• Protect and strengthen Medicare for today’s seniors and future generations.
• Ensure seniors can see the doctor of their choice and receive needed treatment by improving Medicare’s payments to doctors. If Congress does not take action, physicians nationwide will see a 21-percent reduction in Medicare reimbursements in January 2010.
• Lower sky-high drug costs for seniors by allowing the government to negotiate with drug companies for lower drug prices in Medicare; provide strong, immediate discounts on name-brand prescription drugs for those in the Medicare Part D “doughnut hole,” and close the Medicare Part D “doughnut hole” completely over time.
• Reduce waste, inefficiency, fraud and abuse in the Medicare program. H.R. 3962 increases federal resources to prosecute Medicare fraudsters and provides new penalties.
• Provide affordable health insurance options for Floridians age 50-64 who don’t have health coverage. An estimated 600,000 Floridians in this age group lack health coverage, and one in four Floridians age 60 or older is rejected for health coverage if he or she has no health coverage on the job.
• Require Medicare and insurance companies to provide for important preventive services like screenings for diabetes, cancer and osteoporosis free of charge.
• Prevent insurers from denying affordable coverage to anyone because of their age or because of “pre-existing conditions.” The legislation allows insurers to charge older Floridians no more than twice as much as younger people for the same coverage. Current law allows insurers to charge seniors seven times as much.
• Limit how much your health insurance company can make you pay out-of-pocket. Currently, more than half of all bankruptcies in Florida are caused by high health costs.
• Provide benefits to help seniors and people with disabilities live in their own homes and communities.

• Protect and strengthen Medicare for today’s seniors and future generations.
• Ensure seniors can see the doctor of their choice and receive needed treatment by improving Medicare’s payments to doctors. If Congress does not take action, physicians nationwide will see a 21-percent reduction in Medicare reimbursements in January 2010.
• Lower sky-high drug costs for seniors by allowing the government to negotiate with drug companies for lower drug prices in Medicare; provide strong, immediate discounts on name-brand prescription drugs for those in the Medicare Part D “doughnut hole,” and close the Medicare Part D “doughnut hole” completely over time.
• Reduce waste, inefficiency, fraud and abuse in the Medicare program. H.R. 3962 increases federal resources to prosecute Medicare fraudsters and provides new penalties.
• Provide affordable health insurance options for Floridians age 50-64 who don’t have health coverage. An estimated 600,000 Floridians in this age group lack health coverage, and one in four Floridians age 60 or older is rejected for health coverage if he or she has no health coverage on the job.
• Require Medicare and insurance companies to provide for important preventive services like screenings for diabetes, cancer and osteoporosis free of charge.
• Prevent insurers from denying affordable coverage to anyone because of their age or because of “pre-existing conditions.” The legislation allows insurers to charge older Floridians no more than twice as much as younger people for the same coverage. Current law allows insurers to charge seniors seven times as much.
• Limit how much your health insurance company can make you pay out-of-pocket. Currently, more than half of all bankruptcies in Florida are caused by high health costs.
• Provide benefits to help seniors and people with disabilities live in their own homes and communities.

Millions on Social Security to Receive No Increase for First Time Since 1975

TALLAHASSEE, FL – AARP Florida State Director Lori Parham offered the following statement in reaction to the Social Security Administration’s announcement this morning that 41 million older Americans, including 3.5 million older Floridians, will not receive a Social Security cost of living adjustment (COLA) in 2010. Since automatic Social Security adjustments went into effect in 1975, there has never been a year without a COLA.

“Health-care costs and drug costs are rising and many older Floridians are still reeling from losses due to recent market turmoil.  While expected, today’s news is a blow for millions of older Floridians.  For decades, older Floridians have counted on these annual increases to help make ends meet.”

“AARP applauds the President’s call Oct. 14 for a $250 payment to Social Security beneficiaries, as well as efforts by elected leaders of both parties to provide similar relief.  As AARP Chief Operating Officer Tom Nelson noted today, older Americans are paying heavily out of pocket for medical care, have experienced a real decline in their retirement accounts and in housing values, face longer periods of unemployment for those who need to work, and are seeing low returns on interest-bearing accounts.

“Already, some older Americans are having to choose between daily expenses for food and housing or being able to afford the costly prescription drugs they need to remain healthy.  One in five Floridians age 65+ relies on Social Security alone for their income.”

“On behalf of AARP members across Florida , we join AARP leaders across the nation in calling on Congress to act quickly and pass legislation to provide needed a $250 payment to older Americans whose benefits will be frozen next year.”

Port Richey, Fla. – Health reform remains a hot topic in conversation these days, and Pasco County residents want to know what is being proposed. To help inform area residents, AARP held a “community conversation” Wednesday in Port Richey featuring Jeff Johnson, AARP Florida's manager of state operations. Johnson provided residents with the latest developments on health-reform legislation in Washington and also outlined what AARP believes should be important elements in any final health-reform bill.

• Finding the facts on health-care reform: A message from Lori Parham, AARP Florida’s State Director http://www.aarp.org/community/AARPFL/journals/Finding_the_facts_on_heal/1959212?cn=STREAM_AARPfl_journals_large_PAGE1
• For an update from AARP Bulletin on myths about health reform, go to: http://bulletin.aarp.org/yourhealth/policy/articles/health_care_reform2.htmlFor more information on AARP’s “Health Action Now” campaign go to www.healthactionnow.org

“AARP Florida looks forward to working with these new commissioners to serve Floridians of all generations.” 

AARP Florida State Director Lori Parham sent the letter below to U.S. Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite, R-Brooksville, on Thursday:

September 10, 2009

AARP Reacts to Presidential Address 

WASHINGTON—AARP CEO Barry Rand released this statement following President Barack Obama’s address to Congress: 

“Over the last several weeks, the health care debate shifted from a conversation to a shouting match, and legitimate concerns about how we fix our health care system were drowned out by myths and mischaracterizations. It’s time to get back to the goal of fixing our system so everyone has quality, dependable health care they can afford. We are optimistic that tonight’s address will help move us toward an agreement on these important issues. 

“At AARP, we’re fighting for reforms that protect and expand benefits for people in Medicare, prevent discrimination based on age or health, and ensure no one—not an insurance company or a government bureaucrat—can come between you and your doctor. We need to close the dreaded gap in Medicare drug coverage that forces many to stop taking the medicines that keep them healthy. And we need to ensure that older Americans can buy and keep affordable health coverage. 

“AARP will fight on behalf of our 40 million members to ensure health care reform works for them by making coverage available and affordable and by improving the quality of care they receive. 

“We applaud the president’s effort to keep health care reform moving forward. Tonight, he laid out thoughtful goals for health care reform. We share many of those goals and we will continue to work for our members and their families to ensure health care reform meets their needs.” 

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to either political campaigns or candidates. We produce AARP The Magazine, the definitive voice for 50+ Americans and the world’s largest-circulation magazine with over 35.5 million readers; AARP Bulletin, the go-to news source for AARP’s 40 million members and Americans 50+; AARP Segunda Juventud, the only bilingual U.S. publication dedicated exclusively to the 50+ Hispanic community; and our website, AARP.org. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. 

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