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Late Saturday night the U.S. 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 health history or gender. For those who still cannot find affordable coverage on their own, this bill offers help so they can purchase insurance.

 

“We applaud Representative Earl Pomeroy for supporting this crucial legislation,” said Janis Cheney, AARP state director in North Dakota. “This bill will help millions of older Americans get the health coverage they need, while strengthening Medicare for today’s seniors and future generations.”

 

AARP notified the 111^th 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.

 

“When Americans understand the issues and where their lawmakers stand, they can make smart decisions. AARP will be there to give our members, as well as all Americans, the most accurate information we can,” Cheney said.

 

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.

 

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