Markey to Seniors: Hand Over Your Medicare Coverage

Markey to Seniors: Hand Over Your Medicare Coverage

Colorado Dem Admits Her Party’s Healthcare Takeover Will Strip Seniors’ Coverage

Washington- Betsy Markey let the mask slip yesterday when she told a local crowd that senior citizens would have to sacrifice their Medicare coverage in order to pay for her party’s government healthcare takeover. Addressing a group of concerned constituents in Fort Collins yesterday, Markey told them that she and her friends in Washington are ready to come after their Medicare plans:

“Some people, including Medicare recipients, will have to give up some current benefits to truly reform the nation’s health-care system, Rep. Betsy Markey told a gathering of constituents in Fort Collins on Wednesday.”

“‘There’s going to be some people who are going to have to give up some things, honestly, for all of this to work,’ Markey said at a Congress on Your Corner event at CSU. ‘But we have to do this because we’re Americans.’” (Robert Moore, “Markey: Medicare Will Take a Hit,” Fort Collins Coloradoan, 8/27/09)

Markey apparently didn’t receive the talking points from her Washington leaders instructing her to gloss over the harsh reality that Medicare cuts would be inevitable under the Democrats’ healthcare takeover. President Obama recently tried to brush aside Medicare concerns despite proposals on the table that fly in the face of his claims:

“‘Nobody is talking about cutting Medicare benefits,’ Obama said during an online AARP forum in July.”

“Yet a problem for Democrats is that mixed in with the misinformation are some real causes for concern, some analysts say.

“Evolving health care legislation probably will be paid for in part by cutting some $500 billion from Medicare over 10 years.” (Erica Werner, “Elderly Have Their Own Worries on Health Overhaul,” Associated Press, 8/27/09)

“Despite the duplicitous double-talk coming from Democrats in Washington, the message that is reaching American seniors is loud and clear: Brace yourselves,” said NRCC Communications Director Ken Spain. “For Colorado’s seniors, it’s difficult to tell which is more worrisome – a President who falsely claims that their Medicare coverage won’t be cut by his government healthcare takeover, or a congresswoman who knows that Medicare benefits will get axed and wants to force the policy on her constituents anyway. Betsy Markey might not have her talking points correct, but her shameless loyalty to the party line could cost her constituents in a big way.”

With public support for her party’s healthcare agenda dropping rapidly, seniors in Colorado and across the country are sending a message to Betsy Markey and her party bosses that now is not the time to cut their coverage. Unfortunately, Markey appears ready to stick it to her constituents once again, ignoring seniors’ concerns in order to ram through her party’s healthcare takeover.

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