John_F Loc: Minneapolis, MN

Today, Donald Trump plans to sign an executive order to “protect Medicare from socialism.”

Let’s set aside for a moment that Medicare is government-run health care for older Americans, and is at its core socialized medicine. Let’s set aside that Medicare is incredibly efficient―spending just 1.1 penny of every dollar collected on administrative costs―and if implemented for all Americans would dramatically lower what Americans pay each year for health care.

Let’s instead focus on what Donald Trump is saying, and why he’s wrong.

Donald Trump wants to scare seniors by claiming that Medicare for All will take something away from them.

Here’s the t***h: Under Medicare for All, current Medicare beneficiaries will stop paying co-pays, deductibles, and premiums. And they won’t need supplemental dental, vision, hearing, or long-term care plans. That will all be covered.

Right now, the cost of a semi-private room, food and housecleaning in a nursing home averages $225 a day, or $82,125 each and every year. And the current Medicare program does not cover long-term care—neither care at home nor in nursing homes. That means older Americans who need care are forced to impoverish themselves until they qualify for Medicaid. Under Medicare for All, that ends.

Right now, Medicare doesn’t cover hearing, dental or vision coverage―meaning that older Americans must pay out-of-pocket for this critical medical care.

Once again: Medicare for All covers, hearing, dental and vision, and eliminates every penny in premiums, co-pays and deductibles.

Donald Trump, Republicans in Congress and the for-profit health care industry―including Big Pharma and insurance corporations―are doing all they can to scare the American people. They are terrified of Medicare for All and will do everything they can to defeat it, including scaring those who are most dependent on health care and therefore have the most to gain from Medicare for All—older Americans. We are just beginning to see their campaign of fear.

In addition to trying to scare seniors, the fearmongers seek to convince all of us that adding important services to Medicare and expanding the program to cover everyone is unaffordable. Nothing could be further from the t***h. What is unaffordable is what we have now.

Even conservative analyses show that Medicare for All will reduce what seniors and the rest of us pay currently.

Today’s Medicare covers seniors and people with disabilities. These are people who have, on average, the most expensive and chronic medical conditions and therefore require the largest numbers of doctor and hospital visits.

By adding younger, largely healthy people to Medicare, current Medicare costs would come down.

Right now, the administrative costs of private health insurance are generally more than 12%. Indeed, it took the Affordable Care Act to limit insurance companies to spending no more than 20% of patient premiums on administrative costs.

Adding everyone to Medicare would not only increase the size of the risk pool. It would reduce costs even more by adding healthier, younger beneficiaries to that risk pool, driving the per capita costs even lower.


By expanding Medicare to include long-term care, dental, hearing, and vision, and eliminating co-pays, premiums and deductibles, seniors will get an even better deal.

Thank you for taking action today.

Alex Lawson
Social Security Works

Frank T Loc: New York, NY

Excellent post and spot on.

Elaine2025 Loc: Seattle, Wa

Really? So now you are an expert in US health care? Imagine that?

boberic Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander

boberic Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander

There are many problems with medicare for all. Just a few are-- it will END private medical insurance for 100 + millions of Americans. Taxes MUST go up to pay for it. Government will then have TOTAL control of the entire health care of EVERY american. Those who did not pay into the system for their entire working lives, would get a benifit for which they paid nothing. Because of the lower rembursement paid by medicare mant hospitals would close, and many MD's would retire, as it would not pay to remain in practice. Current Medicare is NOT socialist medicine, it's a paid for benefit and it is purely voluntary, as no one is FORCED to have it. Anyone who is in favor of medicare for all has no understanding of how medical care is delivered, or is a dedicated socialist. Many MD's wsould refuse to accept medicare and retunrn to direct payment, at lowere rates

Elaine2025 Loc: Seattle, Wa

Medicare for all is a very stupid idea.

EyeSawYou

Here we go again with this medicare is a socialist program, it is NOT.

Joseph Pugliese of Lower Macungie wrote:
“I just read a letter to the editor that equates Social Security and Medicare to socialism. By making such a statement, the writer, as most Americans, show how uneducated they are about these two programs.
Social Security and Medicare are two separate programs administered by the government, but funded by individuals and their employers. The government does not contribute any funds into the programs. In order to qualify for each of these programs an individual must have worked and contributed for a minimum amount of terms. If one qualifies for Social Security then you automatically qualify for Medicare. Note the term qualify.
Socialism is where the government provides services to all, irrespective of whether they contribute.

John_F Loc: Minneapolis, MN

Is the cited Lower Macungie a township in Lehigh County of Pennsylvania.

EyeSawYou

What does it matter? This is about your claim that medicare is a socialist program, it is not.

LWW Loc: Banana Republic of America

MEDICARE having lower administrative costs is yet another l*****t myth that vanishes under the slightest examination:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/theapothecary/2011/06/30/the-myth-of-medicares-low-administrative-costs/#2f077751140d