AARP Florida Urges Rep. Bilirakis to Help Improve Medicare Bill
By: Source: AARP.org Date Posted: 2003-08-08 10:21:00-04:00
A Congressional Conference Committee is presently reviewing the Medicare bills passed by the House and Senate to decide what a new Medicare program with a prescription drug benefit would look like, how much it will help you, and how Medicare will be changed as a result. Florida's Rep. Michael Bilirakis (R-9) is on that committee. While the bills help some people with low incomes or high drug costs, AARP has serious concerns the bills—as they are currently written—could do more harm than good.
Meet Me In Palm Harbor
AARP Florida held several activities this summer while Congress was in recess, to express serious concerns that the bills could do more harm than good. Most visibly, a town hall meeting Aug. 21, at the Palm Harbor Senior Activity Center; close to Rep. Bilirakis' district office.
Approximately 250 AARP members and volunteers attended and got a chance to voice their concerns to AARP representatives, learn how the House and Senate bills would affect them and how the final bill to reach Congress could be improved. While Rep. Bilirakis declined AARP's invitation, members of his staff were in attendance and the proceedings were taped as a record of constituent concerns.
Message in a Bottle
After the event, AARP volunteers delivered messages in pill bottles to Rep. Bilirakis' office. Because the conference committee's ultimate goal is to craft a compromise bill that will eventually be voted on by both houses of Congress, we want to make sure that your messages reach all of Florida's congressional delegation. AARP members are delivering messages to every congressional office in Florida. To deliver a "Message in a Bottle" to your member of Congress, email flresponse@aarp.org to receive a bottle and forms.
We urge Rep. Bilirakis to return to work determined to help make the final Medicare prescription drug bill better than either the House or Senate plan and ensure that an effective—and affordable—benefit is passed this year.
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