President and CEO of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, Barbara B. Kennelly, details the successful delivery of 48,000 petitions signed by seniors throughout the nation asking the Senate to eliminate or reduce billions in insurance industry subsidies to private Medicare providers and to strengthen the traditional Medicare program. Congress is considering legislation that could include cuts to billions of dollars in subsidies to private insurers. These overpayments will cost the federal government $149 billion dollars over the next decade and cut two years from Medicare's solvency. Seniors want Congress to reduce those subsidies to improve and strengthen Medicare for future generations. Contrary to what the insurance industry claims, cutting industry subsidies is not the same as cutting Medicare.