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Moreover, they note that, “If just 1 percent of current retirees chose not to participate in Medicare, Medicare expenditures would decrease by about $1.5 billion per year immediately and by approximately $3.4 billion per year by 2017.” Certainly a substantial savings for taxpayers.
At least one lawmaker also wants the SSA to change its rules.
This month Rep. Sam Johnson, R-Texas, introduced the Medicare Beneficiary Freedom to Choose Act. This measure would allow seniors to forgo Medicare Part A. It would also allow seniors to contribute pre-tax dollars into a Health Savings Account, so healthy older people could continue saving money they might eventually need to pay for future medical care.
“If Warren Buffett wants to pay for his own medical care, I say we should let him,” Johnson said, sensibly. And that, of course, is the greater problem with all federal entitlement programs -- they treat everyone exactly the same way, even those who can afford (and want) to go outside the taxpayer-supported system.
“It’s sad that people who want to make their own health care decisions feel like they have no other option than to sue the federal government,” Johnson says. “People should make their own medical decisions, the government shouldn’t force health care decisions on anyone.”
Virtually everyone -- outside of Washington, that is -- would agree. |