Nunnelee Newsletter: Saving Medicare

Statement

Dear Friends,

Protecting Medicare for current beneficiaries and saving it for future generations is one of my most important responsibilities as your Congressman. That is why I voted, along with my Republican colleagues in the House, for a plan that would guarantee that nobody over the age of 55 would see any changes at all in their benefits. People in or near retirement have been making plans based on promises made by the government and taxes they paid their entire working lives. I will honor the commitments made to our seniors.

With 10,000 Baby Boomers reaching retirement age every day, changes must be made for future retirees. In fact, the latest report from the Medicare Trustees says that if nothing is done, the program will go broke in 2024. We must improve and strengthen the program for future generations. Starting in 2022, our plan would allow new Medicare enrollees to choose from a list of guaranteed options a plan that best suits their needs. This change would lower costs by forcing insurers to compete for customers and put patients and doctors in control of health care decisions.

The approach taken by President Obama and Democrats in Congress could not be more different. As part of the President's health care law, Medicare will be cut by $716 billion over the next 10 years. Furthermore, their plan to control health care costs is to empower a board of 15 unaccountable, unelected bureaucrats known as the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB), to deny health care coverage to seniors.

This July, I voted for H.R. 6079, the Repeal of Obamacare Act, which would get rid of the entire law, including the Medicare cuts and IPAB. Sadly, the Democrat-controlled Senate refuses to pass H.R. 6079 and President Obama is completely opposed to repeal.

Stay in touch and God bless,

Alan Nunnelee

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