WASHINGTON, DC – To celebrate the 50th anniversary of President Johnson’s establishment of Medicare and Medicaid, Congressman Alan Grayson (D-FL09) today introduced the Seniors Have Eyes, Ears, and Teeth Act. This bill will expand Medicare’s coverage to include exams, treatments, and medical devices for eyes, ears, and teeth, which are currently excluded.
In a speech on the House floor this morning (full text below), Congressman Grayson said, “Thanks to Medicare, for 50 years now, our seniors have received the health care they’ve needed to stay healthy, and to live a full life. But despite this success, there are gaps in Medicare coverage that need to be closed. The most glaring gap is the fact that Medicare does not provide basic medical coverage for seniors’ eyes, ears, and teeth. It’s as though Medicare assumes that seniors don’t need to see, or to hear, or to chew!
“We’re not talking about exotic, high-tech treatments – we’re talking about no Medicare coverage for eyeglasses, eye exams, hearing aids, and cavity fillings and dentures. We’re talking about no treatment for medical conditions that lead to blindness, deafness, lost teeth and serious gum disease, which has been strongly linked to heart disease. It is unthinkable that we deny our seniors this elementary level of care.
“The Seniors Have Eyes, Ears, and Teeth Act… will amend Title XVIII, the Medicare provision of the Social Security Act, to repeal the arbitrary exclusion from Medicare coverage of eyeglasses, eye exams, hearing aids, hearing exams, and dental care. Two short lines in the U.S. Code have barred that coverage for fifty years; I simply delete those lines. I urge my Congressional colleagues to enact this quick, easy, and necessary reform.
“Medicare is a promise that we make to ourselves, the young to the old, one generation to the next. The promise is that after you reach your 65th birthday, your medical needs will be met. To keep that promise, our seniors have paid into the system, for half a century in some cases, before they receive a single earned benefit. They deserve the best care we can provide for them."
Congressman Alan Grayson (D-FL09) today gave the following speech on the floor of the House of Representatives calling for an expansion of Medicare to include examinations and treatments for Senior’s eyes, ears, and teeth. The full video of the speech can be seen here:
Fifty years ago this week, President Lyndon Johnson signed the law that created Medicare and Medicaid – the most important health care programs in our country’s history, prior to the Affordable Care Act. With one stroke of his pen, President Johnson guaranteed both poor Americans and older Americans the right to high-quality, affordable medical treatment.
Thanks to Medicare, for 50 years now, our seniors have received the healthcare they’ve needed to stay healthy, and to live a full life. But despite this success, there are gaps in Medicare coverage that need to be closed. The most glaring gap is the fact that Medicare does not provide basic medical coverage for seniors’ eyes, ears, and teeth. It’s as though Medicare assumes that seniors don’t need to see, or to hear, or to chew!
We’re not talking about exotic, high-tech treatments – we’re talking about no Medicare coverage for eyeglasses, eye exams, hearing aids, cavity fillings and dentures. We’re talking about no treatment for medical conditions that lead to blindness, deafness, lost teeth, and serious gum disease, which has been strongly linked to heart disease. It’s unthinkable that we deny our seniors this elementary level of care.
There are 2.7 million seniors in America who are blind. How many of them would be able to see today, if they’d received a simple annual eye exam as part of their Medicare coverage?
Medicare is a promise that we make to ourselves, the young to the old, one generation to the next. The promise is that after you reach your 65th birthday, your medical needs will be met. To keep that promise, our seniors have paid into the system for half a century in some cases before they receive a single earned benefit. They deserve the best care we can provide for them.
This week, to honor the 50th anniversary of this lifesaving program we call Medicare, I’m introducing the “Seniors Have Eyes, Ears, and Teeth Act.” This bill will amend Title XVIII, the Medicare provision of the Social Security Act, to repeal the arbitrary exclusion from Medicare coverage of eyeglasses, eye exams, hearing aids, hearing exams, and dental care. Two short lines in the U.S. Code have barred that coverage for fifty years; I simply delete those lines. I urge my Congressional colleagues to enact this quick, easy, and necessary reform.
Medicare should provide health coverage for every part of your body, including eyes, ears, and teeth. Over 50 million Americans enjoy Medicare coverage. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Medicare, let’s guarantee to 50 million Americans the healthcare that they need to look into the eyes of the ones they love, to see our 4th of July fireworks each year, and to hear it when freedom rings.
Thank you.
