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Social Security and Medicare Cuts Could Have Deep on Impact African Americans By PHyllIS HIll SlAter, AArP New york exeCutIve CouNCIl
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fter a lifetime of hard work and paying into the system, older Americans have a right to expect their Medicare and Social Security benefits. In short, they’ve earned it.
yet, the congressional “supercommittee” is considering proposals behind closed doors that would shift health care costs onto seniors and cut their Social Security checks. Instead of cutting waste and tax loopholes, seniors are being viewed as just another budget line-item that can be cut. that’s why a bus full of AArP members from Co-op City in the Bronx travelled to Capitol Hill on october 12 to tell the “supercommittee” and all members of Congress first-hand that seniors are not pushovers. And
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thousands more New yorkers are signing petitions and calling their Congressional representatives. we have spent our lives working for our Medicare and Social Security benefits, and we are standing up and raising our voices until they stop threatening to cut our Medicare and Social Security benefits. the more than 420,000 African American Social Security beneficiaries in New york State will be more affected by Social Security cuts than other groups. In fact, without Social Security income, the poverty rate for older African Americans would more than double to 53%. Nearly half of African Americans rely on Social Security for 90 percent or more of their income and almost three-quarters of African American beneficiaries receive at least half of their income from Social Security.
without Social Security income, the poverty rate for older African Americans would more than double to 53%. Nearly half of African Americans rely on Social Security for 90 percent or more of their income and almost three-quarters of African American beneficiaries receive at least half of their income from Social Security.
AARP New York has held a series of “Get the Facts” community conversations throughout New york City in communities of color because we believe that it is important for African Americans and Hispanics to understand how these
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cuts will affect our communities and our families. this is part of AArP’s ongoing nationwide effort to convince the congressional “supercommitee” to take Medicare and Social Security benefits off of the table for deficit reduction.
Here is an example of what the committee is considering: Cutting Social Security by $112 billion, which could cost seniors thousands of dollars over their lifetime. Raising the Medicare eligibility age, which would: • Cut benefits for younger retirees • Increase out-of-pocket spending for 65 and 66-year-olds by an average of $2,000 per year – at a time when many people are already struggling to make ends meet. If Congress really wants to look at seniors and numbers, they should be looking at these: over 3.2 million New york State residents rely on Social Security and over three million rely on Medicare. those are the numbers of people who could be harmed if Congress makes these cuts.
• Increase premiums for people already in Medicare because it would leave older, more costly people in the system. • Increase health care costs for businesses because workers would stay on employer plans longer.
And let’s get real. It isn’t as if the benefits of these programs are lavish. even with these benefits, half of those aged 65 and older have an annual income of less than $18,500 per year. today's Medicare beneficiaries already must pay an average of $3,000 each year out of their own
pockets for their medical expenses – and their out-of-pocket share is rising every single year. Let’s allow seniors to have the peace of mind they have earned after decades of paying into the system.
To learn more about AARP’s campaign and make your voice heard, visit www.aarp.org/protectseniors.