Evan McMorris-Santoro April 5, 2011, 1:55 PM

Rep. Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) plan to fundamentally change the workings of Medicare and Medicaid? Count Mitt Romney in.

“He is setting the right tone for finally getting spending and entitlements under control,” Romney told TPM in a statement. “Anyone who has read my book knows that we are on the same page.”

In his book, Romney suggests turning Medicaid from a single-payer program to a managed care system and/or allowing recipients to opt-out of the program entirely and receive their benefits in the form of a voucher that would be used to cover privately-obtained care.

At the heart of Romney’s argument is allowing states to “experiment” with their own schemes. Romney’s been touting a similar line about health care reform, which he championed as governor of Massachusetts but now says isn’t necessarily right for all the states.

Romney says that Ryan’s budget plan — which rescinds the health care law Democrats say was modeled on the one Romney signed in Massachusetts — is the kind of thing he’s looking for from the leaders of the GOP.

“I applaud Rep. Paul Ryan for recognizing the looming financial crisis that faces our nation and for the creative and bold thinking that he brings to the debate,” Romney said.

Read the whole Romney statement:

I applaud Rep. Paul Ryan for recognizing the looming financial crisis that faces our nation and for the creative and bold thinking that he brings to the debate. He is setting the right tone for finally getting spending and entitlements under control. Anyone who has read my book knows that we are on the same page.

2012 Presidential Primaries, Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan