The U.S. signed the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights in 1947. One of those rights is the right to health care. Since then all industrialized nations except the U.S. have established universal health care coverage for all their citizens. The U.S. provided health care coverage for the disabled and people over 65 with Medicare in 1965. The Affordable Health Care Act will assure 31 million more Americans of health coverage starting in 2014. However, in their recent Budget Bill, Republicans, including CD3 Representative Erik Paulsen, voted to end Medicare as we know it and severely cut funds for Medicaid, the health care program for very low income Americans. Paulsen also voted against the Affordable Health Care Act.
To keep up with developments in Medicare, sign up for Medicare Watch, the newsletter of the nonprofit Medicare Rights Association. Scan down the left column to sign up for Medicare Watch.
Here are some articles and a video on Medicare and the Affordable Health Care Act:
Impacts of the Republican Medicare Plan in Minnesota’s 3rd Congressional District
The Affordable Health Care Act's Benefits for Seniors on Medicare
GOP's Budget Proposal Ends Current Medicare and Medicaid
Democracy Now's excellent interview of Joe Baker, president of the Medicare Rights Center, and Elizabeth Benjamin of the Community Service Society of New York, recently awarded the Families USA Consumer Health Advocate of the Year Award. It is the first segment of the program, about 12 minutes long:
Leading Health Advocates Decry GOP Plan to Privatize Medicare, Gut Medicaid
Ryan/Republican Medicare Plan's Harmful Effect on Veterans
"As you know, the Paul Ryan plan will end Medicare, making it a voucher program, leaving seniors to buy their own insurance in the private system. It will therefore end one of the most popular and successful initiatives ever offered.
This plan will also punish veterans – harshly."
Find out how the Republican Plan to end Medicare and cut Medicaid will harm veterans and spread the word.
