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Health Care Info for Seniors
The Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act ensures our seniors will receive quality health care at a reasonable price. This legislation puts a stop to rising premiums and unfair practices by insurance companies who drop seniors from coverage because of age. It closes the donut hole within the decade and provides a $250 payment in 2010 for those enrolled in Medicare Part D for their prescription drug coverage. In addition, H.R. 4872 provides free preventative care under Medicare that will keep seniors healthier for longer.
Medicare has been a sacred trust between our seniors and Washington for over forty years, and this health insurance reform plan will ensure that this trust is preserved by cracking down on the estimated 20 percent of Medicare spending that goes to waste, inefficiency and fraud. This waste is driving up seniors’ health care costs and threatening Medicare’s long-term solvency. These cost savings are reinvested into Medicare by improving benefits and extending the life of the Medicare Trust Fund.
H.R. 4872 strengthens Medicare by ensuring that all enrollees are protected from an increase in Medicare Part B premiums, so that 2010 premiums will remain at $96.40 and no seniors will see a cut in their Social Security checks. It improves coordination and quality of care so that seniors aren’t subject to unnecessary tests and screenings that only waste time and money of our seniors. This legislation makes huge gains for seniors by giving them peace of mind that Medicare will be there for years to come.
In addition to benefits to Medicare enrollees, health care reform supports our doctors by blocking a 21 percent cut that was scheduled to occur this year in Medicare payments to physicians. This planned fee reduction could have led many doctors to stop seeing Medicare patients. To further expand access to quality care for seniors, health care reform invests in expanding the medical workforce so seniors will have more doctors to choose from and an easier time getting an appointment.
H.R. 4872 is supported by AARP, the Alliance for Retired Americans, AFSCME Retirees, the American Federation of Teachers Program on Retirement and Retirees, Easter Seals and many others.
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