Senior healthcare is a rising concern for the U.S. government
July 6, 2011
Senator Jim DeMint, a South Carolina Republican, recently introduced the Retirement Freedom Act (RFA), which, if passed, will allow seniors to opt out of Medicare without losing their Social Security benefits. Seniors who choose to opt out may want to consider medical alert systems to protect them in case they are injured. Senior alerts can contact help if anything happens to an elderly individual.
“American seniors should have the freedom to make their own choice about healthcare without Uncle Sam threatening to take away their Social Security checks,” said DeMint. “These two programs have been unnecessarily tied together…without the consent of the people.”
The act will include provisions for the people who opt out of Medicare. If they decide to enroll in the program at a later date, they will be able to switch without paying a penalty fee. Some individuals may be able to afford their own healthcare costs at first, but as people age, health generally deteriorates and medical bills can grow expensive.
The Huffington Post reports that some members of the government are fighting to cancel the Medicare program entirely and replace it with partial coverage. As a result, the remaining cost would become the responsibility of the elderly and their families.
