Letter to the Editor
Some Americans are disillusioned that programs offered by the government are free; they are all paid two ways. Government funded social programs are either paid up front through taxes by working Americans or by increasing the deficit. The deficit at some time will be addressed by younger generations.
With programs that offer free or assisted housing, food and cell phones, we must now address how to pay for medical coverage- Obamacare and Medicare / Medicaid. Here are my thoughts.
It is not the right of Americans to be provided medical coverage at no charge from the government, as many believe. For years, we have provided Medicare / Medicaid to seniors, but at a price. News alert- seniors have always paid something. It was never free. Over the years those costs have escalated, including higher out of pocket costs and available supplements. All of these extras were paid for by seniors, many living on fixed incomes.
Socialized medical supplements started with FDR and over 50 years the program has been modified and tweaked. Then during the Clinton administration, with Hillary pushing ahead, what we now know as Obamacare was initiated. It didn’t have congressional support until President Obama was elected and had the votes to push this through Congress. It was legislation that not everyone understood, but what I liked was that it covered pre– existing illness carryovers and parents being able to keep their children under their plan until they were in their mid- twenties. But it was not without its faults, as was FDR’s program years before. To paraphrase President Lincoln, “Now we are engaged in a great civil war,” Republicans vs. Democrats on medical coverage for Americans.
To me, free coverage should be limited to those truly disabled, military veterans and help for seniors who have funded the program, many since FDR. Free should not be given to those who are too lazy to work or those riding the system. We all know a few of those. So if I am working and contributing to SSN, have a private or work sponsored insurance premium that is taken out of my paycheck, have a deductible, an 80/20 pay, as well as an out of pocket co– pay, while I watch my weight and exercise, with exceptions I mentioned earlier, why should we have the same medical coverage, and it be free, to someone who isn’t doing what I am doing? To me, that’s the challenge.
Congress has a tough job ahead, but they need to not only make considerations to those that are not insured, but remember to not forget those of us that are insured and paying for the programs. Gene Kostreba