Protect and Strengthen Medicare

Medicare provides affordable health care coverage for 64 million seniors and people with disabilities. Americans pay into the program their entire working lives and are guaranteed benefits that help make health care accessible and affordable in later life. With Medicare, seniors have the health care stability and security necessary to live healthy, full and active lives.

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Challenges ahead

Use Your Power to Decide the 2022 Election

Americans 50+ can use their vote to decide the 2022 elections. Commit today to be a Decider and join our fight to make sure candidates keep their promises to preserve Social Security and Medicare.

Join the fight

Within four years, Medicare is projected to run short of funds in the Part A Hospital Insurance Trust Fund, primarily due to rising health care costs, rapidly increasing prescription drug prices, new technology and increasing enrollment. Medicare is not going broke or bankrupt, and Part B and Part D remain fully funded. But the program’s financial situation must be improved so that Medicare can continue to fully pay hospitals for their services under Part A. Lowering costs and improving the efficiency and value of health care spending are especially crucial, as the number of enrollees is expected to rise to over 80 million by 2030. We should make responsible changes now to avoid a crisis in the future.

AARP guiding principles

As you consider a candidate, keep in mind AARP’s priorities for the Medicare program.

• Guarantee defined-benefit coverage to seniors and people with disabilities, regardless of their income or health status.
• Maintain affordable benefits that meet the needs of Medicare enrollees. This includes ensuring affordable premiums and cost sharing, as well as exploring ways to expand coverage to important services like dental care, vision and hearing aids.
• Ensure that all people with Medicare have access to a choice of high-quality health care providers sufficient to meet their needs.
• Make prescription drugs more affordable by allowing Medicare to negotiate their prices.
• Ensure that all people with Medicare can access care conveniently and safely, including with telehealth technologies.
• Sustain Medicare for the future by reducing waste, fraud and abuse and making sure that its resources are spent wisely.

Call for Action

AARP is urging Congress to protect and improve Medicare benefits.

For more information: aarp.org/vote.