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Name: AARPWyoming
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Cheyenne, Wyoming
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To serve and not be served ... Ethel Percy Andrus, founder of AARP
To serve and not be served ... Ethel Percy Andrus, founder of AARP
...word_beaters.htmlAARP Comments on Senate Finance Committee legislation
Sept. 16, 2009
WASHINGTON—AARP Executive Vice President John Rother released this statement following today’s introduction of health care reform legislation in the Senate Finance Committee:
“Today’s legislation moves the process forward and we hope the Chairman and his colleagues on both sides of the aisle can continue to have a rational, informed debate about its provisions as the committee’s markup process begins.
“AARP is pleased that the bill focuses on keeping people healthy by eliminating out-of-pocket spending for important screenings and preventive services in Medicare, and by covering annual wellness visits for Medicare beneficiaries and their doctors to focus on prevention. Under the legislation, doctors would be rewarded for providing quality care instead of for the number of tests ordered—a critical step in ensuring patients receive the highest quality care.
“The bill also includes incentives to improve quality of care by providing bonuses to Medicare Advantage plans while reducing subsidies to MA plans, saving taxpayers billions in waste. It introduces a pilot program on follow-up care, an important component in reducing costly and preventable hospital readmissions. Finally, the bill eliminates yearly and lifetime limits on what insurance companies will pay and substantially fills the dreaded Medicare doughnut hole—a costly gap in prescription drug coverage.
“However, we continue to have concerns about provisions that would allow for large differences in premiums based on age that could leave millions of older Americans still unable to afford the coverage they need. We also are troubled by the lack of any provisions to improve benefits for people with limited incomes so they can afford Medicare premiums and cost-sharing, and by the inclusion of an added premium tax that would raise prescription drug premiums on many middle-income working people in Medicare Part D.
“We look forward to working with Chairman Baucus, Ranking Member Grassley and their colleagues in the coming weeks to pass a health care reform package that protects benefits for people in Medicare and works for every American.”
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Added: Sep 16, 2009
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