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