Florida: U.S. House of Representatives, 8th District

Candidates

Eddie Diaz, Democrat
Ric Keller, Republican

Issues: Prescription Drugs | Social Security | Health Care |

The issue boxes contained on this page are not clickable online. Please print the page and make notes for your reference.

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: Eddie Diaz

Many Americans require prescription drugs in order to live. The ideal, long-term prescription-drug plan must include three elements. First, a tax incentive to drug companies that lower prices. Second, if the United States provided money for research and development, than drug companies must provide affordable prescription drugs. Finally, the United States government should develop a plan that allows the United States government to purchase prescription drugs in bulk, at a reduced price. Then, develop a system that allows distribution to citizens. This system would be limited to prescription drugs that are required for patients to live.

Candidate Response: Ric Keller

Medicare currently provides a safety net for seniors should they find themselves in a hospital, but many also require medication prescribed to them by their own doctor. Unfortunately, Medicare does not provide any coverage for these necessary drugs so seniors are forced to choose between their medications or buying groceries. That is why I am proud to have voted for the Medicare Modernization and Prescription Drug Act, H.R. 4954, which includes a guaranteed drug benefit within Medicare. For the lowest income seniors it will cover all drug costs and then will provide drugs at a discounted price for all other seniors with a guarantee of a catastrophic coverage once a senior spends over $3,700. This plan provides drug coverage immediately for our seniors.

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: Eddie Diaz

I do not support replacing part of Social Security with individual accounts.

Candidate Response: Ric Keller

I will not support any effort to privatize Social Security. I will vote against any proposal to change existing benefits for retirees or near retirees, any proposal to increase Social Security Trust Funds into the stock market, and any proposal to dismantle the disability and survivor components of the Social Security program.I will support proposals to strengthen and modernize Social Security with voluntary personal retirement accounts in order to ensure future generations will have a retirement safety net. I supported H. Con. Res. 282, the Keeping the Social Security Promise Ac, where I pledged to save Social Security as soon as possible without cutting benefits or increasing taxes.

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: Eddie Diaz

Every American should have access to affordable health care. In order to ensure more Americans are provided with health care, taxpayers should be allowed to deduct a high percentage of their health care costs on their federal income taxes.

Candidate Response: Ric Keller

My focus will continue to be on determining which bills adequately address healthcare quality within managed care and most effectively deal with the issues of accessibility, affordability, and accountability.This is why I supported the Bipartisan Patient Protection Act to help 43 million uninsured Americans find health care more affordable and manageable. This legislation guarantees the American people three fundamental rights: access to high quality health care through basic patient protections; access to affordable health care through common-sense reforms, including the expansion of medical savings accounts: and, access to needed care by holding HMOs accountable for their decisions through an immediate, independent medical review performed by doctors and an opportunity for recourse in court.