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St. Petersburg, Tallahassee, Miramar, Florida
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St. Petersburg, Tallahassee, Miramar, Florida
United States
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AARP
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The power to make it better
The power to make it better
AARP's SHAARP Session blog dispels common health reform mythsAARP Florida endorses House health-reform legislation
AARP Florida State Director Lori Parham issued this statement Thursday, Nov. 5.
Today AARP announces it is endorsing the Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962) and the accompanying Medicare physician payment fix (H.R. 3961). We are fighting for these bills because they would keep Medicare strong, ensure Medicare beneficiaries have access to their doctors, end insurer discrimination against older Americans, and help make health coverage more affordable for Floridians age 50 to 64.
Americans of all generations have debated the health-reform issue heatedly this year, but for AARP, only one thing matters: How health-reform legislation would affect our nearly 3 million members across Florida.
And there, our bottom line boils down to this: Older Floridians win with the Affordable Health Care for America Act. They too often lose with today’s broken health system. This legislation would provide peace of mind for millions of older Floridians who are only one serious illness away from crushing health costs, and it would be a huge help to the hundreds of thousands of Floridians 50+ already struggling with health-care issues.
Parham cited specific benefits that older Floridians would see. The legislation would:
- Protect and strengthen Medicare for today’s seniors and future generations.
- Ensure seniors can see the doctor of their choice and receive needed treatment by improving Medicare’s payments to doctors. If Congress does not take action, physicians nationwide will see a 21-percent reduction in Medicare reimbursements in January 2010.
- Lower sky-high drug costs for seniors by allowing the government to negotiate with drug companies for lower drug prices in Medicare; provide strong, immediate discounts on name-brand prescription drugs for those in the Medicare Part D “doughnut hole,” and close the Medicare Part D “doughnut hole” completely over time.
- Reduce waste, inefficiency, fraud and abuse in the Medicare program. H.R. 3962 increases federal resources to prosecute Medicare fraudsters and provides new penalties.
- Provide affordable health insurance options for Floridians age 50-64 who don’t have health coverage. An estimated 600,000 Floridians in this age group lack health coverage, and one in four Floridians age 60 or older is rejected for health coverage if he or she has no health coverage on the job.
- Require Medicare and insurance companies to provide for important preventive services like screenings for diabetes, cancer and osteoporosis free of charge.
- Prevent insurers from denying affordable coverage to anyone because of their age or because of “pre-existing conditions.” The legislation allows insurers to charge older Floridians no more than twice as much as younger people for the same coverage. Current law allows insurers to charge seniors seven times as much.
- Limit how much your health insurance company can make you pay out-of-pocket. Currently, more than half of all bankruptcies in Florida are caused by high health costs.
- Provide benefits to help seniors and people with disabilities live in their own homes and communities.
AARP Florida members, volunteers and staff will be reaching out to members of Congress, asking them to support this important legislation. For more information, please go to www.healthactionnow.org or www.aarp.org/fl .
Boomer123 says:
I am an AARP member and support the decision to endorse the health care bill. The health care system as it exists is broken. Thank goodness someone is **** something to fix it!
It is worth remembering that in 2002 when Republican Speaker Tom DeLay and President George Bush needed help in passing the Medicare Part D (prescription drugs) bill they came to AARP and AARP endorsed the bill because AARP thought it was the right thing to do. Now AARP is endorsing this medical reform House bill because we think it is the right thing to do.
Thank You AARP for always trying to do what is right, regardless of which party is in power!!
Posted: November 5, 2009 6:43PM EST
lagunaray says:
AARPs leadership is a bunch of traitors, cowards and thieves. You have sold out your members and now Obama can tell all Americans he has the support of seniors. At the very least AARP should not endorse anything political but AARP has endorsed the worst bill ever written. What promises did the White House give you? What was the price did the White house pay. AARP like the AMA has become a political activist group that supports liberal and radical change that not only does not benefit seniors, it hurts them
Posted: November 5, 2009 5:20PM EST
addfirst says:
I live in FL and there is no way AARP members in this state support the Health Care Reform Bill. The FL Director who posted this journal is a liar. If she feels she is right, put it to a vote of all Florida and AARP members. I think you will find it won't pass muster. Write the national board of directors and complain. I will be campaigning to remove every director and paid officer of this association for publicly supporting the health care bill without a vote of the membership!!!
Posted: November 5, 2009 3:37PM EST
chloebess says:
There is NO WAY your organization can represent my interests.....................AARP is definitely only in it for the money. I am having difficulty in remaining civil in my opposition to this travesty!!
Posted: November 5, 2009 1:46PM EST
psarames says:
Please be advised that in my opinion AARP no longer represents the best interests of seniors. What are you getting out of endorcing of this 1900 page joke? One thing you will no longer be getting is my dues - why belong to an organization that no longer represents my best interests? I will be cancelling my membership!
Posted: November 5, 2009 12:39PM EST
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Added: Nov 5, 2009
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