Medicare is the only way many retirees and people with disabilities can afford to see a doctor or fill a prescription. Next week, Medicare celebrates 48 years of providing care and security for millions.

Unfortunately, Washington is fixated on deficit reduction and instead of asking the wealthiest 2% to pay its fair share, is trying to balance the budget on the backs of seniors and people with disabilities by further means-testing Medicare (which would actually affect middle-income retirees) and shifting more costs to beneficiaries. These benefit cuts would seriously hurt current and future retirees, undermine the program and are completely unnecessary.

The Medicare Drug Savings Act (S. 740 in the Senate and H.R. 1588 in the House), introduced by Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) and Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), for example, would save the Medicare program more than $140 billion by eliminating the loophole that blocks Medicare from negotiating with Big Pharma for cheaper drugs.

Click here to support the Medicare Drug Savings Act.

According to this year’s Medicare Trustees Report, Medicare is completely solvent until 2026, two years later than last year’s report. We can have a strong, sustainable Medicare program without cutting benefits or increasing costs if we take measures to limit drug companies from price-gouging American taxpayers.

Let’s face it: health care is expensive, and Medicare is the solution. But too many retirees are living on the edge and it’s unreasonable to shift costs onto them while the price of drugs and health care skyrocket and Big Pharma makes a killing (somewhat literally). The Alliance for Retired Americans is collecting stories about high health care and prescription drug costs. While many seniors are grateful for the access that Medicare provides them, for too many, it’s still a serious struggle to afford the out-of-pocket costs.

Here are some powerful stories about people currently receiving Medicare benefits who would be further harmed by cuts:

“Once I received Medicare, I thought I was going to be all right. Then the reality of the co-pays set in. I am very careful about how much medical care I get and constantly turn[ed] down the recommended therapies because I can't afford them. Now the doctors are beginning to say there is nothing else they can do.”—Sharon Forrest of Atlanta, Ga. 

“I'm a 61 yr. old disabled male trying to live on a very austere fixed income. My [doctor] has prescribed seven different medications for my condition. I CAN ONLY AFFORD TWO…and I still have to exist on peanut butter and brown rice during the last 10 days of the month because of a money shortage.”—Robert Ziegler of Casselberry, Fla.

We can’t allow Congress to cut benefits and shift costs onto those who can least afford it, while Big Pharma and Wall Street make record profits. Help the Alliance protect Medicare by encouraging Congress to support the Medicare Drug Savings Act and by participating in the Thunderclap online action.