This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
July 1 marks the 47th anniversary of Medicare, a program that impacts more than 40.3 million senior citizens in America. Medicare is one of the remaining pillars of our health-care safety net for seniors, including the vast Baby Boomer generation.
In 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson stated, "This program is not just a blessing for older Americans. It is a test for all Americans — a test of our willingness to work together."
He was right. Medicare continues to be vital for seniors today, especially since it can be the only source of health-care coverage for seniors due to companies cutting and reducing earned supplemental health-care coverage.
Congress needs to preserve Medicare to prevent seniors from becoming economically impoverished from the rising costs of health care.
I urge all retirees to work and stand together to make sure America's senior generation is not left unprotected.
Sally Hammon
West Valley City