Congress Can Restore Medicare Freedom

CCHF is asking President Trump to remove the instructions that prohibit senior citizens from receiving Social Security retirement benefits if they refuse to enroll in Medicare.

As a result of executive instructions in the SSA POMS (Social Security Administration Procedural Operations Manual System) that were issued by previous administrations without Congressional authority, American senior citizens who refuse to enroll in Medicare Part A (hospitalization) are not allowed to receive Social Security benefits. Furthermore, if they disenroll, they must repay all Medicare and Social Security benefits they've received.

This is not a law or a rule. The executive instructions added to the POMS trap citizens in Medicare and, in most cases, make Medicare the person’s primary insurance even if they have other preferred primary coverage.

President Trump has the executive authority to delete these instructions without approval by Congress. His executive action would:

• Set up a hedge against the "Medicare for all" proposals
• Open the markets to lifelong private medical insurance, and
• Reduce the financial strain on Medicare, which is expected to be insolvent in 2026, according to the 2018 Medicare Trustees report.

Please sign our petition to President Trump to allow senior citizens to voluntarily OPT OUT of Medicare without losing access to their Social Security benefits.

Click here to view more information 
Click here to print a copy of the petition

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