Lincoln: Trustees' Report Reinforces Need for Health Reform
Press Release
Lincoln: Trustees' Report Reinforces Need for Health Reform
In response to the Social Security and Medicare Trustees' 2009 report that describes severe financial challenges for both programs, U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) said that health care reform is absolutely critical to manage growing Medicare costs and that tough decisions are needed to ensure Social Security's future solvency, but pledged she would never support a plan that threatened the retirement security of millions of Americans.
"The Trustees' annual report underscores the fact that containing Medicare costs is an immediate concern," Lincoln said. "This report is another reminder of why comprehensive health care reform is absolutely needed this year and why it must include delivery system reforms that will change the way we pay for care toward a system that rewards high quality care rather than simply paying more money for more services regardless of quality or value. Comprehensive healthcare reform should focus on efficiencies that can be achieved through electronic medical records, better coordination of care for those with chronic illnesses, preventive and wellness care, and other high-value and cost-saving measures that result in better quality of life for patients.
"Nearly 600,000 Arkansans receive Social Security benefits. That's one in five Arkansans. Preserving Social Security for future generations is a top priority, and I will not support any privatization plan that threatens the retirement security of millions of Americans. As we consider ways to reform Social Security, any proposal must pass a fairness checklist,' which would preserve Social Security's guaranteed, lifetime, inflation-protected benefit; protect disabled workers and their families and economically disadvantaged groups; maintain the system's progressive benefit structure; and maintain fiscal responsibility. Through my positions on the Senate Finance Committee and the Senate Special Committee on Aging, I will continue to work to secure the future of Social Security for current and future beneficiaries."
Each year, the Trustees of the Social Security and Medicare trust funds report on the current and projected financial status of the two programs.
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