Don Berry’s column, “Medicare, Medicaid funding at risk,” contained some factual errors that need to be corrected (July 29).

In May 2011 and again in May 2012, U.S. Sen. Susan Collins voted against House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s budget proposal. Although she strongly supports the goal of reining in federal spending with the goal of reaching a balanced budget, she opposed Chairman Ryan’s individual provisions, including his proposal to restructure Medicare in a way that would be harmful to the nearly 49 million American seniors and disabled individuals who rely on the program.

Sen. Collins is also concerned that the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimate the Ryan Medicare plan would actually increase health care costs.

Sen. Collins believes our country needs to have a serious debate about the future of Medicare, particularly in light of the 2012 report of the Medicare trustees that projects that Medicare will run out of funds to pay full benefits as soon as 2024. She believe there are reforms that could be made that would not jeopardize access to affordable health care for seniors.

Kevin Kelley, Washington, D.C.

Communications director for Sen. Susan Collins