Little Rock, Arkansas
United States
vb_walk vol w cane tests walkability101.jpgAARP Board Member tells Arkansans: We must fix health care!
The following are excerpts from a speech on health care reform made by Dr. William "Bill" Hall, AARP Board member, at the 2009 Long-term Care Policy Summit in Little Rock in September 2009.
As many as 7 million of all persons age 50-64 are uninsured today - nearly 70,000 right here in Arkansas. And people in Medicare, which includes one of every five Arkansas residents, are spending 30 percent of their income on health care.
As we've listened to our members about their health care concerns, we've heard a great deal of confusion, frustration, anger, and desperation. They have been pretty clear about what they would like to see us achieve for them.
Too many of our members have been denied coverage because they have a pre-existing condition. Others have fallen victim to insurance companies that charge expensive rates they couldn't afford. AARP strongly supports the House of Representatives-sponsored provisions to limit age rating to no more than a 2-to-1 ratio.
AARP also supports providing subsidies to individuals up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level. Without these subsidies, many of our members will not be able to afford coverage or the cost sharing for covered care.
We have made it clear that any final health care reform plan must use savings from removing waste, fraud, and inefficiency in Medicare to: 1. close the Part D "doughnut hole"; 2. pay doctors more fairly so our members will continue to have access to the doctors they want; 3. covering more preventive services such as cancer screenings; and, 4. keep premiums and out-of-pocket costs fair.
Also, health care reform must protect consumers and choices by making sure no one will get between them and their doctor: not insurance companies -- not the government -- and that no one will tell them which doctors or treatments they should have.
And health care reform should ensure that all Americans know that if they lose their job or change jobs, they will be able to get affordable, quality health insurance.
AARP has endorsed the Medicare Transitional Act, which would assist individuals and provide family caregivers in managing medications and treatments and provide resources and support. It would save Medicare dollars and reduce the number of Medicare beneficiaries who are readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of their discharge
Enhanced federal Medicaid matching funds for home and community-based services could provide incentives for states to make short-term investments that save money and improve lives
Congress should focus on improving the quality of care and reducing costs for individuals who are "dual eligibles" - eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid.
Some say that health care reform is too expensive and we can't afford to fix it. The fact is if we do nothing to fix health care, in the next seven years families with Medicare or employer-based health coverage will likely see their premiums nearly double again and the share of family income spent on health care will nearly double.
The fact is, AARP believes we can't afford not to fix health care.
Major Medical For All
Pay for our own headache & stubbed toe visits
I agree that our healthcare needs to be improved but the plan as proposed by the President and his comrades is not the solution that we as Senior AARP members who are on Medicare need. This proposal would rob Medicare receipants of billions of dollars and ration healthcare to a point where we will no longer be able to choose our Doctors nor the types and levels of care that we might need. I would make a plea to Senators Lincoln and Pryor to use all their influence to defeat the plan as proposed and work toward trying to get some workable system that will not drain funds from The Medicare system and not do away with the TriCare for Life program for Retired Military
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