Getting the Facts on Health Care Reform

Don’t let myths about health care reform scare you

There are groups and organizations with a vested interest in the status quo trying to block progress on health insurance reform by creating myths and using scare tactics to derail this attempt to rein in costs and provide Americans with better access to health care services. During the August Congressional recess these groups will be creating a lot of noise—and you’ll have to shift through the myths and facts. Here are just a few of the myths you may hear:

• Health care reform is a government takeover or socialized medicine. This is FALSE. You choose whether to keep your employer-sponsored health plan in every bill that’s been introduced.
• Health care reform means the government will ration care and has the power to make life or death decisions. This is FALSE. Those decisions will be made by the individual, their doctor and their family; just as decisions are made now.
• Health care reform would hurt Medicare. Rather than weaken Medicare, health care reform will strengthen the financial status of the Medicare program. For people in Medicare, health care reform is about lowering prescription drug costs for people in the "doughnut hole", keeping the doctor of your choice, improving the quality of care, and eliminating billions in waste that is causing poor care and medical errors.You’ll hear others too. So, if you’ve never heard of the group paying for the television ad, or sending you the email, do some research and check them out.

You’ll hear others too. So, if you’ve never heard of the group paying for the television ad, or sending you the email, do some research and check them out.

The Business Case for Health Care Reform

The facts are that the health care system costs too much, wastes too much money, makes too many mistakes and gives us back too little value for our money.

The cost of health care has increased at more than double the rate of U.S. inflation for the last 10 years, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. If health care spending and health insurance premiums continue to increase as they have been, the impact will be felt by everyone—business, consumers and federal and state government.

We need to take action to address these problems now because we literally can’t afford to ignore them any longer.

Ask Questions—We’re Here to Help You

Over the last several years, we’ve been in communities throughout Nevada and in states across the country, asking members what health care reform should look like. We’ve collected over a million signatures from people like you, asking Congress to make health care reform a priority—and they listened.

Throughout the continuing debate on how to keep what works and fix what’s broken in our health care system; AARP will be sending you information—through the AARP Bulletin, in the AARP magazine, online and via email if you’ve signed up.

And if you have specific questions about how health care reform may impact you, we’re just a phone call away at 1-866-227-7449.