Michigan Health Care Advocates Celebrate Medicare’s 59th Birthday
To celebrate the 59th anniversary of Medicare, Michigan Families for Fair Care partnered with For Our Future and Mothering Justice to commemorate the anniversary of Medicare, the program that has provided over 65 million Americans access to affordable health coverage nationwide.
Unfortunately, Congressman John James is part of the Republican Study Committee, a conservative caucus that has recently proposed a budget that would implement dangerous cuts to Medicare and place health care coverage at risk for Americans who need it most.
As Congress will soon have to make decisions about government funding, constituents, partner organizations, and State Representative Donavan McKinney gathered to discuss the importance of the health care program American families nationwide, but especially here in Michigan, rely on.
Steve Lawson, Michigan Families for Fair Care Executive Director. “Congressman John James has yet to come out in opposition to these cuts proposed by the Republican Study Committee and still has yet to announce a public in-person town hall to talk about his voting record. His constituents are here to make sure he protects Medicare.”
According to the Michigan Health and Hospital Association, an estimated 2.21 million Michiganders are enrolled in Medicare. Benefits for enrollees have improved in recent years thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act, which opened the door for drug price negotiations that would help hundreds of thousands of enrollees in Michigan alone.
Michigan State Representative Donavan McKinney (HD-14) “Nearly 60 years after being signed into law Medicare continues to open doors for our country’s most vulnerable to accessible, quality health care. Now with the ability to negotiate drug prices, we should be pushing for continued progress on the behalf of the American people, not taking steps back. As a former member of SEIU Healthcare, I understand the importance of having a quality, affordable, and accessible health care system. When our constituents tell elected officials that Medicare needs to be protected, we must listen.”
