President Obama just released his 2016 proposed budget, which contains many commendable proposals but does a great disservice to older adults with Medicare.
It mistakenly buys into the philosophy that it’s OK to tax older Americans (make them pay more) and keep them from getting care if they are unable to afford the Medicare deductible or the copays. President Obama proposes to raise the Medicare deductible, impose a copay on home health care services and increase premiums for many older adults already at risk. If that’s not bad enough, he wants people to pay extra for a Medicare supplemental (Medigap) policy that ensures full coverage for their care.
Think again, Mr. President. High deductibles and copays are simply ways to ration care based on people’s ability to pay. They impede access to needed care for the most vulnerable Americans in two sinister ways. First, they keep many older adults from getting care altogether, essentially forcing them to endure a poor quality of life and possibly contributing to their premature death. Second, they undo the larger purpose of insurance, concentrating risk and costs among those who need a lot of care rather than spreading risk among everyone.
People with Medicare already typically spend a large chunk of their incomes on health care costs Medicare does not cover. The latest data from Kaiser Family Foundation reveals that in 2010 the typical person with Medicare spent almost $5,000 out of pocket. People over 85 spent an average of nearly $6,000. And, people with Alzheimer’s spent an average of $8,305.
There’s a just and fair way to reduce Medicare spending further without shifting more costs onto older adults—insist the government negotiate with pharmaceutical and medical device companies on the prices we taxpayers pay for prescription drugs and devices, now the highest prices in the world. That would save Medicare billions of dollars. Yes, the president proposes giving the Department of Health and Human Services the authority to negotiate prices for biologics and select high-priced drugs. This is good, but the authority needs to be comprehensive and include all drugs.
Imposing additional costs on America’s oldest generation, the overwhelming majority of whom live on small fixed incomes, is unconscionable. Look at the data. It’s time we limited out-of-pocket costs for people with Medicare to ensure they receive needed care. Increasing premiums, deductibles and copays only guarantees that more of them will struggle to get by.
Help us Prepare for Trump’s Day One
Trump is busy getting ready for Day One of his presidency – but so is Truthout.
Trump has made it no secret that he is planning a demolition-style attack on both specific communities and democracy as a whole, beginning on his first day in office. With over 25 executive orders and directives queued up for January 20, he’s promised to “launch the largest deportation program in American history,” roll back anti-discrimination protections for transgender students, and implement a “drill, drill, drill” approach to ramp up oil and gas extraction.
Organizations like Truthout are also being threatened by legislation like HR 9495, the “nonprofit killer bill” that would allow the Treasury Secretary to declare any nonprofit a “terrorist-supporting organization” and strip its tax-exempt status without due process. Progressive media like Truthout that has courageously focused on reporting on Israel’s genocide in Gaza are in the bill’s crosshairs.
As journalists, we have a responsibility to look at hard realities and communicate them to you. We hope that you, like us, can use this information to prepare for what’s to come.
And if you feel uncertain about what to do in the face of a second Trump administration, we invite you to be an indispensable part of Truthout’s preparations.
In addition to covering the widespread onslaught of draconian policy, we’re shoring up our resources for what might come next for progressive media: bad-faith lawsuits from far-right ghouls, legislation that seeks to strip us of our ability to receive tax-deductible donations, and further throttling of our reach on social media platforms owned by Trump’s sycophants.
We’re preparing right now for Trump’s Day One: building a brave coalition of movement media; reaching out to the activists, academics, and thinkers we trust to shine a light on the inner workings of authoritarianism; and planning to use journalism as a tool to equip movements to protect the people, lands, and principles most vulnerable to Trump’s destruction.
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With gratitude and resolve,
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