Tony Moschetti (letter, May 14) argues that Republican Medicare spending proposals represent increases, not cuts. However, he overlooks the tremendous increase in the number of people who soon will become eligible for Medicare.
With this factored in, along with continued inflation of medical costs, the result of the Republican proposals will be senior citizens receiving fewer dollars per capita from Medicare than they do today - that is, there will be per capita cuts, not increases, in Medicare spending.
The analogy Moschetti uses to educate us regarding the benevolence of the Republican proposals is a good one, but, again, he didn't factor in all of the necessary details. To be analogous to the Medicare situation, his scenario would need to include the family in question having had a child, or maybe twins, in the past year, during which time inflation was 3 percent to 5 percent. In such a situation, a 5 percent salary increase would be more than offset by inflation and the additional mouth(s) to feed, clothe and pay medical bills for; thus, the family's discretionary income would decline. This is exactly what will happen to many senior citizens under the Republican proposal - their Medicare benefits, discretionary income and standards of living will decline.
Medicare needs reform. What will best achieve that is to turn down the rhetoric, stop the name-calling and listen with an honest respect to the opinions of those who disagree with us.
Tony, you also will find that to be good for the soul.
Joe Fulfs
Greensboro
News & Record
May 21, 1995
