POL-1000 The Politics Of American Government

The Medicare program that is used to insure people ages 65 or older, and those under 65 with disabilities, is in severe trouble. Medicare gets its money from portions of the payroll taxes that are paid by workers and its employers. Portions of it are also financed from deductions in Social Security checks and its premiums. But, the bottom line is that the Medicare program is completely un-funded and its survival is in jeopardy.

I personally don’t see the problems that are plaguing the Medicare system being resolved during an election year. There are a few problems that need to be addressed, and they need to be addressed in the near future. First, the theory of the one-size-fits-all concept about the Medicare system, which is run by the government, is totally unacceptable and is failing our seniors and the doctors who are trying to deliver the care that they are in need of. Our population of senior citizens is very diverse. I say this because of their ages. Even though Medicare is given to those ages 65 and older, it’s the senior citizens who are over 80 years of age that are most in need of medical care. The care that is needed for a 65 year old patient and an 80 year old patient are drastically different. It’s not only age that differs them, but also their race, culture, and ethnicity. The current Medicare system basically squeezes all of our senior citizens into one plan. But as the population grows and medicine advances, the Medicare system will become outdated and unfair to our senior citizens.

The second problem that I see with the Medicare system is its financial situation. We have an enormous problem with un-funded Medicare liabilities and it needs to be addressed now, not tomorrow. As more and more people retire in the coming years, Parts A and B will become so expensive that Congress will have no other choice but to call for cost saving measures with a system that is already failing our senior citizens. It’s completely unfair that were failing our seniors who have over the years, contributed their hard earnings so that they would have health care coverage when it is most needed.

There should be more attention and emphasis placed on media coverage pertaining to our Medicare problems. We need to get the word out to all of America and its citizens. They need to be aware of what’s currently happening to the Medicare system, and prevent further damage to a system that one day will serve their medical needs as well. It’s time to stand united as one, as a nation, and fulfill the responsibilities that those before us worked so hard to build. Media coverage alone will not solve our Medicare problems, but it will help us to speak our voices to a government that needs to hunker down and take responsibility for the positions that we entrusted in them. It’s time to take care of our seniors who are in dire need of good, reliable, affordable, medical care.