AARP Thanks Congress for Keeping Medicare Fair, Overriding White House Veto
Bipartisan Bill Improves Low-Income Help and Boosts Quality through National E-Prescribing, Helps Ensure Access to Doctors
SUMMARY: Today the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate voted overwhelmingly to override a White House veto and pass important Medicare legislation. The Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act will improve Medicare’s low-income programs, boost health care quality with a system of national e-prescribing, and help ensure the access of patients to their doctors.
|
SOUTH CAROLINA
|
VOTED YES TO PASS MEDICARE BILL
|
VOTED NO ON MEDICARE BILL
|
|
Rep. Gresham Barrett
|
|
X
|
|
Rep. Henry Brown
|
X
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
|
Sen. Jim DeMint
|
|
X
|
|
Sen. Lindsey Graham
|
|
X
|
|
Rep. Bob Inglis
|
X
|
|
|
Rep. John Spratt
|
X
|
|
|
Rep. Joe Wilson
|
X
|
|
*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.
“Today’s vote is a victory for the 44 million Americans who depend on Medicare, and we applaud Representatives Henry Brown, James Clyburn, Bob Inglis, John Spratt, and Joe Wilson for their continued support,” said Jane Wiley, AARP South Carolina state director. “This bipartisan legislation will help more Americans afford their health care bills while bringing doctors offices and pharmacies into the 21st century with e-prescribing.”
Wiley added: “We are disappointed that Senators Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint along with Representative Gresham Barrett voted against this important legislation. This bill would begin to bring down health care costs for millions of Americans, while reducing dangerous drug interactions with electronic prescriptions.”
AARP has been advocating for several months to ensure that lawmakers keep Medicare fair for the people who depend on it when Congress addresses physician payment cuts. AARP has also been advocating for this bill’s improvements to Medicare, particularly the low-income programs and electronic prescribing.
Since launching the “Keep Medicare Fair” initiative in April, AARP’s grassroots volunteers and activists have sent more than 1.2 million messages to Congress and the White House. As part of this effort, an AARP survey released May 19 found that of adults 50-plus, 81 percent oppose additional increases to Medicare premiums and 66 percent are less likely to vote for a Member of Congress who supports those increases.
AARP notified the 110th Congress that it was tracking roll call votes on key legislation important to its 39 million members and reporting the outcomes of these votes back to its members.
“We believe people make the right choices when they understand the issues and positions taken by their elected officials. AARP intends to ensure that its members get that information,” Wiley concluded.