Rahm Emanuel and Bruce Reed on Reitrement Health Benefits

They wrote Before We're 64 which appeared in The Washington Post on November 5. Surely this is of interest for many in this area where so many were and still some are employed by companies providing health care benefits.

We can't afford to let American workers and companies wither on the vine. We can ease the cost crunch for both by giving employers and unions a new option: buying Medicare coverage for retirees ages 55 to 64. Retirees would get quality care from a program they can trust. Employers would get to buy affordable insurance and take spiraling health costs off their books.

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A Medicare buy-in for retirees ages 55 to 64 won't cost taxpayers. Companies could pick up most of the cost; instead of GM contributing $30 billion to a VEBA, that money would go to Medicare. Retirees would have to pay higher premiums than traditional Medicare beneficiaries do to receive health care.

Taxpayers would also benefit, because the more we can do to make Americans healthier from 55 to 64, the less Medicare will have to spend on chronic conditions later.

For many companies, buying into Medicare would be the most affordable option. It could make the difference in whether companies are able to compete -- and whether companies are able to provide retiree health coverage.