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Seniors HealthSeniors Health

Expanding Access to Affordable Prescription Drugs

Senator Nelson supported the prescription drug bill which has dramatically improved seniors’ access to affordable prescription drugs. The lack of prescription drug coverage was a glaring omission in the Medicare program. It prevented many seniors from getting the treatments they need and undermined the promise of the Medicare program – to make quality health care available to our seniors. Because of Senator Nelson’s support, over 80% of Nebraska’s 265,000 Medicare beneficiaries now have prescription drug coverage, and public surveys indicate that more than 80 percent of enrollees are satisfied with their benefit. In July of 2006, seniors reported paying an average monthly dollar amount of $64 for prescription drugs, which is 54% less than the reported $139 per month average seniors reported in 2003, before the Medicare prescription drug coverage was passed. And because Medicare is taking responsibility for low income seniors that have historically been paid for by the state, Nebraska will save $167 million over eight years.

Protecting Rural America

When the federal bureaucracy arbitrarily lowered the reimbursement rate for rural hospital lab services for less than its cost, Senator Nelson introduced the Critical Access to Clinical Lab Services Act of 2007 to overturn the regulation. The regulation stated that lab services would not be reimbursed unless the patient is at the facility where testing will occur. This change jeopardizes rural Nebraskans' access to care by imposing an additional burden on the frail elderly by requiring them to visit the hospital to get simple lab tests done, when hospitals were willing and able to conduct tests at the point of patient care and transport it back to the hospital for analysis. Sixty-one rural hospitals in Nebraska were impacted by the regulation, costing some of these facilities hundreds of thousands of dollars and forcing seniors to travel unnecessarily. Senator Nelson successfully passed this legislation to alleviate this burden on rural Nebraska.

Fighting for Seniors

In 2003, budget shortfalls in many states, including Nebraska, threatened Medicaid services. Low-income seniors faced a very real threat that critical services and reimbursements to providers would be cut. Senator Nelson went to work to protect this important program. He fought to include $10 billion in additional Medicaid funding to states as part of the 2003 tax cut.

In 2009, when our nation’s economy became threatened by a recession and states once again faced serious budget shortfalls and Medicaid programs across the country were in jeopardy, Senator Nelson stepped up to the plate once again. In reaching across the aisle to secure passage for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Senator Nelson helped deliver $87 billion for state Medicaid programs. Nebraska is set to receive over $200 million dollars to support low-income seniors through our Medicaid system because of Senator Nelson’s hard work.

In 2008, when Medicare was due for some updating, Senator Nelson fought to improve programs aimed at helping low-income seniors. He successfully fought for eliminating enrollment barriers for seniors applying for Medicare benefits and increasing eligibility for the Medicare Savings Program and the Low Income Subsidy, which help subsidize low-income beneficiaries’ Medicare premiums. This legislation also prevented physician reimbursement cuts which jeopardized access to care for thousands of older Nebraska beneficiaries. Senator Nelson was the only member of the delegation to support the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008.

Useful Links

NHI Senior Health
Medline Plus
First Gov
Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Department of Health and Human Services