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Letters to the Editor: Crime Pays Big in Levy County
October 5th, 2006

Letters to the Editor: Letter About Taxes
October 2nd, 2006

Letters to the Editor: Another Tax Letter
October 2nd, 2006

Letters to the Editor: Skyrocketing Property Taxes
September 6th, 2006

Letters to the Editor: Another Letter to the Editor
September 2nd, 2006

Letters to the Editor: Letter to the Editor
September 1st, 2006

Letters to the Editor: Letter of Gratitude
August 18th, 2006

Letters to the Editor: Letter from Hawaii
August 3rd, 2006

Letters to the Editor: Thankful For Cedar Key`s Honest, Good, Caring People
July 28th, 2006

Letters to the Editor: Letter to the Editor
July 5th, 2006

Letters to the Editor: Answer to Mosquitoes: Integrated Management
June 2nd, 2006

Letters to the Editor: Letter to the Voters
April 30th, 2006

Letters to the Editor: Letter to the Chief
April 28th, 2006

Letters to the Editor: Letter to the Editor April 25
April 26th, 2006

Letters to the Editor: Enforce Noise Laws
April 18th, 2006

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MEDICARE IS THE SOLUTION, NOT THE PROBLEM!

MEDICARE IS THE SOLUTION, NOT THE PROBLEM!

Amy Gernhardt

July 30 marks the 46th Anniversary of Medicare`s passage, arguably one of the greatest public health treasures of the 20th century. Sadly, with the craze to fix nearly 30 years of deficit spending with the swoop of a pen, this great program is on the chopping block. Republicans and some Democrats seek to cut this "entitlement program" that, according to Representative Paul Ryan ("Ryan urges privatization of Medicare," April 13), is "bankrupting the federal government." I think this analysis fails to shed light on the real issue: administrative waste perpetrated by private health insurance companies. Because of their profit-driven focus, the health insurance industry drives up costs by spending 20% of every healthcare dollar on marketing, CEO`s salaries, etc. Medicare covers 45 million senior Americans and Americans with disabilities, yet its overhead costs are only 3%. Ryan`s plan to privatize Medicare and raise its eligibility age to 67 will only force rates to go up even more because this population of people, who in general have increased healthcare needs, will be thrust into the private market with a flimsy voucher to help pay for health costs. The way to fix our health and financial crises is by increasing and expanding Medicare for all - this will reduce administrative waste, allow the government to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies to lower prescription drug costs, increase the percentage of healthy people in the program, and centralize patients` medical information for improved quality of care.

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