Washington, D.C.—Today, two separate letters were released by nearly 200 health care economists and policy experts supporting Medicare and Medicaid because of the vital role the programs play in the health and well-being of millions of Americans, including seniors, those who suffer from disabilities, and children.
As conservative voices sound the alarm that our deficit crisis can only be solved by sacrificing Medicare and Medicaid, those most familiar with the nuances and intricacies of the programs have said gimmicks are not the answer, either to looming deficits or fixing our health care system. Both letters state that sacrificing these programs to block grant or voucher schemes will render them ineffective, abandoning people who are most in need and who have been failed by the private health insurance system.
MEDICARE LETTER: To read the full text of the letter and its signatories on Medicare, which urges members of Congress to reject calls for repealing traditional Medicare and support vigorous implementation of the Affordable Care Act, click here.
MEDICAID LETTER: To read the full text of the letter and its signatories on Medicaid, which explains why the signatories support systemic health reform and vigorous implementation of the Affordable Care Act, click here.
Nobel laureates Dr. Daniel Kahneman of Princeton University and Eric Maskin of the Institute for Advanced Study are among the signatories on the letters.
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