Congressmen: Don’t mess with Medicare

On Nov. 10, 2016, House Speaker Paul Ryan stated that Medicare was going broke because of the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare. In fact, Medicare is not going broke but the full repeal of the ACA will eventually lead to Medicare insolvency, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Many don’t know that Obamacare and Medicare are now firmly interwoven, and its full repeal will also impact Medicare. Ryan’s untrue statement sets the narrative for the privatization of Medicare. His website states that Medicare beneficiaries would go on exchanges to choose an insurance company for health care. Seniors who are poor would receive premium support to pay for their insurance.

Exchanges and premium support are features of Obamacare, the program that Ryan intends to repeal for millions who previously had no access to health insurance.

Please read Ryan’s plan for Medicare and the Kaiser Family Foundation report. No one voted to change Medicare, a popular American program that provides universal access for seniors and is paid for by every worker. Call your representative and tell them Medicare is off limits.

This story was originally published January 12, 2017 at 4:57 PM with the headline "Congressmen: Don’t mess with Medicare."