The Perks of 65

The Perks of 65

This past November, I turned 65 years old, which is the definition of being “elderly”. Seems scary, and I depressed several of my 65-year-old friends and colleagues with that tidbit of information. 

For the past 47 years of adult life, I have had to endure living within the bounds of my healthcare insurance coverage, paying down ever-expanding deductibles, and wondering where I could come up with that pesky 20% not covered by insurance. But now, at long last, I have Medicare (and a supplemental insurance plan) to give me what feels a lot like universal health care coverage – and it feels absolutely grand!

I was lucky over those 47 years. I had employer-provided health insurance, and I didn’t experience any medical events that pushed me into any serious financial dilemmas. But it was always in the back of my mind. But why? 

Why should the citizens of one of the world’s greatest economic powers have such worries? Why does the defense of the U.S. and its citizens represent well over 50% of the nation’s budget but not include care for illness and injury, and the resulting financial burden to the individual?

The answer is pretty simple – it’s greed. Instead of one for all and all for one, it’s a race-for-the-riches mentality of the few, at the expense of the many. The U.S. has more than enough resources to guarantee universal health care to its citizens if those resources are not wrapped up in the arms of a very small select group of people.

When I vote, I vote for candidates that understand the true capability of the U.S. when it comes to providing health care for all. We can do it if we just change the culture of our population. If everybody pays their fair share, nobody need worry about something as basic as healthcare.

- Matt Mullin