Most New Yorkers acknowledge that Social Security and Medicare need to change to be sustainable for future generations. Of the more than 42,260 New Yorkers who responded to a recent AARP questionnaire, 72 percent say Medicare needs changes, 74 percent say Social Security needs changes, and 46 percent say they want to make their voices heard, but don't feel it will make any difference.
Yet, there has not been a more pressing time to be heard on these issues, regardless of your point of view. The next president and Congress will most likely determine the future of these programs. Conversations already have begun on how to strengthen them moving forward. The candidates for president and Congress owe it to us as voters and current or future retirees to listen to what we have to say. They also need to be offering us more than 30-second sound bites and negative campaign ads, and getting to the heart of how they would change these programs.
New Yorkers, especially those in the Capital Region, deserve this information. More than 162,000 Social Security beneficiaries and more than 139,000 Medicare enrollees live in the Capital Region.
Both of these programs have long been the cornerstones of our financial and health security as we age. Statewide, 2.3 million New Yorkers older than 65 received Social Security in 2011, comprising 58 percent of their income.
Without Social Security, 32 percent of older New Yorkers would fall into poverty. Approximately 96 percent of New York seniors were enrolled in Medicare last year. Their average out-of-pocket health care cost was $3,500, or 12 percent of their income.
Earlier this year, AARP launched "You've Earned a Say," a national conversation to ensure Americans have a voice in the debate about the future of Social Security and Medicare. AARP enlisted respected scholars from the Heritage Foundation and Brookings Institution, among other organizations, to provide an analysis of the proposals being considered in Washington to change these programs.
This nonpartisan information and analysis, along with tools and other resources, are just one way voters can learn more about the proposed changes and determine what the changes would mean to them.
With longer life expectancies and rising health care costs, Medicare and Social Security will need some adjustments to stay strong.
The downturn in the economy and lost retirement nest eggs mean retirees will rely more on these programs than they may have otherwise.
Candidates are missing a crucial opportunity in American history to address these issues and address the concerns of voters if they do not weigh in now on the changes they would support if elected.
Voters of all ages and political parties deserve straight facts so they can make their own informed choices on Election Day.
Neal Lane is a member of the AARP national policy council and New York executive council. To learn about the various proposals, share your voice, and view AARP's voter's guides on Medicare and Social Security, visit http://www.earnedasay.org.