This old gray Granny splits all her pills in half. The drug companies just laugh; Their profits are off the graph. But granny can’t afford to pay for her pills, and so I guess we’ll have to shoot her now. The Raging Grannies recently sang these lyrics with MJ members in celebration of Medicare’s 48^th birthday. Members visited both the Monroe County Democratic Committee office and the office of NY State Assemblymember Harry Bronson to show their support for the program.

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The Grannies, a group of activist seniors in button adorned hats, sang song parodies outlining the importance of Medicare. Through humor, they demonstrated why Medicare is so necessary for seniors. Metro Justice members entered the offices complete with party horns, hats, and birthday sweets to share with office workers and Hon. Bronson.

Medicare, which provides healthcare coverage to Americans over 65 and Americans living with disabilities, has played a vital role in US society decades. Currently, the program benefits nearly 50 million Americans in need. Medicare helps pay for necessary healthcare coverage to those who are unable to provide for themselves.

Despite its importance, Medicare is under constant attack. It's used as a scapegoat for the budget deficit, and there have been proposals from the Right to turn it into a voucher system, which would put more and more cost burdens on those in need.

Metro Justice recognizes the sanctity of Medicare and aims not just to protect the healthcare system we have, but to push for an even better one with single-payer health insurance. The latter would have the government and tax system cover all healthcare costs, guaranteeing every American access to care, regardless of income level and health status.

To show your support for universal healthcare coverage, sign up to help on our website, metrojustice.org.