AARP PRAISES HOUSE PASSAGE OF HEALTH CARE REFORM BILL
Critical legislation would strengthen Medicare; Improve coverage
for all Americans
BOSTON, MA, November 7, 2009 -- SUMMARY: Today, the
United States House of Representatives passed critical health care
reform legislation that would strengthen Medicare for seniors and end
discrimination by insurance companies that prices millions of
Americans out of affordable health coverage.
The Affordable Health Care for
America Act (H.R. 3962) makes prescription drugs more affordable for
seniors by closing the dangerous gap in Medicare drug coverage and
allowing the program to negotiate lower drug prices. It adds
cost-free preventive services like cancer screenings and cracks down
on waste and fraud to protect and strengthen traditional Medicare
benefits. In addition, the legislation provides benefits to help
seniors and people with disabilities live in their own homes and
communities by establishing the Community Living Assistance Services
and Supports (CLASS) program.
For all
Americans—especially those age 50 to 64 who often struggle to
find affordable insurance—this plan strictly limits how much
more insurance companies can charge based on age, and stops insurers
from denying coverage based on a person’s health history or
gender. For those who still cannot find affordable coverage on
their own, this bill offers help so they can purchase insurance.
MASSACHUSETTS
|
VOTED YES ON THE AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE FOR
AMERICA ACT
|
Capuano, Michael (D-8th)
|
X
|
Delahunt, William (D-10th)
|
X
|
Frank, Barney (D-4th)
|
X
|
Lynch, Stephen (D-9th)
|
X
|
Markey, Edward (D-7th)
|
X
|
McGovern, James (D-3rd)
|
X
|
Neal, Richard (D-2nd)
|
X
|
Olver, John (D-1st)
|
X
|
Tierney, John (D-6th)
|
X
|
Tsongas, Niki (D-5th)
|
X
|
**
How a legislator 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.
“We applaud the
Massachusetts delegation for supporting this critical
legislation,” says Deborah Banda, AARP Massachusetts state
director. “This bill will help millions of older Americans
get the health coverage they need, while strengthening Medicare for
today’s seniors and future generations. We look forward to
working with these lawmakers to pass the Affordable Health Care for
America Act this year.”
AARP notified the
111th Congress that it was tracking roll call votes on key
legislation important to its nearly 40 million members and reporting
the outcomes of these votes back to its members.
“When Americans
understand the issues and where their lawmakers stand, they can make
smart decisions,” says Banda. “AARP will be there to
give our members, as well as all Americans, the most accurate
information we can.”
AARP members can see how their
representatives voted on health care reform by going to www.aarp.org/governmentwatch
. AARP’s Government Watch is a one-stop online portal
that will be tracking and publicizing every designated key vote on
issues facing Americans age 50-plus. A “Key Vote
Summary” highlighting votes on these issues will be published
at the end of each congressional session.
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