Florida: U.S. House of Representatives, 24th District

Candidates

Tom Feeney, Republican
Harry Jacobs, Democrat

Issues: Prescription Drugs | Social Security | Health Care |

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Question

Many people with Medicare lack adequate coverage for prescription drugs and face skyrocketing costs. What solution do you support to help Medicare beneficiaries pay for their drugs?

AARP Response

AARP believes an acceptable Medicare drug benefit needs to meet the following tests:

First, the benefit must offer real value at an affordable price. The monthly premium should be less than $35. The beneficiary’s deductible and co-payments should be reasonable and affordable, (e.g. a deductible no greater than $250). There should be no gaps in coverage, leaving persons to pay 100% of high out-of-pocket costs.

Second, the benefit should be available to all Medicare beneficiaries on a voluntary basis. No one should be forced into the program. But no one should also be denied access to a Medicare drug benefit because of where they live, how sick they might be, or how much or how little income they have.

Third, the plan must help bring down soaring drug costs.

Fourth, the plan must include additional help for low-income persons.

Issue	Yes	No	Unclear
Creates an affordable monthly premium
Supports a fair deductible and co-payment
Provides no gaps in coverage

Candidate Response: Tom Feeney

I applaud the Republican House Congressional Delegation for their passage of the “Medicare Modernization and Prescription Drug Act of 2002.” Given the opportunity, I would have supported this legislation, which aids millions of seniors in receiving prescription drug coverage.The Tom Feeney supported Prescription Drug Act of 2002 improves Medicare by making prescription drug coverage available and affordable to all seniors as well as implementing other reforms. Thirty-eight percent of all Medicare beneficiaries live without prescription drug coverage and among those seniors; an estimated 50% will be eligible for low-income benefits under this recently passed plan. All Medicare beneficiaries are covered, and there will be a choice of at least two plans, producing competition and keeping costs down.

Candidate Response: Harry Jacobs

Medicare has been very successful in providing health care to senior citizens. However, one of the most glaring omissions in Medicare is the lack of a prescription drug benefit.Fundamentally, a guaranteed prescription drug plan should be:· voluntary – if you have drug coverage you can keep it;· accessible – all seniors will be covered;· comprehensive – covering all drugs that doctors order;· affordable – with a cap on out-of-pocket spending.The power of Medicare must be used to negotiate the best price and prevent skyrocketing price increases. When I am in Washington, I will work to address the burden of prescription drug costs that so many working families and seniors face.

Question

Do you support or oppose replacing part of Social Security with individual accounts?

AARP Response

AARP strongly opposes replacing ANY part of Social Security with individual accounts. Social Security is not in crisis. Without any changes in current law, Social Security can pay 100% of benefits until 2041. But individual accounts funded with Social Security dollars mean Social Security would face financial problems sooner.

"Personal control" sounds appealing. But substituting private accounts, even for part of Social Security, drains money from Social Security, which means less money to pay guaranteed benefits.

Creating these private accounts requires trading today’s inflation-protected lifetime guaranteed benefit for an account subject to market risk and not guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Inflation, market turns, or sudden loss of employment can also mean that your private account may not have enough money to provide an adequate benefit. AARP supports options that help Americans save for their retirement through individual accounts on top of Social Security; but opposes replacing any part of Social Security’s guaranteed benefit.

Issue	Yes	No	Unclear
Creates individual accounts out of Social Security
Position means less money for guaranteed benefits
Position guarantees benefits for your lifetime

Candidate Response: Tom Feeney

We must guarantee to preserve existing social security benefits, leave the retirement age unchanged and bolster the social security trust fund. I believe workers entering the work force should have options and choices that over the long run, will improve fiscal soundness of the entire social security, and provide potentially a far greater retirement for individuals.In addition, to protecting current social security, improving its’ fiscal soundness, and providing options for workers, I believe that tax deductions or credits to employees and their employers to set aside additional sums for retirement needs, purchasing of long term care and prescription drug purchases, should be explored and expanded so that individuals are not penalized by their government for working, saving, and responsibly preparing for their retirement needs. .

Candidate Response: Harry Jacobs

Social Security has lifted millions of seniors out of poverty and allowed them to retire with financial security. Since 1935, Social Security has allowed generations of retirees to live with independence and dignity. We need to make sure that we strengthen and preserve it for generations to come.Using Social Security taxes for private investments would divert as much as $1.5 trillion away from Social Security over the next ten years – money that is already promised for benefits. Creating a financing crisis for Social Security by diverting revenue into privatized individual accounts is wrong.

Question

In the face of escalating costs, how would you reform the health care system to make it available, affordable and accessible for every American?

AARP Response

AARP supports measures to achieve access to affordable health care coverage for all individuals, an approach that would address the needs of those without public or private insurance or those at risk of losing coverage.

In the absence of universal coverage, AARP supports incremental reforms specifically targeted to particular populations that significantly improve coverage options for those without public or private insurance or those at risk for losing coverage.

These reforms include:

• Opening existing public programs (e.g. Medicaid) to new categories of people who are uninsured;
  
  
• Inducing employers to offer coverage;
  
  
• Subsidizing the cost of private coverage for those who are uninsured, underinsured, or at risk of losing coverage;
  
  
• Expanding the continuation of group health care coverage at group rates to persons whose access is ending (e.g. expanding COBRA coverage).
  
  

Issue	Yes	No	Unclear
Supports health care for all Americans
Proposes steps to cover more people

Candidate Response: Tom Feeney

· 100% tax deductibility of health insurance including individual policies;

· Employer tax credits that encompass all reimbursements to employees for health care expenses;

· Reduced insurance mandates;

· Expanded medical IRA’s; and

· Tort Reform to reduce health insurance costs.

I support programs that financially assist lower-income individuals in selecting health care coverage. I will vigorously oppose all efforts to impose a “socialized medicine” model on 287 million Americans.Consumers are best served through the interplay of free markets-as consumers and providers engage in millions of daily decisions on how to best serve health care needs. The better public policy is to empower consumers with a much choice as possible and allow providers to design service packages that best respond to consumer demands.

Candidate Response: Harry Jacobs

Every American should have the right to affordable, comprehensive and high quality health care. Losing a job should not mean losing coverage. Senior citizens should not be forced to choose between the drugs they need and the food they eat. I believe in ensuring a real patients’ bill of rights that protects all Americans in all health plans, allows doctors to make medical decisions, ensures all patients access to medical specialists and the closest emergency room – and holds HMOs accountable when medical decisions to withhold care or limit care result in injury or death. I also believe we should protect veteran’s health benefits providing additional resources to ensure that veteran’s out-of-pocket health care costs do not increase.