Since we began our latest battle for comprehensive health care reform more than two years ago, AARP has fought for a health care bill that provides quality, affordable health coverage options for all Americans and protects Medicare for seniors and for future generations.

We have read the House of Representatives’ Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962) and the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act (H.R. 3961), and we can say with confidence that they meet our priorities for protecting Medicare and reforming our health care system.

For the more than 45 million Americans in Medicare – 1.5 million in Michigan alone –  the House plan completely closes the dangerous gap in prescription drug coverage known as the doughnut hole, adds cost-free preventive benefits like cancer screenings, cracks down on waste and fraud and protects the traditional Medicare benefits people in the program rely on.

For all Americans—including our younger members who often struggle to find affordable insurance (an estimated 154,842 in Michigan between the ages of 50 to 64 are uninsured) — the House plan makes coverage more affordable by strictly limiting how much more insurance companies charge based on age.  Americans will also no longer be denied coverage based on health history or discriminated against because of gender, and those who still cannot afford insurance on their own will receive help to purchase affordable coverage.

In addition, the House plan begins to repair the country’s outdated system of long-term care with new provisions to help people prepare for their long-term care needs and live in their own homes as they grow older.

While AARP is pleased to see that H.R. 3962/H.R. 3961 include many of the proposals that are most critical to protecting Medicare and ensuring Americans age 50+ have access to stable, affordable health care, we know the fight isn’t over.  That’s why we’re going to keep working with members of the House and Senate to ensure our priorities are included in any final health care reform bill.

And, as the legislative process moves forward, we’ve let Congress and the Administration know that we will fight with the strength of our nearly 40 million members against any proposal that would hurt rather than help Medicare and older Americans’ access to affordable, quality health care.

We will continue to provide the information you need to decide for yourself what the health reform will mean to you.  For information on the latest developments, go to www.aarp.org/getthefacts .

In a new series of videos, older Americans and people from organizations that represent them speak honestly about how health care reform would impact seniors.

In today’s video, “How Can We Keep Medicare Strong for Current and Future Generations?” [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNJWgaP39gc], doctors and people from organizations that have been representing seniors for years talk about how health care reform must eliminate waste in Medicare in order to protect Medicare benefits and ensure future generations have the health care they need when they retire.

We need your help in spreading the word about these videos. Please forward them to family and friends who may be concerned about what health care reform means for them.

For more information about health reform and seniors, including information on sharing your health reform story and contacting legislators, visit the Seniors to Seniors coalition at www.seniorstoseniors.org .

In a new series of videos, older Americans and people from organizations that represent them speak honestly about how health care reform would impact seniors.

In today’s video, “Will Health Care Reform Keep My Doctor in Medicare,” [link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8z83tAinbPs ] doctors explain why Medicare, without health care reform, will require physicians to take considerable pay cuts, potentially forcing them to refuse Medicare patients or close their practices.

We need your help in spreading the word about these videos. Please forward them to family and friends who may be concerned about what health care reform means for them.

For more information about health reform and seniors, including information on sharing your health reform story and contacting legislators, visit the Seniors to Seniors coalition at www.seniorstoseniors.org .

Older Drivers: Don’t Get Caught in the Dark

AARP Offers Driving Tips for Night Driving; November Proclaimed Driver

Safety Month

The end of Daylight Savings time on Nov. 1 doesn’t just mean you’re getting an extra hour of sleep.  Setting clocks back one hour also means an extra hour of night driving, which can be problematic for everyone, particularly older drivers.

Even on familiar roads, motorists should use caution and watch for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists who will be less visible, especially during the first week of the time change. AARP urges all drivers to consider the link between night visibility and safe driving.  If you have trouble seeing well at night, get your vision checked and consider taking a driver safety course to learn more about how to compensate in dark conditions and make sure you’re driving when you feel most comfortable.

To focus attention on roadway safety, AARP is proclaiming this November Driver Safety Month.  Since folks will be driving more at night, AARP offers the following tips:

·         See and be seen. Get your headlights checked, and turn them on one hour before sunset and keep them on one hour after sunrise to ensure maximum visibility.

·         Stay alert on the road.   With reduced visibility, it’s important to reduce your speed, be extra alert, and maintain a three-second following distance.    

·         Recognize and prevent drowsiness.  The change in time can throw off our internal clock and may cause drowsiness, so run errands in the morning when you are fresher and more alert.

·         Avoid sun glare.  You may need to adjust to early morning or late afternoon sun glare that can cause reflections off car windows and hoods and decrease your visibility. 

Now celebrating its 30th Anniversary, the AARP Driver Safety Program has provided instruction to more than 12 million participants nationwide seeking to refresh their driving skills. The no-test course updates drivers’ knowledge about relevant laws and offers strategies to compensate for age-related changes that affect driving ability. 

The course also includes a section on assessing driving abilities, and since November is also National Caregiver Month, now may be a good time to have a “family conversation” about driving to help ensure your loved one stays safe on the road. 

Depending on insurance providers and state regulations, graduates of the AARP Driver Safety Program courses – both classroom and online – may be eligible to receive a discount on their auto insurance premiums.  All participants should check with their provider for further details.

Find information on local courses, via telephone 1-888-227-7669 or online. www.aarp.org/drive .  Find more information about AARP’s online course.   www.aarp.org/drive/online .

In a new series of videos, older Americans and people from organizations that represent them speak honestly about how health care reform would impact seniors.

In today’s video, “Will Health Care Reform Improve Long Term Care Choices,” [link to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KykqDoYzJ_0 ] seniors and caregivers talk about the need for better long-term care choices as part of health care reform, as family members bear the brunt of caregiving and one year of long term care can cost as much as four years of college.   

We need your help in spreading the word about these videos. Please forward them to family and friends who may be concerned about what health care reform means for them.

For more information about health reform and seniors, including information on sharing your health reform story and contacting legislators, visit the Seniors to Seniors coalition at www.seniorstoseniors.org .

Short URL: http://bit.ly/1TBNtF

AARP Executive Vice President Nancy LeaMond issued this statement following today’s introduction of the Affordable Health Care for America Act in the House of Representatives:

In a new series of videos, older Americans and people from organizations that represent them speak honestly about how health care reform would impact seniors.

In today’s video, “Is Health Reform Going to Improve Care in Medicare,” [link to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aa8L4dq4rWo ] people in Medicare and the doctors and nurses who treat them talk about how health reform would lower drug costs for millions of seniors, improve quality of care, give them greater access to preventive care, and lower costs.

We need your help in spreading the word about these videos. Please forward them to family and friends who may be concerned about what health care reform means for them.

For more information about health reform and seniors, including information on sharing your health reform story and contacting legislators, visit the Seniors to Seniors coalition at www.seniorstoseniors.org .

In a new series of videos, older Americans and people from organizations that represent them speak honestly about how health care reform would impact seniors.

With the arrival of the novel H1N1 (“swine flu”), many people are understandably confused about how to protect themselves against the flu this year. AARP is working with the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) to encourage older Americans to protect themselves and those in their care by getting vaccinated. 

AARP Executive Vice President Nancy LeaMond recently announced the Association’s support of a House provision to close the Medicare prescription drug “doughnut hole”—a dangerous gap in coverage for older Americans.  A statement from LeaMond follows:

“Closing the prescription drug coverage gap for Medicare beneficiaries has long been one of AARP members’ top priorities, and we are delighted to support provisions announced today to fully close the doughnut hole.

“AARP is fighting to guarantee that all Americans have access to quality, affordable health coverage.  For our members with Medicare drug coverage, the doughnut hole stands out as a major affordability concern and real barrier to access.

“More than 3 million people fall into the doughnut hole each year, and millions more live in fear of reaching this dangerous gap in coverage.  Research shows that people who have trouble paying for their prescription drugs are more likely to skip doses or stop taking their medications altogether, which can lead to more serious health problems and higher long-term costs both for them and for our health care system as a whole.  

“AARP thanks the House for helping to make sure that Medicare beneficiaries will not have to put their health at risk because they can’t afford needed medications.  We look forward to working with both chambers to continue to improve health care reform legislation so that every American has access to affordable coverage.”

For more information on AARP’s health care reform effort, please visit http://www.aarp.org/health/articles/health_reform_get_the_facts.html.