Ryan Plan

Would End Medicare

To the Editor:

I am completely outraged by Paul Ryan’s budget plan which recently passed Congress with full Republican support. I think it is imperative that each of us look closely at the provisions of this plan, because if Republicans gain control of the Senate and the White House next year, it would likely become law and life in America would be changed forever and extremely for the worse for 99 percent of us.

First of all the plan would kill Medicare. The plan tries avoid overwhelming public opinion against ending Medicare by saying this won’t happen for ten years, but anyone 54 or younger will no longer have Medicare insurance once they reach 65. Instead of the assurance and peace of mind of having the guaranteed comprehensive health coverage when we most need it in our older years, we would be given a voucher to use toward buying our own private insurance. The problem is, the cost of private insurance for comparable coverage for the average individual of that age would cost at least $6,600 more per year than the voucher you would get from the government. And by the time you are 70 and maybe have a couple of chronic health conditions, the additional difference that you would have to pay would be much greater if you can even get insurance privately at that point.

Since most of us by retirement age are living off of Social Security and our savings, many will not be able to afford to shell out an additional $7,000–$12,000 per year for our health insurance. So many will end up underinsured or completely without insurance and then with their first major health problem and hospitalization they will lose their house or go bankrupt. What happens next?

With many elderly with no insurance and no assets left, do the hospitals turn you away to die at home with no care, or do they provide care with no payment and go bankrupt themselves or pass along the costs by raising everyone else’s charges astronomically? These outcomes are unthinkable and unacceptable. For those of us already on Medicare and tempted to think, “I don’t have to worry about it. It won’t affect me,” what about our kids and grandkids? Do we really want to allow a plan to be put in place that will put them at great risk of not being able to afford health care in their later years, or leave them destitute from their medical expenses?

To add insult to injury, on top of making all of us pay huge amounts of our insurance after already contributing to Medicare our entire working lives, Ryan’s plan instead of balancing the budget would give huge additional tax breaks to corporations and millionaires who are already paying historically low taxes through shelters, subsidies, and loopholes. 

Call your Congressman and Senators and say No to the radical Ryan budget and vote to remove radical Republicans from power at the next election.

Curt Riebeling

21 Sugar Street, Newtown                                                  May 4, 2011