Medicare Isn't Free Genius
Let me stipulate that Elon Musk is a genius. Now, how can a genius be so damn ignorant? Medicare isn't free. Elon, please stop shooting off your mouth and go back to shooting off rockets.
Elon falsely claims that the government is spending 80 billion dollars a year on Medicare. Nonsense! The American people pay for Medicare just like the American people pay for Social Security.
The current tax rate for Social Security is 6.2% for the employer and 6.2% for the employee, or 12.4% total. The current rate for Medicare is 1.45% for the employer and 1.45% for the employee, or 2.9% total.
Specific paycheck deductions are paid to the Social Security Trust Fund, and a specific percentage is paid to Medicare. Even Social Security recipients continue to pay for Medicare out of their Social Security benefits.
In 2025, the standard monthly Medicare Part B premium, which is automatically deducted from Social Security benefits, is $185. Medicare and Social Security are paid for by the American people. Period!
Elon Musk was elected to nothing. Elon doesn't understand a democracy. A man with zero government experience, zero medical experience, and zero military experience shouldn't be in charge of anything.
Elon calls Social Security a Ponzi scheme. A successful trust fund for 90 years should never be called a Ponzi scheme. Not even by a genius! Elon's mistruths are intended to damage Social Security and Medicare. There are no individuals 150 years old collecting Social Security checks. Cutting the staff at the Social Security Administration is only intended to damage the Social Security program.
More importantly, damaging Social Security and Medicare isn't just bad policy-- it's a direct attack on the millions of senior citizens who have worked their entire lives contributing to these programs. These hardworking Americans paid into Social Security and Medicare with the promise that the benefits they earned would be there when they needed them. Now, they are forced to live with the fear of losing what they rightfully deserve.
And, what about today's workers? They are required to continue paying into Social Security, yet they are being told it will run out. If that's the case, why are they still obligated to contribute? Instead of trying to dismantle a system that has worked for decades, why not focus on optimizing it?
It is past time to call out Elon Musk for his nonsense and mistruths intended to damage American Institutions and our Democracy.
Fred Flanagan
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