July 1st marks the 47th anniversary of Medicare, a program that impacts more than 40.3 million senior citizens in America. Medicare is one of the remaining pillars of our healthcare safety net for seniors, including the vast Baby Boomer generation.
In 1966, President Johnson stated, "This program is not just a blessing for older Americans. It is a test for all Americans - a test of our willingness to work together." He was right. Medicare continues to be vital for seniors today, especially since it can be the only source of health care coverage for seniors due to companies cutting and reducing earned supplemental healthcare coverage.
Congress needs to preserve Medicare to prevent seniors from becoming economically impoverished from the rising costs of healthcare. Our nonprofit group, ProtectSeniors.Org, has written to the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee supporting the continued maintenance of Medicare and I urge all retirees to work and stand together to make sure America's senior generation is not left unprotected.
Deborah Soto
Millsboro