Tough Choices: The Fight to Preserve Medicare

 firmly believe that as Members of Congress we have a responsibility to tell our constituents the truth. The unfortunate truth regarding Medicare is that it is going bankrupt. If anyone tries to tell you different they are either misinformed or not being straightforward with you.

Recently, the House passed a budget, entitled the “Path to Prosperity”, that will protect and preserve Medicare for both current seniors and future generations. I supported this plan that will allow us to keep Medicare as it is for people, ages 55 and older, while making the necessary changes to reform and save the program for individuals who are under 55.

Under this plan, those 54 and younger will have the ability to choose from a menu of government-supported plans. This is the same sort of plan that I have as a Member of Congress along with all other employees of the federal government. These plans will be required to comply with strict standards set by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Unlike a voucher system, Medicare payments would go directly to the plan’s provider, and could only be applied to Medicare-approved plans which offer a guaranteed level of coverage. Allowing future retirees to choose their Medicare provider will ensure competition in the market, which will both increase quality and reduce costs.

If we act now we have the ability to keep Medicare as is for people 55 and older and save Medicare for our children and grandchildren. If we do nothing and the Medicare system goes broke, retirees will undoubtedly see a rationing of care, diminished access to services and higher taxes. As both a doctor and a Member of Congress, I will not allow this to happen.

Unfortunately, there are some politicians in Washington who would rather play partisan politics with Medicare than make difficult choices to protect and preserve it. These individuals have resorted to employing scare tactics and spreading misinformation in order to score political points. They advocate for maintaining the status quo knowing that the status quo will lead to the collapse of Medicare.

Recently, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has projected that the Medicare Hospital Insurance Trust Fund will be completely out of money by the year 2020. Additionally, the Medicare Trustees’ 2010 report stated, “Without corrective legislation, therefore, the assets of the trust fund would be exhausted within the next 7 to 19 years.”

In light of this overwhelming evidence, how can we as Americans stand by and do nothing while Medicare goes broke? We have an obligation to make hard decisions to protect this program for our current seniors and to ensure that it continues to exist for our children and grandchildren.  Politicians that tell you otherwise are more concerned with winning elections than solving our nation’s problems. What my colleagues and I are proposing in the “Path to Prosperity” is far from being the politically easy route, but it is necessary if we want to save Medicare. We know that the program is running out of money and we know that if it goes unchanged, it will go broke by the year 2020. Clearly, we must act now.

Be assured that I will continue to fight for both current and future seniors by making sure that Medicare will continue to support them today and for generations to come.

 You have my word on it.