TO THE HONORABLE DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED, AND TO THE SECRETARY OF THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES:

We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:

WHEREAS, Original Medicare was created in 1965 as a public good to provide a national health care system for seniors and the disabled in the United States and has proven to be our most efficient and effective public health care program with administrative costs accounting for only two to three percent of Medicare spending; and

WHEREAS, Since the federal government has created various for-profit privatized health care programs within Medicare including Part D which covers prescription drugs, Medigap which are supplemental plans to cover Medicare Part B's 20 percent copays, and Medicare Advantage which is permitted to take up to 15 percent of every Medicare dollar for administration and profits for managing Medicare claims; and

WHEREAS, Recent reports by the department of health and human services inspector general, academic researchers, and investigative journalists have uncovered wide-ranging fraudulent practices, confirming that upcoding, overpayments, delaying medically necessary care, and the denial of claims by insurers and other private businesses managing Medicare claims, together, account for overcharging the Medicare trust fund and Medicare beneficiaries by as much as $75 billion to $140 billion annually; and

WHEREAS, Insurers and wall street are fiercely lobbying to gain a larger share of the soon-to-be $1.6 trillion of annual Medicare spending by further privatizing Medicare and turning it into a profit center, thus hastening the depletion of the Medicare trust fund at a time when Medicare beneficiaries are among the most vulnerable populations served in health care, and need more, not fewer benefits;

NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray in opposition to Medicare privatization and urge the federal government to level the playing field between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage so that Medicare beneficiaries will not suffer additional costs by choosing Original Medicare and will have a genuine choice between the public and private program as a step towards increasing health care equity by:

(1) Eliminating the Original Medicare 20 percent copays and setting an out-of-pocket cap on medical expenses;

(2) Adding benefits to Original Medicare such as dental, vision, and hearing coverage as is permitted in private Medicare Advantage plans;

(3) Eliminating the allowed excessive administrative costs and profits in the Medicare Advantage programs; and

(4) Recouping funds for the Medicare trust fund from the Medicare Advantage overpayments, fraud, and abuse that have been documented in academic studies, congressional reports, and investigations by the department of health and human services in order to support a robust Original Medicare system that will lower costs and improve benefits, access, and equity for all seniors and disabled beneficiaries.

BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable Donald J. Trump, President of the United States, the Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.