For the past 30 years, my junior high girlfriends and I have gotten together for an annual gathering. But this year we celebrated something really special: We’re all 65 and on that wonderful government-run health care. We decided Medicare is the best thing about getting old.

As we toasted to no longer being at the mercy of private insurance companies, somebody said that Republicans are going to turn Medicare into a voucher plan for future enrollees. My heart sank.

I often heard Republicans wanted to privatize Medicare, but knowing how incredibly popular the program is, I didn’t believe they’d really attempt it. But be warned, they’re trying.

The 2018 House Budget Resolution regarding Medicare states: "Retirees should be able to choose the coverage plan best suited to their particular needs, rather than accept a set of benefits dictated by Washington."

The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare (NCPSSM) says what this really means is seniors would have to fend for themselves in the private insurance market with government-provided vouchers that wouldn’t fully cover their premiums or out-of-pocket costs.

U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan and other Republicans have been promoting this "premium support" (voucher) program for years, but they realize people aren’t going to give up these guaranteed benefits to deal with private insurance companies easily. So, they peddle myths to convince us that Medicare must be "reformed."

One myth is that Medicare is going broke, but it’s not.

In 2016, Ryan pushed this fake crisis on "CBS 60 Minutes." During that interview he said, "Medicare is going bankrupt in about 10 years."

But according to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities saying Medicare is going "bankrupt" is a misunderstanding (or misrepresentation) of Medicare finances.

The 2017 report from Medicare’s trustees finds that Medicare’s Hospital Insurance trust fund, otherwise known as Part A, will remain solvent through 2029. That means it is able to pay 100 percent of the costs of hospital coverage that Medicare provides.

Even in 2029, when the HI trust fund is projected to be depleted, incoming payroll taxes and other revenue will still be sufficient to pay 88 percent of Medicare hospital costs. Then the revenue will decline slowly to pay for 81 percent in 2041 and then rise gradually to 88 percent in 2091.

So, Medicare will not run out of all financial resources and cease to operate after 2029, as the term "bankruptcy" suggests. According to the Washington Post, Medicare’s Part A fund has been on the brink of going "broke" since its inception.

Another myth was pushed by U.S. House Rep. Dave Brat (R-VA) during an interview on CNN. Brat argued that Social Security and Medicare must be cut in order to balance the budget. But the NCPSSM says Social Security and Medicare Part A have no net effect on the federal budget, and don’t contribute a penny to the deficit because these programs are self-financed through workers’ payroll taxes.

Democrats and groups like the AARP fiercely oppose this effort to privatize Medicare, and they suggest several ways Congress could shore it up without changing this vital program.

Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) has put forth legislation that would allow Medicare to negotiate for lower drug prices with pharmaceutical companies, much like the Veterans Administration does. Medicare is currently prohibited from doing that.

I hope you youngsters don’t fall for the malarkey that Republicans are pushing, and fight to protect Medicare. Take it from an old-timer, it’s worth the fight.