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!