Trustees Report May 12, 2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
For Immediate Release
Retiree Leader: Do Not Overreact to New Social Security and Medicare Reports
Beware of "Sky is Falling" Attempts to Cut Benefits, Coyle Says
The following statement was issued
by Edward F. Coyle, the Executive Director of
the Alliance for Retired Americans, in response
to Trustee Reports issued today for the Social
Security and Medicare Trust Funds.
"The impact of the recession on the Social Security and Medicare Trust Funds underscores the critical need to support President Obama's plans to reform health care and create a lasting economic recovery. Putting more Americans back to work will send more money into these Trust Funds, and a universal, more efficient health care system will alleviate the severe strain that our health care crisis imposes on both families and employers. Our nation's inter-related economic and health care problems are what should demand our lawmakers’ immediate attention.
"Current and future retirees
should be suspicious of 'sky is falling'
predictions of doom for Social Security and
Medicare. These warnings mask an ongoing
ideological agenda to cut benefits to current
and future retirees. Instead, we should
focus on strengthening Social Security by
raising the cap on earnings, and ending the
nearly 20 percent overpayment that taxpayers
give to the big insurance companies to offer
privatized Medicare Advantage
programs.
"Today's reports are a
reminder that we must focus our energies on the
lasting benefits of improving our economy and
reforming our nation's health care
system. This is neither the time nor
place for ideology or heated rhetoric.
Instead, our nation's retirees are looking to
Washington to take specific steps to improve
retirement security in America."
# # #
Contact: Marcie Kohenak, (202) 637-5178 or
mkohenak@retiredamericans.org
Michael Buckley, (202) 330-1913 or mbuckley@retiredamericans.org