a paper hang glider first.