Government-Paid Medical Care Pulled Seniors Up Out of Poverty: They Should Remember That

Government-Paid Medical Care Pulled Seniors Up Out of Poverty: They Should Remember That
Submitted by mark karlin on Sun, 10/04/2009 - 9:34am.

BUZZFLASH EDITOR'S BLOG

By Mark Karlin

In the post World War II era, as America prospered and built a solid middle class (not being economically decimated by companies -- as we are now -- with no allegiance to the U.S. moving jobs oversea), there was a dirtly little secret: a large segment of our seniors lived in poverty. This was, in large part, due to medical care that exhausted their savings.

Then Medicare was passed in the '60s, amidst vociferous operation from the Republican Party which called it -- you guessed -- "socialist" and "Communist." The program was so succcessful that it lifted seniors from being one of our neediest classes of citizens to generally living (along with Social Security, a governnment pension plan) comfortably -- and children replaced them as the most neediest in our society.

Now, the GOP -- which has never relented its philosophical oppostition to Medicare until this year's hypocritical ploy to scare seniors that Medicare will be cut to allow for expanded healthcare coverage for the rest of America -- has the majority of seniors opposing general healthcare coverage for their fellow citizens out of fear. Of course, fear is the Republican Party's only weapon to advance their major interest: greedy, gluttonous wealth for the few.

Then there are still the white senior Republicans who claim that they are opposed to "socialized" medicine, but I have not yet read of one American Republican senior turning in his or her Medicare card out of opposition to "socialized medicine" (it is really government medical insurance; the government provides no medical care in the Medicare program) for themselves.

Right now, the most vulnerable age group for lack of health insurance is in the 50-65 year-old-range. There are many reasons for this, but all of them lead to the same reality: this age group is the most medically vulnerable pre-Medicare insurance pool risk.

more:
http://blog.buzzflash.com/node/9530