With Thanksgiving around the corner, and Medicare for All a hot topic, we thought it would be worth refreshing everyone about all of Medicare for All's benefits for seniors. Have a great holiday! --Nancy and the SSW team

John,

The enactment of Medicare for seniors in 1965 was intended as just the first step to Medicare for All. But for years, corporate-funded propaganda has attempted to scare those who would benefit the most.

Right now, long-term care―at home or in a nursing home―is not covered by Medicare. And the cost of a semi-private room, food and housecleaning in a nursing home averages $225 a day, or $82,125 each year.

As a result, many seniors have no choice but to impoverish themselves until they can qualify for Medicaid.

Improved Medicare for All includes comprehensive long-term care coverage, including at-home services and supports, as well as nursing home care. This would be life-changing for tens of millions of seniors and their families, who would could live with dignity and still get the care they need.

The recently introduced Medicare for All Act of 2019 also includes vision, hearing and dental coverage. And the legislation eliminates every penny in premiums, co-pays and deductibles.

If Medicare for All were the law of the land, health care costs would no longer consume over 40% of the average Social Security benefit—effectively increasing benefits.

Improving Medicare’s benefits and expanding it to cover everyone will make the program stronger, more successful and more popular.

Can you chip in $5 or more today to grow our movement for Medicare for All and educate the American people on its benefits to current and future generations?

Right now, according to the most recent Trustees Report, Medicare spends just 1.1 penny of every dollar collected and spent on administrative costs. The other nearly 99 cents are spent on providing health care. In contrast, the administrative costs of private health insurance are generally more than 12%.

For-profit insurance corporations, big pharma and the other industries that profit off of our current wasteful health care system are terrified of Medicare for All. They will do everything they can to defeat it, including scaring those who are most dependent on health care and therefore have among the most to gain from Medicare for All. We are just beginning to see their campaign of fear.

Opponents of Medicare for All are seeking to scare older and younger Americans alike into opposition in spite of the fact that Medicare is significantly more efficient than commercial health insurance.

Adding everyone to Medicare would not only increase the size of the risk pool—it would reduce costs even more by adding healthier, younger beneficiaries to that risk pool, driving the per capita costs even lower.

Even conservative analyses show that Medicare for All will reduce what seniors and the rest of us pay currently.

Under improved Medicare for All, Americans will be able to choose whatever doctors and hospitals they prefer. They will be able to afford their medications. They will be able to get early treatment when medical problems arise.

We can make Medicare for All a reality, but only if millions of us mobilize to defeat the power of big money.

Chip in today to educate the American people and grow our movement for Medicare for All.

Right now, around one in three seniors aged 65 to 74 suffer from hearing loss. The number is nearly one in two for those aged 75 or older. However, three out of five of those over age 65 are untreated for their hearing loss.

It doesn’t have to be this way!

Untreated dental problems can lead to malnutrition. And untreated gum disease can result in heart and lung disease. Improved Medicare for All covers these critical medical issues.

Let’s not let the fearmongers scare us from this better world. Together, let’s make high quality health care a human right for everyone in America.

Thank you,

Nancy Altman
Social Security Works