Donald Trump,Paul Ryan,Charles Schumer

President Donald Trump, left, talks with House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wis., center, and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer of NY, right, during a reception for House and Senate leaders in the the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Monday, Jan. 23, 2017. Schumer is concerned that Trump's administration will try to cut back or privatize Medicare. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

(Susan Walsh)

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer plans to warn Republicans in Congress today that he will fight attempts to privatize or cut back Medicare, the government-run health insurance program for seniors.

Schumer, D-N.Y., will ratchet up his defense of Medicare before the Senate holds a confirmation vote as early as this week on Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., the nominee to serve as President Donald Trump's top healthcare official.

As a congressman, Price pushed for a major overhaul of Medicare and wrote "nothing has had a greater negative effect on the delivery of health care than the federal government's intrusion into medicine through Medicare." Price is an orthopedic surgeon.

Trump said during his campaign that he would not change Medicare, but this week a spokesman said the president favors negotiating the program's prescription drug prices directly with pharmaceutical companies.

Schumer, the Senate Democratic leader, said his caucus will oppose any plan to scale back or privatize parts of Medicare with a voucher-based program.

"Every senior and every American should hear this loudly and clearly," Schumer said. "I will fight with every fiber of my being to beat back these harsh efforts to weaken, wound and destroy Medicare."

Schumer said the nation must keep its promise to seniors who have planned their retirement with Medicare as a government-run program.

"After paying into the system throughout their working lives, it is unconscionable that right wing extremists and ideologues seek to pull the rug out from under millions who depend on these modest, earned benefits for dignity and health security," he said.

Schumer said any GOP plan to switch Medicare to a private program, in which recipients are given vouchers to purchase private insurance, would result in substandard care at a higher cost.

About 3.3 million New Yorkers and 84,026 in Onondaga County are enrolled in the Medicare program as of 2014, and the number of beneficiaries is expected to rise quickly as baby boomers retire in record numbers.

In Central New York, 65,918 people will become eligible for Medicare between 2015 and 2020, according to a study by Cornell University. An additional 70,033 Central New Yorkers will become eligible to enroll for Medicare between 2020 and 2025.

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