Medicaid & Medicare at 46 Years: Luxury Redefined

For years I went without health insurance. It was just something I couldn’t afford. I prayed everyday that I’d stay healthy enough until I turned 65 and could get on Medicare.

But my luck ran out in 2003 when I developed multiple chronic illnesses. I was fortunate to be eligible for Medicaid due to my disabilities. This allowed me to go to doctors for the first time in years. During one of the exams a doctor discovered that I had uterine cancer. Medicaid provided all the care I needed. And now, 4 years later, I’m cancer free.

These days I keep hearing that Medicaid and Medicare might be cut back. I’ll be in trouble if that happens, because I still have serious health issues and I’m barely making ends meet. Now I watch every penny. Coffee is a luxury item now. It’s a humbling experience.

I’m keeping my spirits up.  But sometimes it’s tough..  I wonder if the politicians have a clue what it’s like to count every penny and stay awake at night worrying about making the rent, getting enough to eat, and wondering whether I will be able to get the health care I need.

                                                                                    --Sandra Morgan, Washington

For the last 46 years, millions of women have benefited from access to life-saving health care thanks to Medicaid and Medicare. These programs were created so fewer people would have to choose between putting food on the table and getting the health care they need. Today, two-thirds of the millions of people who rely on Medicaid for access to basic health care services are women. More than half of Medicare recipients are women. These programs have proven vital to protecting the health care of the most vulnerable women.

However, on the eve of its 46^th anniversary, Medicaid and Medicare face more cutbacks and proposals to restructure than ever. Through the debt ceiling talks, we’ve seen how some in Congress are willing to cut the programs that are most important to the most vulnerable in our country. In the coming months, as Congress continues to debate deficit reduction, threats to entitlement programs that keep women like Sandra afloat will continue.

We have an America where luxury means having millions in the bank and owning a corporate jet. And then we have an America where luxury means having a few dollars in your wallet for a cup of coffee. It’s time for our members of Congress to tell us what kind of  America they are willing to stand up for.