Regarding the June 22 news article “Government reorganization plan embraces conservative goals for safety net”:

Last week, the House majority followed through with its plan to use deficits created by last year’s tax-cut legislation as an excuse to gut Medicare, Medicaid and other programs on which older adults and people with disabilities and their families rely.

The House Budget Committee’s proposed $537 billion in cuts to Medicare and more than $1.5 trillion in cuts to Medicaid and other health programs are just the tip of the iceberg. Lurking underneath is an implementing budget that would put 59 million Medicare beneficiaries at risk of higher costs and fewer choices by replacing their earned Medicare coverage with a fixed dollar amount, or voucher, to buy private insurance. Further, for 74  million Americans with Medicaid — including nearly 12 million low-income Medicare beneficiaries — the budget would end guaranteed coverage by transforming Medicaid into a capped system that would shift risks and costs onto states and people who need health care.

The proposed budget’s harmful structural changes and drastic funding cuts would shred the health and financial security of millions of American families. Placing the burden of paying for the tax bill onto older adults and people with disabilities who rely on Medicare and Medicaid is unconscionable.

Joe Baker, New York

The writer is president of the Medicare Rights Center.

Judith Stein, Washington

The writer is executive director of the Center for Medicare Advocacy.

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Unconscionable proposed changes to Medicare and Medicaid