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Name: AARP-NC
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Raleigh, North Carolina
United States
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AARP State Office Staff
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Survey: AARP Members Support Critical Provisions of House Bill

 

A new poll of AARP members released November 16 finds strong support across party and ideological lines for elements of health care reform included in the Affordable Health Care for America Act, which recently passed the House of Representatives. The bill, which strictly limits how much more insurance companies can charge based on age and closes the Medicare prescription drug doughnut hole, was endorsed by AARP
 
The survey included AARP members in North Carolina.
 
While a partisan divide was evident when respondents were asked about the current plan in Congress, AARP members supported the legislation by more than a 2-1 (63%-30%) margin. More than half of self-described independents indicated support for the plan.
 
Among AARP members, strong majorities reported that many of the bill’s key provisions were convincing reasons to support the legislation. These include strictly limiting insurers from charging much higher premiums because of age (68%), closing the gap in Medicare’s prescription drug coverage known as the doughnut hole (69%) and improving coverage for critical preventive services like cancer screenings (77%).
 
 “This survey demonstrates what we’ve been hearing from our members for a long time,” said AARP Board Chairman Bonnie Cramer of Raleigh. “Despite an inflammatory debate on a very personal and important issue, our members—across party and ideological lines—support health care reform that protects Medicare, lowers the price of prescription drugs, increases their access to coverage and protects their choice of doctors.”
 
Other reform elements with high levels of support among AARP members included ensuring Americans can see the doctor of their choice (76%), stopping insurance companies from denying coverage because of a person’s health history (75%) and ensuring Americans can keep their current coverage (78%). Majorities of self-identified Republicans supported most of the reform elements presented, including stopping discrimination because of pre-existing conditions (66%), covering routine preventive care (64%) and allowing Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices (64%).
 
Cramer added: “The bill recently passed by the House incorporates the reforms that our members care most about. We’ll continue the fight for these critical elements as the Senate takes up its own legislation in the coming weeks. Our members, and all older Americans, are counting on lawmakers to reform the health care system this year.”
 
Starting on Tuesday, November 17th, AARP will launch a new national television ad on a mix of news, lifestyle, cable and sports channels. The ad, entitled “HELP,” demonstrates that people from all walks of life are feeling stranded by the current health care system. It calls attention to the need for the kind of health care reform AARP has been fighting for: reform that will put patients first, protect Medicare, bring down drug costs and ensure that no one can be denied affordable health care because of their age or health history. 
 
AARP surveyed its members on key health care reform provisions supported by AARP, as well as other contentious issues being discussed in the debate. The telephone survey, fielded October 30 to November 8, 2009, was conducted with randomly selected members of AARP.  The nationally representative sample of 803 AARP members has a margin of error of +/- 3.5%.
Added: November 16, 2009
Views: 12 | Comments: 0 | Bookmarks: 0

AARP Endorses, House Passes Health Care Bill

 

In the debate on health care reform, AARP has chosen a side – yours.
 
We’re fighting to: 
 
·                     protect and improve traditional Medicare benefits;
·                     lower prescription drug costs for seniors;
·                     make sure you can see the doctor of your choice or find a doctor if you need one;
·                     prevent insurance companies from charging you unaffordable premiums 
because of your age or denying you coverage or dropping your coverage because
of your health;
·                     ensure you and your doctors are making treatment decisions – not the
            government or your insurance company; and
·                     make sure your care isn’t taking a back seat to insurance companies.
 
That’s why, after carefully evaluating the House Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962), AARP’s all-volunteer Board of Directors – which is made up of working and retired doctors, nurses, business people, and teachers – with your needs and wishes squarely in mind – endorsed the House bill because it contains most of the critical priorities we’ve been fighting for.
 
We were pleased that two days after our endorsement, the U.S. House passed a bill that will help ensure older Americans can get the health care they need.
 
Now that you’ve been reminded of our priorities, let me tell you how the House bill delivers on them. First, this bill will strengthen your Medicare. It will protect traditional Medicare benefits for you and put the program on more stable financial ground so it will be there for you and for your children and grandchildren. The bill will also protect the doctor/patient relationship and ensure that no one-not the government or your insurance company -- can come between you and your doctor.
 
The bill will lower out-of-pocket drug costs for millions of people in Medicare by providing immediate relief, closing the infamous Part D “doughnut hole” over time and allowing Medicare to negotiate with drug makers for lower drug prices. Today’s prescription drugs keep you out of hospitals; out of emergency rooms; and out of doctor’s offices.
 
They give you hope and, in many cases, save lives. But they cannot do any of these things if you can’t afford them. Getting the prescription drugs you need must be based on your doctor’s orders -- not on the condition of your bank account. That’s real reform! 
 
The House bill will require Medicare to cover screenings for diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis and other preventive care -- free of charge. And, it provides a benefit 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. The bill also commits resources to crack down on waste, fraud and abuse in the Medicare program.
 
For those under 65, there’s plenty for you to like about this bill, too. The bill will ensure that you can keep your current health insurance coverage if you want to; prevents insurance companies from charging you unaffordable rates because of your age; and prohibits insurance companies from denying you coverage because of a pre-existing medical condition. The House bill limits how much your insurance company can make you pay in out-of-pocket costs. It provides extra help to those who cannot afford to pay their premiums. And it requires coverage of routine checkups and preventive care like screening for diabetes, cancer and osteoporosis free of charge.
 
Insurance companies should not be able to charge you seven times or more what they charge a younger person for the same insurance—which happens in some states across the country. It’s discriminatory and it must change.
 
Under this legislation, it will change. Insurance companies will not be able to reject you, or charge you an outrageous premium because you got sick once, might get sick again, lost your job, are over 50-years old, or because your employer dropped your coverage. Under this bill, having quality affordable health insurance will never again be a matter of wealth or luck. That’s real reform!
 
At AARP, we believe Medicare is a sacred promise that was made to seniors – because no one should be left to struggle with medical bills after a lifetime of hard work. We’ve worked hard to protect and improve Medicare since its inception, and we’re not about to stop now.
 
We’re going to fight to make sure that our priority measures contained in the House bill are included in the final health care bill that the President signs. And we’ve let Congress and the Administration know that we also will fight like you-know-what against any proposal that would hurt you, rather than help you.
 
 
The time to act is now! The time to fight is now! We need to fix what’s wrong with our health care system and preserve what’s right -- improve care for each of you and getting more value for your health care dollar.
 
The focus now turns to the United States Senate. AARP needs you to make it clear to your senators that you want their health care reform bill to: protect and strengthen Medicare; make sure seniors can continue to see the doctor of their choice; help millions with the high cost of prescription drugs by closing the “doughnut hole;” and prevent insurance companies from denying older Americans affordable health coverage because of their age or health.
 
We can make this happen. Let’s do it!

 

Added: November 16, 2009
Views: 7 | Comments: 0 | Bookmarks: 0

House Bills Meet AARP Priorities

 

Since we began our latest battle for comprehensive health care reform more than two years ago, AARP has fought for a health care bill that provides quality, affordable health coverage options for all Americans and protects Medicare for seniors and for future generations.
 
We have read the House of Representatives’ Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962) and the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act (H.R. 3961), and we can say with confidence that they meet our priorities for protecting Medicare and reforming our health care system.
 
For the more than 45 million Americans in Medicare – xx in State alone – the House plan completely closes the dangerous gap in prescription drug coverage known as the doughnut hole, adds cost-free preventive benefits like cancer screenings, cracks down on waste and fraud and protects the traditional Medicare benefits people in the program rely on.
 
For all Americans—including our younger members who often struggle to find affordable insurance (an estimated xx,xxx in STATE between the ages of 50 to 64 are uninsured) — the House plan makes coverage more affordable by strictly limiting how much more insurance companies charge based on age.  Americans will also no longer be denied coverage based on health history or discriminated against because of gender, and those who still cannot afford insurance on their own will receive help to purchase affordable coverage.
 
In addition, the House plan begins to repair the country’s outdated system of long-term care with new provisions to help people prepare for their long-term care needs and live in their own homes as they grow older.
 
While AARP is pleased to see that H.R. 3962/H.R. 3961 include many of the proposals that are most critical to protecting Medicare and ensuring Americans age 50+ have access to stable, affordable health care, we know the fight isn’t over. That’s why we’re going to keep working with members of the House and Senate to ensure our priorities are included in any final health care reform bill.
 
And, as the legislative process moves forward, we’ve let Congress and the Administration know that we will fight with the strength of our nearly 40 million members against any proposal that would hurt rather than help Medicare and older Americans’ access to affordable, quality health care.
 
We will continue to provide the information you need to decide for yourself what the health reform will mean to you. For information on the latest developments, go to www.aarp.org/getthefacts.
Added: November 5, 2009
Views: 41 | Comments: 1 | Bookmarks: 0

New Doughnut Hole Calculator Introduced

 

Autumn is the time of year when many people in Medicare Part D fall into the infamous “doughnut hole.” The doughnut hole is a coverage gap in the Medicare Part D benefit that requires enrollees to pay all their medication costs once they have received $2,700 worth of drugs until their total drug costs reaches approximately $6,100. For some, the added Rx costs are unexpected or unpredictable, and for many, being in the doughnut hole is simply unaffordable.
     This year, the doughnut hole need not be as burdensome as before because of a new Doughnut Hole calculator from AARP. This online, interactive tool, available at www.aarp.org/doughnuthole, guides consumers to options for reducing their Part D spending by identifying less costly generic or therapeutically similar alternatives.
     Nationally, about one in every four Part D enrollees not enrolled in low-income subsidies, who filled one or more prescriptions in 2007 – some 3.4 million people – fell into the doughnut hole, according to a report from the Kaiser Family Foundation. That same year in North Carolina, a higher percentage – 30 percent - fell into the coverage gap. On average, patients out of pocket spending doubles when they reach the doughnut hole, and 16 percent of the people in the coverage gap report stopping or reducing their medications as a result.
     The less expensive medication options generated by the Doughnut Hole Calculator are created using a number of highly scientific sources, such as the Oregon Health and Science University’s Drug Effectiveness Review Project. Users of the calculator do not need to register their personal information, and their medical data are not saved, ensuring privacy.
     To use the calculator, go to www.aarp.org/doughnuthole, type in your zip code, select your Part D plan from the list and list the medications you take routinely. The calculator will:
  • Show if and when you will fall into the doughnut hole this year;
  • Identify up to three different medications that have a similar medical effect as your prescribed drugs but are less expensive;
  • Recalculate your out of pocket costs using these drug options and shows if and when you’ll hit the doughnut hole if you switch to the other similar prescription medications; and
  • Include a letter that you can bring to your doctor to discuss whether the drug options will work for you.
        The process only takes about 15 minutes, requires no registration and is anonymous. Users do not have to give their name or Medicare number. The calculator works with all Part D plans and does not promote any particular one. It does not require that you switch plans in order to save money.
     In a related development affecting brand name drugs, , AARP has endorsed an offer by drug manufacturers to contribute some $80 million during the next ten years toward discounting the cost of Medicare prescriptions by 50 percent. The pharmaceutical trade group PhRMA, the Pharmaceutical Researchers and Manufacturers of America, has committed to allowing seniors who fall into the doughnut hole to pay half-price for all brand-name medicines, which could save some 3.5 million retirees up to $1,700 per year. In addition, the full price of the drug – not the discounted price – would count toward an individual’s out of pocket total, thus maximizing the insurance benefit.
     If enacted as part of overall health care reform legislation, the PhRMA discount offer for brand name drugs would not take place until 2010, so the AARP Doughnut Hole Calculator will be a valuable tool in suggesting less expensive generic or therapeutically similar medications in the interim and beyond.
Added: June 22, 2009
Views: 254 | Comments: 0 | Bookmarks: 0