AARP FLORIDA: SENATE PASSAGE PAVES WAY FOR HISTORIC REFORM OF HEALTH-CARE SYSTEM

St. Petersburg, Fla. – Jeff Johnson, AARP Florida’s Health Action Now state campaign manager, issued the following statement today on health-reform action in Washington:    
 

“Today the United States Senate adopted a historic health-reform bill. For older Floridians, the Senate vote means our nation is one step closer to reform that would protect Medicare’s guaranteed benefits, improve preventive care and provide access to affordable, high-quality coverage for hundreds of thousands of Floridians for whom health insurance is now either unaffordable or unobtainable at any price. Insurers would be barred from denying coverage because of your health or age. In final health-reform legislation, our national leaders have promised to close the dreaded Medicare Part D ‘doughnut hole’ over time.”

“For AARP, great challenges remain. Early next year, we will work to achieve final passage of a consensus health-care reform bill. Once health reform becomes a reality, we will work to help our members and all older Floridians understand how to best navigate this new health-care landscape.”

“More than 50 years ago, a retired California high-school principal, Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus, founded AARP after she found a former colleague reduced to living in a chicken coop, impoverished by health-care costs. Dr. Andrus committed AARP to a fight for improved health and financial security for all generations of Americans.”

“The fight goes on. But Dr. Andrus would be proud to know that America has taken a big step closer to an important victory today."

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 33 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.

Tallahassee, Fla. – AARP Florida State Director Lori Parham issued the following statement today on comments by leaders of the U.S. Senate this week committing the Senate to closing the “doughnut hole” in final conference deliberations on health-reform legislation: 

“The way is now clear for a final health-care reform bill to provide secure, affordable access to costly prescription drugs for the 300,000 Floridians who fall into the Medicare Part D coverage gap every year,” Parham said.

“So far, this is a promise, not a final action.” Parham noted. “But in remarks by Sen. Bill Nelson and others, leading senators made a firm commitment this week that the Senate will support closing the Part D “doughnut hole” in final health-reform conference action.  The U.S. House already has voted to close the doughnut hole.”

“AARP Florida thanks Sen. Nelson for his hard work this year to close the ‘doughnut hole’ over time. AARP members will be watching the health-care reform legislation closely to ensure that the Senate honors its commitment.”

AARP Florida is now Tweeting. Follow us on Twitter as we reveal critical information to the 50+ audience. Perhaps the most direct connection to AARP, expect up-to-the-minute updates and continuous communication. Now, AARP has never been closer. Find us at http://twitter.com/aarpflorida.

The AARP Florida Health Action Now group is up and running. Please visit and join. Site goers will discover first-hand information about health care reform, Medicare, myths and facts and other pertinent AARP information. You can find the site here.