Washington, DC - Congressman John D. Dingell (D-MI15) made the following remarks after Medicare and Social Security trustees released their annual reports today.  The Medicare Board of Trustees said the financial outlook for the Medicare Trust Funds has substantially improved as a result of the Affordable Care Act.  The Trustees report that Medicare’s Hospital Insurance (HI) Trust Fund is now projected to remain solvent until 2029, which is 12 years longer than reported last year.  There was no change in the projections for Social Security and trustees say expenditures will exceed receipts for the first time in more than 25 years.

“Medicare is extremely popular with seniors, and this is rightfully so.  My Democratic colleagues and I worked hard during the crafting of health reform to ensure that it would continue to be a reliable program for generations to come. I am pleased that the trustees report shows our hard work paid off, extending the solvency of the program by an additional 12 years.  The trustees report found provisions designed to slow the growth of Medicare costs do exactly that.  This should quiet all of those who tried to say health reform will do harm to Medicare.  In fact, health reform strengthens Medicare.  We will continue to do all we can to ensure Medicare remains a viable program in the long term for our nation’s seniors.

“The news was not as good on Social Security, but Democrats remain committed to protecting this benefit earned after year of sweat and labor by hard working Americans.  There are those with much ballyhooed plans – like the proposed ‘Ryan budget’ – that aspire to destroy this popular program.  We can’t let that happen.”