Florida United States House of Representatives, District 16

Candidates:

Mark Foley, Republican
Tim Mahoney, Democrat - www.timmahoneyforflorida.com

Questions - SOCIAL SECURITY HEALTH CARE REFORM MEDICARE LONG-TERM CARE RETIREMENT SECURITY

Social Security

A balanced Social Security plan for guaranteed benefits
	Supports	Opposes
AARP
Mark Foley, Republican
Tim Mahoney, Democrat
Using Social Security taxes for private accounts
	Supports	Opposes
AARP
Mark Foley, Republican
Tim Mahoney, Democrat

* If there is no check mark, the candidate was either undecided or chose not to check a box.

Question
Will you support or oppose a balanced Social Security plan to continue the program's guaranteed benefits for future generations? Will you support or oppose using Social Security taxes to fund private accounts?

AARP Response
For 70 years, America's families have relied on the values embodied in Social Security. The program's guaranteed, risk-free benefit protects people from outliving their savings or the loss of a spouse or parent. We all benefit from the shared responsibility of providing for today's beneficiaries, with the knowledge that that same responsibility will be met by future generations for us.

AARP believes that a bipartisan plan that balances additional contributions from higher income workers with modest adjustments in future benefits can maintain guaranteed Social Security benefits for future generations. Private accounts that drain money out of the Social Security Trust Fund would make it harder to strengthen the program and create a mountain of new federal debt for our children and grandchildren.

Candidate Response: Mark Foley, Republican

We must protect the seniors who have already paid into the system and ensure that their benefits are not reduced or put in jeopardy- no reforms should change any of the benefits of those currently receiving them or those getting near to receiving them. All reforms should minimize risk, ensure freedom of choice and enable Social Security to continue its role in protecting America’s families. Congress must ensure that young people will have the same security in retirement that their parents and grandparents are guaranteed. The idea that we’re going to leave families and seniors at the mercy of a volatile market is simply not the case. I will not vote for any measures that don’t protect Social Security and individual savings.

Candidate Response: Tim Mahoney, Democrat

Candidate chose not to make additional comments.

Health Care Reform

A shared approach to providing health care coverage
	Supports	Opposes
AARP
Mark Foley, Republican
Tim Mahoney, Democrat

* If there is no check mark, the candidate was either undecided or chose not to check a box.

Question
Will you support or oppose a shared approach involving government, employers and individuals, to providing health care coverage for everyone?

AARP Response
In the absence of universal coverage, AARP supports specific reforms that increase the number of people with health care coverage, either through public or private insurance.

More and more Americans, including a growing number of workers, find themselves without health insurance. Increasing health care costs strain businesses large and small, leading them to either stop offering health care coverage all together or raise employee premiums and co-pays. Shifting an ever-larger share of health care costs to individuals does not address the problem of the high cost of health care and threatens the health and financial security of American families.

AARP believes that government, employers and individuals should share the responsibility for paying for health care coverage.

Candidate Response: Mark Foley, Republican

Healthcare costs have been skyrocketing at a rate of 12%-15% each year. Much of that increase is due to new medical technologies, new medicines and increased utilization of services by patients. I have supported a variety of measures to reform our healthcare system, including those to: allow small businesses to come together and purchase health plans for their employees; expand rural and community healthcare clinics; curb medical malpractice lawsuits that are driving up healthcare costs and prohibiting some patients from seeing the doctor of their choice; and add preventative healthcare measures for Medicare beneficiaries that will save taxpayers millions of dollars in emergency healthcare costs. I will continue efforts to make sure that healthcare in universally affordable, accessible and available to all Americans.

Candidate Response: Tim Mahoney, Democrat

Candidate chose not to make additional comments.

Medicare

Medicare negotiating to lower drug prices
	Supports	Opposes
AARP
Mark Foley, Republican
Tim Mahoney, Democrat
An annual limit on federal Medicare spending
	Supports	Opposes
AARP
Mark Foley, Republican
Tim Mahoney, Democrat

* If there is no check mark, the candidate was either undecided or chose not to check a box.

Question
Will you support or oppose allowing Medicare to use its bargaining power to negotiate lower prices for needed prescription drugs? Will you support or oppose imposing an annual limit on federal Medicare spending?

AARP Response
Medicare Part D is now helping millions of people in Medicare save money on their prescription drugs. But while those with Part D coverage are saving, the actual cost of prescription drugs continues to increase at a rate greater than general inflation. AARP believes that more must be done to bring down soaring drug costs and supports allowing Medicare to use its bargaining power to negotiate lower prescription drugs.

Proposals have been made in Congress to put an annual limit on how much money the federal government spends on the Medicare program. AARP opposes arbitrary limits on Medicare funding.

Candidate Response: Mark Foley, Republican

The Medicare Drug Program is the largest change to Medicare since its inception. Recent reports indicate that most beneficiaries are happy with the program and are experiencing significant savings. Those savings have been achieved because- as with the underlying program- it relies on the private marketplace to negotiate lower costs. If the government were to negotiate prices, it would need to set up its own distribution system- probably forcing senior to go to a VA hospital or use mail order- two options many seniors oppose. I have fought for preventive care Medicare services and a drug program and will continue to make sure Medicare is no longer an insurance program, but a “wellness program.”

Candidate Response: Tim Mahoney, Democrat

Although I do not support an annual limit on federal Medicare spending, I do believe it is important Medicare be efficient with the resources it has. Tax money is a limited commodity, and it is crucial that it be spent wisely. This is why I believe it is all the more important that Medicare use its power to negotiate lower prices for prescription drugs, and work together with other parts of society to lower health care costs as much as possible.

Long-Term Care

A combined approach to covering long-term care
	Supports	Opposes
AARP
Mark Foley, Republican
Tim Mahoney, Democrat
Requiring individuals to purchase private long-term care insurance
	Supports	Opposes
AARP
Mark Foley, Republican
Tim Mahoney, Democrat

* If there is no check mark, the candidate was either undecided or chose not to check a box.

Question
Will you support or oppose a combined approach that involves government and individuals covering long-term care? Will you support or oppose requiring individuals to buy private long-term care insurance?

AARP Response
Long-term care can be costly for people who do not have family caregivers or need more care than family and friends can provide. Qualifying for Medicaid-the primary public funding source for long-term care-requires either very low assets and income, or depleting almost all assets and income to pay for care. Currently private insurance is either too expensive or unavailable for many people. Approaches that give people cash payments to choose, buy and manage their care, along with counseling to help them make and manage care choices, help maintain dignity and maximize independence.

AARP supports a publicly funded, long-term care cash benefit program-paid for through a combination of government and individual contributions-to give people more control over their own care. AARP opposes requiring individuals to buy private long-term care insurance.

Candidate Response: Mark Foley, Republican

With an ever-growing elderly population, the need is becoming greater for all seniors to have long-term care insurance. Social Security and Medicare are not enough to take care of anyone who experiences catastrophic health event. I have cosponsored legislation introduced by Ways and Means Health Subcommittee Chairwoman Nancy Johnson to provide tax breaks to seniors to order to allow them to buy this essential coverage. I have also met with industry leaders to discuss ways to make long-term care insurance accessible for all seniors and will continue to work toward solutions to ensure that all seniors have access to affordable, quality, long-term care insurance.

Candidate Response: Tim Mahoney, Democrat

Candidate chose not to make additional comments.

Retirement Security

Automatic payroll deduction for IRAs
	Supports	Opposes
AARP
Mark Foley, Republican
Tim Mahoney, Democrat

* If there is no check mark, the candidate was either undecided or chose not to check a box.

Question
Do you support or oppose requiring employers to give workers access to automatic payroll deductions to fund their personal IRAs?

AARP Response
Social Security was never intended to be a worker's only source of retirement income. Even though people know Social Security will not be enough to live on, many find it difficult to save for the future. AARP supports creating and expanding supplemental retirement accounts that enable workers to accumulate retirement savings in addition to Social Security's guaranteed benefits.

AARP supports making saving for retirement simpler and fairer by requiring that employers give workers access to voluntary, automatic payroll deductions to their own IRAs if their employers do not already give them access to a pension or 401(k) plan.

Candidate Response: Mark Foley, Republican

With the increasing amount of retirees and fewer workers paying into the Social Security system, it is crucial for retirees to not rely on Social Security alone for retirement. Workers must take advantage of all saving options afforded them during their working years. It is imperative workers have every opportunity to invest in their company’s 401(k) or their individual IRA. I will support measures that would allow workers to have their payroll automatically deducted to fund their IRA should they choose to do so.

Candidate Response: Tim Mahoney, Democrat

Candidate chose not to make additional comments.