Hidden Facts Few People Know About The Medicare-Social Security Link

Robert Jimison of The NY Times wrote an article on February 23, 2025 and this is the portion that concerns me most:

“When John Watt, the chairman of the Democratic Party in nearby Nacogdoches County, asked for guarantees from the congressman that he would oppose any cuts to Social Security if Mr. Trump and Mr. Musk turned their attention to the entitlement program.

“Will you be courageous enough to stand up to them?” Mr. Watt asked.

Mr. Sessions spoke at length about his support for the program, but said he could not promise it would be insulated from the blunt cuts Republicans in Washington are seeking across the government. Instead, he said he supported a comprehensive audit of the program that could result in some cuts.

“I’m not going to tell you I will never touch Social Security,” Mr. Sessions said, parting ways with Mr. Trump, who campaigned saying he never would. “What I will tell you is that I believe we’re going to do for the first time in years a top-to-bottom review of that. And I will come back, and I will do a town-hall meeting in your county and place myself before you and let you know about the options. But I don’t know what they’re proposing right now.”

It was a nod to the uncertainty surrounding the Republican budget plan, even as House leaders hope to hold a vote on it within days. Already, the level of cuts they are contemplating to Medicaid has drawn resistance from some G.O.P. lawmakers whose constituents depend heavily on the program, raising questions about whether they will have the votes to pass their blueprint at all.

The public pushback could further complicate that debate, as well as efforts to reach a spending agreement as lawmakers return to Washington this week with less than three weeks to avert a government shutdown.”

My POV: As an Earned Entitlement, Social Security is most retirees’ limited incomes. The healthcare attached to social security, which we pay for through a monthly premium deduction, covers our traditional Medicare. It is thought to be the BEST healthcare for most seniors. Many of us also have a supplemental health insurance plan that is either paid privately or by our former employers separately covering the 20% Medicare does not cover. By CONGRESS threatening it, many seniors become anxious and worried they either won’t survive or be forced to be added to the growing ranks of the homeless. This is pure fact and no exaggeration. Many of us believe, true or not, that politicians attempting to push us into Medicare Advantage plans may receive kickbacks or other perks as promised by the lobbyist of private insurance companies. The aging population, which no person can avoid becoming one day, is irrefutably threatened with consistent harm.

This article, also mentioned Medicaid. Medicaid, to my knowledge, is distributed by the States to the needy. Medicaid is a different program than Medicare and is often confused by many people. An older person may receive both Medicare and Medicaid if they require it and in some cases are poverty line classified. Others who are classified as needy, including undocumented immigrants can receive Medicaid if the City or State decides to grant it to them.

Medicare is for Seniors and Seniors continue to pay monthly for it. After retiring it is called a deduction from Social Security.

MediCAID is part of a City and State’s Welfare program used as its’ health care plan, all taxpayers pay for this. Federal involvement is the budgeted funds they give to each State to desiminate its Medicaid.

Any age can receive this if warranted by the State or City of residence.

The federal government handles Social Security and Medicare funds. We taxpaying citizens paid into the fund with our social security tax from every paycheck we earned. The federal government, Congress in particular was holding the funds since its inception. They could borrow from it as needed and REPAY what they borrowed to keep it solvent for citizens as they retired to have a limited income to live off of. However, a bulk of the fund was borrowed from at one point and never repaid thus leaving Social Security in jeopardy of running too low to continue paying out to its investors…the American Citizen retiree. Now Congress is looking to change or remove this needed program to cover up their error in not repaying these funds by taking away this earned entitlement income from the vulnerable population of taxpaying Seniors/Retirees. My only conclusion is to say “Hands off this program” and its components. Traditional Medicare far outranks Medicare (dis) advantage plans.

Seniors do not want private insurers to cover their needs nor possibly further profit the politicians pockets, not the tule requiring unnecessary authorized permission other than their individual doctors prescribe. And please stop lumping MediCARE with MediCAID they are two distinctly different programs.

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