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Op-ed: Medicare caused America’s high health care costs and we seniors don’t pay our fair share

Op-Ed by Otis Lewis

**I apologize for the length of this op-ed but believe the time you invest in reading it will be worth it.**

Let’s get the truth out on the table here. Congressman Ryan is right on about doing something about Medicare.

BEFORE THE MEDICARE DISCUSSION A WORD ABOUT US

When Benjamin Franklin walked out of Freedom Hall, a reporter asked him what they had done? Mr. Franklin replied, “We have given you a document to live by. This document is called the Constitution and will work until the people figure out they can vote themselves money.”

Politicians keep promising goodies and too many voters vote for the guy running for office that will give them the freebie or best deal. Now we have a country in peril of financial collapse, which will cause great harm to all of us if nothing is done. It is time to “Break The Cycle Of Political Welfare TO BUY VOTES.

Now to the topic of Medicare: I am on Medicare. Medicare is broke and Obamacare makes it more broke. I have went online and read the entire history of Medicare and found some important facts that have created issues needing to be addressed!

Medicare was enacted under Democratic President Lyndon Johnson in 1965.

The Medicare Law took 1.45% from our Social Security payroll deduction and used that money to fund the new Medicare program. That amount remains unchanged today and makes no sense, as you will read later. (We all know our employers match that amount but that is not relevant to this discussion) Also, taking money from Social Security to create Medicare caused Social Security to have financial problems. That too, is another discussion.

In 1972 (7 short years later) the Government figured out that Medicare was already going broke. To keep Medicare from going broke our Government passed legislation in 1972 that FROZE the cost of medical care for Senior Citizens at 1972 prices. In other words, Hospital’s and Doctor’s Clinics are still being paid TODAY for Senior Citizens medical services at 1972 levels. That’s right. Seniors only have to pay 1972 prices for their health care. (There have been some adjustments in these prices but not enough that it would affect this discussion)

MEDICARE CAUSES PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIMUMS TO BE ARTIFICALLY HIGHER FOR THOSE NOT ON MEDICARE
Because of those 1972 frozen prices, over time, Hospital’s and Doctors Clinics had to elevate prices for medical services much higher then they normally would have charged to keep from going broke and their doors open. The higher costs for health care for those not on Medicare in turn forced Insurance Companies to raise their premiums higher to offset this additional expense.

When I was working I paid $1450 a month for health, dental, and eye insurance coverage for my wife and myself. Now on Medicare we pay $430 per month for both our Medicare and Supplemental Insurance, and receive the very same medical coverage. Clearly, everyone not on Medicare has been forced into paying higher premiums to pay for senior’s health care. You can blame our Government and the 1972 law bailing out Medicare for this!

The first order of business is to make Health Care costs and Medicare costs actuarially the same. Everyone should be paying the same price for the same service. Put another way, charges for medical services for Senior Citizens should be at the same level as everyone else and Medicare Premiums for Senior Citizens should be adjusted up so they are paying fairly. This is a horrible burden on our children. Obamacare never bothered addressing this unfair medical pricing or the 1972 law of frozen prices. Remember, politicians love to keep promising you stuff so you will vote for them.

To make matters worse, (to get your vote) every Democratic President and Republican President, and, every Democratic and Republican Congress since the beginning of Medicare in 1965 has added both people and benefits to the Medicare program without adding one additional cent of premium to help pay the cost of Medicare. How stupid is that? Both parties have been promising everything to seniors and buying votes. This is shameful and they are all guilty of malfeasance in office.

Our Government has turned health care pricing upside down and we need an honest open discussion on how this problem was created and how to fix it properly before we even consider starting any kind of national health care program.

Mr. Franklin had it figured out when this country was founded. We should never allow people to vote themselves money. How about a ‘Balanced Budget Amendment’ to fix this problem? Politicians promise everything to everybody and the voters like sheep swallow the bitter pill of generosity. I for one will not swallow it. How about you? Let’s break the cycle of Politician’s Buying Votes using Political Welfare!

Medicare is only one example of how Politicians promising everything has created our budget deficit and pending financial collapse.

I support Paul Ryan for trying to do something about our huge budget deficit and the failing Medicare Program.

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