Medicare is the national's largest and most successful health insurance program serving the health care needs of over 43 million older Americans and people with disabilities.  Any changes to Medicare should serve to strengthen the universality and guaranteed benefits of Original Medicare, the federally administered public program that allows people to go to almost any doctor or hospital in the country.  Changes to Medicare that are meant to drive people into private insurance plans that provide unreliable protection against the cost of care weaken the Medicare program and hurt those who rely on it for their well being.  Competition between Original Medicare and private health plans should be balanced through the removal of overpayments to the insurance middlemen.  People with Medicare should have the option to receive prescription drug coverage administered directly by the public Medicare program and not through a private insurance company so health care programs that cover cost-sharing for low-income people with Medicare should be expanded and people with disabilities should receive immediate access to Medicare coverage.

Whereas; Medicare is the national's larges and most successful health insurance program serving the health care needs of 43 million older Americans and people with disabilities;

Whereas; private insurance plans cost taxpayers more per person than they pay under Original Medicare;

Whereas; private insurance plans create benefit packages that attract healthier people, thus undermining the universality and shared risk that has been fundamental to Medicare's success;

Whereas; private insurance plans are largely left unregulated, allowing insurance middlemen to charge more for vital medical services than Original Medicare and engage in deceptive and abusive marketing;

Whereas; the Medicare drug benefit is offered solely through private plans and the federal government is prohibited from negotiating lower drug prices, resulting in a drug benefit with a built-in-coverage gap and restricted access to essential medications;

Whereas; the rising cost of health care threatens access to care for low-income people with Medicare;

Whereas; financial assistance provided by low-income programs allows older adults and people with disabilities with limited incomes access to affordable health care;

Whereas; people with disabilities must wait over two years for Medicare eligibility, often incurring tremendous financial debts and physical hardship in the process;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that

• Any future proposals should strengthen the universality and expand the guaranteed benefits of the Original Medicare program,
• Overpayments to private insurance plans that contract with Medicare should be eliminated to remove the competitive advantage enjoyed by the insurance middlemen;
• A drug benefit should be offered through Original Medicare, giving consumers the choice between public and private coverage.
• Programs that cover cost-sharing for low-income people with Medicare should be expanded to improve access to health care and protect financial savings,
• People with disabilities should have access to Medicare as soon as they receive Social Security Disability Insurance.