Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death. Literally.

The Republicans released their budget proposal this week. Among many other things worthy of a rant, their budget calls for Medicare to be replaced with a voucher system, which seniors can use to purchase their own health insurance in the private market (the idea being that competition will drive down prices). If you have seniors in your life, go ask them -your parents, grandparents, aunts/uncles, and friends- if they want their Medicare replaced by a voucher so they can "shop around". If they say they don't want that, ask them if they vote Republican. If so, they need to know the very Medicare on which they depend is very much under threat by the political party they (falsely) believe represents their best interests.

Also, if you know of a senior who is battling dementia or Alzheimer's, ask them how they will decide where to spend their "voucher". That may sound like a sick joke but it's very much a reality. On top of the obvious fact that a HUUUUUUGE number of seniors aren't mentally capable of "shopping around" for the most important purchase they need to make each year, a voucher system will make mentally frail seniors the target of every unsavory insurance salesman, each hoping to get them to "spend" their voucher with them so they can get an easy sales commission, regardless of whether the coverage is appropriate for the senior. 

But hey, this is America. Nothing says liberty like freeing up 93 year-old Aunt Martha to manage her own health insurance in between diaper changes down at the old folk's home.