David Brooks Has Not Heard of Medicare Advantage

That is what readers of his column touting Mitt Romney's Medicare plan would likely believe. Romney's plan calls for allowing people to opt for private insurers instead of the traditional Medicare system. This is already allowed, with beneficiaries being allowed to sign up with private insurers under the Medicare Advantage program. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that Medicare Advantage raises the per person cost by 5-10 percent.

The main difference between the existing Medicare...