Critical
legislation would strengthen Medicare, improve coverage for all Americans
Tallahassee
, Fla.
–
Last night the United States House of
Representatives passed critical health care reform legislation
that would strengthen Medicare for seniors and end discrimination
by insurance companies that prices millions of Americans out of
affordable health coverage.
The Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R.
3962) makes prescription drugs more affordable for seniors by
closing the dangerous gap in Medicare drug coverage and allowing
the program to negotiate lower drug prices. It adds cost-free
preventive services like cancer screenings and cracks down on
waste and fraud to protect and strengthen traditional Medicare
benefits. In addition, the legislation provides benefits to
help seniors and people with disabilities live in their own homes
and communities by establishing the Community Living Assistance
Services and Supports (CLASS) program.
For all Americans—especially those age 50 to 64
who often struggle to find affordable insurance—this plan
strictly limits how much more insurance companies can charge based
on age, and stops insurers from denying coverage based on a
person’s pre-existing health conditions or gender. For
those who still cannot find affordable coverage on their own, this
bill offers help so they can purchase insurance.
Florida
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VOTED YES ON THE
AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE FOR AMERICA ACT
|
VOTED NO ON THE
AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE FOR AMERICA ACT
|
Miller, Jeff
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√
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Boyd, Allen
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√
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Brown, Corinne
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√
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Crenshaw, Ander
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√
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Brown-Waite, Ginny
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√
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Stearns, Cliff
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√
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Mica, John
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√
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Grayson, Alan
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√
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Bilirakis, Gus
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√
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Young, Bill
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√
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Castor, Katherine
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√
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Putnam, Adam
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√
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Buchanan, Vern
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√
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Mack, Connie IV
|
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√
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Posey, Bill
|
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√
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Rooney, Tom
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√
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Meek, Kendrick
|
√
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Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana
|
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√
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Wexler, Robert
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√
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Wasserman-Schultz, Debbie
|
√
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Diaz-Balart, Lincoln
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√
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Klein, Ron
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√
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Hastings, Alcee
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√
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Kosmas, Suzanne
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√
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Diaz-Balart, Mario
|
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√
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*Did not vote
** How a legislator
votes on issues is only one factor in evaluating his or her
legislative performance, which should also include such things as
constituency services and committee work.
“Tonight our elected leaders took a major step
toward a stronger, more secure health system for millions of older
Floridians,” said Lori Parham, AARP’s Florida state
director. “This legislation will keep Medicare strong
for today’s seniors and future generations, provide
affordable, quality health care for millions of Floridians age
50-64, and take important steps toward reducing the high cost of
prescription drugs. We look forward to working with these
lawmakers to pass the Affordable Health Care for America Act this year.”
Parham said older Floridians were let down by some
lawmakers who voted against this bill and the opportunity to fix
our health care system. “This legislation must
move forward. Millions of Floridians age 50-64 struggle to
afford quality insurance and some 600,000 Floridians of this age
group lack any coverage at all. Many older Floridians age 65+
are being forced to choose between buying food or affording the
prescription drugs they need to stay healthy. We hope
lawmakers who voted against this legislation tonight will
reconsider their votes when a health care bill returns to the
House for final approval.”
AARP notified the 111th Congress that it
was tracking roll call votes on key legislation important to its
nearly 40 million members and reporting the outcomes of these
votes back to its members. “Unfortunately, the national
health-reform debate has been scarred by numerous misstatements
and misunderstanding. AARP will work with all older
Floridians to provide accurate, unbiased information on how this
legislation would benefit them and all generations.”
AARP members can see how their representatives voted
on health care reform by going to
www.aarp.org/governmentwatch
. AARP’s Government Watch is a one-stop
online portal that will be tracking and publicizing every
designated key vote on issues facing Americans age
50-plus. A “Key Vote Summary” highlighting
votes on these issues will be published at the end of each
congressional session.