My name is Kitty Kennedy and I live in Tucson, Arizona. 

I am a retired senior who relies on Medicare, and I have a two-part story to share about how Medicare has affected my life. 

I am extremely fortunate to have supplemental health care coverage through my retirement plan. It has covered the expensive drugs I need. But I know without that plan, I would be facing prices I likely could not afford.  I have so many friends who are being hammered by inflated drug prices. Too often, I hear stories of seniors like me who have had to drain their savings accounts and make devastating sacrifices just to be able to afford to stay alive. No one should ever have to do that. 

I know firsthand the impacts of high healthcare costs. For fifteen years I was the caregiver of my mother. She was a heart patient. During those years that I paid for my mother’s health care expenses, I sold my house, drained my life savings, cashed out stocks and went into extreme debt. It took me a decade to pay off all of those expenses.

I keep my mother’s story in mind, and how the high prices of prescription drugs and health care took me to the edge of bankruptcy. Because of this, I know how fortunate I am to have retirement health care coverage.

Why can’t every senior be as fortunate as I am and not have to spend day in and day out making ends meet just to afford their prescriptions? If Medicare were able to negotiate drug prices, then all seniors would be given the relief they deserve. The time for change is now.