Trump needs to veto GOP plan for Medicare, Dems, Sanders say
Senator Bernie Sanders urges colleagues to contact his office to hold 'Our First Stand: Save Health Care' on Jan. 15.
Two leading Democrats and Independent Bernie Sanders are circulating a letter to their colleagues to rally Sunday, Jan. 15 to oppose what they say is a GOP plan to replace traditional Medicare with a voucher system in an upcoming budget resolution bill.
"Rallies will be held around the country to vigorously oppose the Republican plan to end Medicare as we know it and throw our healthcare system into chaos," said Senator Charles Schumer of New York, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California and Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont.
The Dec. 28 letter urges others to organize rallies for "Our First Stand: Save Health Care" around the country ahead of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and to contact Sanders' office for more information.
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"Beginning in January, it is likely that Republican leaders in Congress will follow through on their threats to ram through a budget bill that will severely undermine the healthcare needs of the American people," they wrote.
House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, has put forward a premium support system plan, in which the federal government would provide a payment to each Medicare beneficiary towards the purchase of health coverage, either through a private plan, traditional Medicare or Medicare Advantage.
The idea is to reduce the growth in Medicare spending by increasing competition among insurers and providing stronger incentives for beneficiaries to be cost-conscious in their plan selections, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
[Also: Ryan budget plan proposes 'patient-centered' healthcare reforms]
Opponents of the plan say beneficiaries remaining in traditional Medicare would pay higher premiums.
The letter said Republicans also plan to slash Medicaid, increase prescription drug prices for seniors and and people with disabilities, and pass a $4,800 tax hike on average Americans while providing billions in tax breaks to the wealthy.
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President-elect Donald Trump needs to be held to his promise not to slash Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, they said.
Twitter: @SusanJMorse
