FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 29, 2009
Contact
Steven Griffin
207-776-6303
6,500 Maine Seniors Discuss Health Care with
Congresswoman Chellie Pingree and AARP State Director Nancy Kelleher
AARP members insist on affordable coverage, protecting Medicare, expanded home-care options, and improved post-hospital visit care
Portland, ME—AARP held a tele-town hall forum with special guest Congresswoman Chellie Pingree and over 6,500 of AARP’s members in Maine. The discussion focused on health care and some of the specific elements AARP believes must be part of health reform, including closing the Medicare Part D coverage gap and ensuring 50- 64 year-olds have access to affordable health care choices. AARP invited Congresswoman Pingree to share her thoughts on health care reform and the need for real action in Washington, DC.
“Reforming our health care system is one of the keys to getting our economy back on track” said Nancy Kelleher, AARP Maine State Director. “Luckily for all of us, the question being asked in Congress is no longer ‘if’, but ‘how’. Well AARP members have spoken loud and clear to Congresswoman Pingree and we’re confident she’ll carry our message back to Washington. It is critical that Congress tackle the issue of health care reform this year and include the priorities we’re hearing from older Americans.
“A healthy workforce is a cornerstone of a healthy economy, and that statement couldn’t ring more true here in Maine,” said Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, “I am very pleased that AARP is doing what it can to push for meaningful health care reform. It was a pleasure for me to be able to take questions from AARP members living all across the district. I am committed to doing what I can to see health care reform gets done this year.”
“We hope people will visit our website,
www.HealthActionNow.org and share their personal story on health care, long term care, prescription drugs, or any other health care issue they like,” said Nancy Kelleher, “We will work hard to make sure any stories shared at HealthActionNow.org, are shared with our elected officials in Washington, DC. It won’t be an easy fix, but we all know it needs to happen.”
AARP’s health reform campaign will focus on six critical priorities:
1) Guaranteeing access to affordable health insurance coverage for Americans age 50-64;
2) Closing the Medicare Part D coverage gap or “doughnut hole” ;
3) Creating a Medicare transition benefit to help people safely return to their homes after a hospital stay and prevent costly hospital readmissions;
4) Increasing federal funding and eligibility for home and community based services through Medicaid so older Americans can remain in their homes and avoid more costly institutions as they age;
5) Creating a pathway for the approval of generic versions of biologic drugs to reduce the price of these costly treatments; and
6) Improving the Medicare Savings Programs and the Part D Low Income Subsidy (LIS) so more Americans can afford the health care and prescription drugs they need.
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 34.5 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.
Lexi
