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My grandmothers were always terrified of becoming ill and not being able to afford medical care. One grandmother had lost an eye to glaucoma; she didn't tend to it until it was too late to save her eye. She had a glass eye, from the age of 65 or so. She died at 94, and had had a glass eye, with concommitant vision problems, for about 30 years.

My father in law had glaucoma as well; he had medical care under Medicare, and received attention to his difficulties with his glaucoma. Because of this, he never lost either his vision or his eye, and died with both intact at 91.

The difference here was Medicare, which was created when he was middle aged (with a great deal of grief, including politicians like Ronald Reagan screaming that this was "Socialized Medicine").

My grandfather Otto Frank died in October 1951 from a cerebral hemhorrage, certainly because of uncontrolled hypertension, at age 71. His oldest son, also with hypertension, lived to 91, and died in 2004 from other causes; he had the advantage of Medicare. His father did not.

I could go on.

Medicare has made a HUGE difference in not only health care among the elderly, but among concerns of the elderly. They are now able to live their lives knowing that they have the support they need to deal with medical problems, and can remain productive much longer.