Medicare


Medicare Privatization

 

What you can do to
help preserve Medicare

Everyone says they want to "save" on Medicare... Watch Out!

- Breaux/Frist, Thomas, and even parts of President Clinton’s proposals mean: privatizing Medicare by giving more Medicare $$$ and control to HMOs and private insurance plans.
- 'Premium Supports' = 'Defined Contributions' = 'Competitive Defined Benefits' = 'Vouchers' VOUCHERS mean no more affordable guaranteed benefits.

- Taking Medicare 'out of government' – leaves the ‘thieves in charge of the bank and beneficiaries on their own.

 

Here’s what HMOs are saying to Congress:

"Any Medicare reform proposal, including premium support, should recognize that granting plans benefit flexibility enables them to design additional benefits and to structure cost-sharing requirements in a manner that maximizes beneficiaries’ coverage choices that allow plans to provide benefits that coincide with the level of government payment" .

(American Association of Health Plans Testimony)

 

Here’s what they really mean:

'granting plans benefit flexibility' = slash benefits to preserve profits

'structure cost-sharing' = increase out-of-pocket expenses for beneficiaries

'maximizes beneficiaries’ coverage choices' = only bare-bones coverage for low - income people

'benefits that coincide with level of government payment' = slash benefits even more

(National Campaign to Protect, Improve and Expand Medicare)

 

WHAT YOU CAN DO

MAKE SURE CONGRESS AND THE PRESIDENT DO NOT CHANGE THE FUNDAMENTALS OF THE MEDICARE PROGRAM.

Tell Senators Moynihan and Schumer to say "NO" to the proposals of Senators Breaux and Frist.
Tell your Congressmember to say "NO" to the same from Congressman Thomas.

Tell President Clinton "NO MORE FALSE CHOICES – marketplace competition is failing Medicare."

REMEMBER: MEDICARE WORKS – USING SOME OF THE BUDGET SURPLUS TO INVEST IN MEDICARE, INSTEAD OF MORE TAX CUTS, MEANS IT WILL BE THERE FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY

 

 

What you can do to help preserve Medicare:

  1. Call and ask your Congressperson to "protect and expand Medicare and oppose vouchers. Don’t raise eligibility age and don’t raise premiums!"
  2. Be willing to write one letter to the editor of your local paper about the dangers of Medicare Vouchers.
  3. Organize Legislative visits in your area to pressure representatives to fight against "Premium Support" (vouchers) for Medicare.
  4. Include an article about Medicare in your organization’s newsletter (material will be provided upon request).
  5. Provide the LIPC Medicare Committee with contacts in other organizations that may want to be involved.
  6. Speak at events to inform other groups about the status of Medicare and the dangers in what is being proposed.
  7. Arrange for a presentation before a union or local community group (we will provide speakers).
  8. Join LIPC’s Health Care Committee, contact jeff@lipc.org



Back to Health