Medicare's 50th Birthday: Protect it! Improve it! Expand it to Everyone!

On Medicare's 50th Birthday, We demand:
Protect Medicare, Improve Medicare,
Expand Medicare to Cover Everyone!
Thursday, July 30, 11 AM, Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland
12th Street BART Station, exit using 14th St. escalator.
Poster below, visit Facebook page: http://tinyurl.com/nvf7l2u

This summer marks the 50th year of Medicare, the nation's most successful medical program, which has kept millions of older and disabled people out of poverty, and saved millions from an early death from medical neglect. On July 30, Medicare's birthday will be celebrated in major events in at least 30 cities across the nation.

Despite Medicare's success, it is at a crossroads:

On one hand, the corporate agenda in government is to raise Medicare's eligibility age, reduce Medicare's benefits, cut its funding, and chop Medicare into bits and turn the pieces over to private insurance companies.

On the other hand, workers of all ages and their families desperately need the health coverage that a Medicare-type program would offer, as the Affordable Care Act's high premiums, high out-of-pocket payments, limited doctor and hospital choice, and huge healthcare profits make comprehensive healthcare unaffordable.

Medicare's 50-year-old history goes hand-in-hand with the struggle against racial discrimination. Civil Rights advocates originally fought for Medicare as a way to eliminate racially segregated hospitals, which would be ineligible for federal funding. Since then, Medicare and Social Security, whose 80th birthday is August 14, have kept millions of Blacks, Latins, and women out of poverty.

Creating a cradle-to-grave Medicare-for-All (single-payer) program is our only viable way to give comprehensive, high-quality, accessible, healthcare to everyone, regardless of age, income, and status of employment, health, or documentation, with a single standard of healthcare for everyone.

Please join us in Oakland's Frank Ogawa Plaza on Thursday, July 30, at 11 AM. There will be a lineup of distinguished and passionate speakers, share your own stories of why Medicare and universal healthcare are important, and other family-friendly activities. Buses will be bringing people from all over Northern California.

San Francisco people are meeting at the fountain at UN Plaza (7th & Market, Civic Center BART) to BART over to Oakland’s 12th Street BART together. For more information, call Michael at 415-215-7575 or email mlyon01 [at] comcast.net.