Seniors

As co-chair of the Congressional Task Force on Seniors in the House of Representatives, I have consistently supported policies that are important to seniors in Sacramento, such as protecting Social Security, strengthening Medicare, and reforming our financial system so that all Americans have the tool they need to achieve retirement security. These are critical components of the Democratic agenda to ensure that older Americans have the stability and security that they have earned and deserve. 

Social Security, a federal program established as part of the New Deal in the 1935, provides monthly monetary assistance to retirees, their survivors, and the disabled. Social Security is a pillar of our society, representing our nation’s promise to preserving the well-being and dignity of its people as they grow older. For 78 years, Social Security has provided older Americans with stability and security by offering a minimum level of guaranteed income to aging citizens.         

During this time of great economic hardship, nothing could be more important than ensuring our seniors have the resources necessary for maintaining a healthy and active life style.  That is why I have worked diligently to ensure the federal government continues to provide the retirement benefits our seniors have earned.    

For 48 years, Medicare has provided Seniors with  access to affordable health care.  Over 39 million retired Americans rely on Medicare to provide some or all of their health insurance needs.  Despite access to such benefits, elderly Americans spend almost a quarter of their yearly income on health care services.  That is why I have worked to strengthen our Medicare program, and ensure it continues to provide retired Americans access to affordable and reliable health care insurance. 

To help alleviate the financial impact of medical coverage, I have supported a number of bills that will reduce costs to Medicare recipients, while increasing benefit in the program. For example, the Affordable Care Act takes concrete steps to strengthen Medicare for all who receive it, without cutting any benefits to patients. Before passage of the law, Medicare provided some assistance with drug costs, but the program included a coverage gap where no help with paying for a beneficiary’s prescription drugs was provided.  Commonly referred to as the “donut hole,” nearly 10 percent of Medicare beneficiaries will reach this coverage gap, a problem which was created by prescription drug reforms put in place by the previous Administration.  Since the implementation of those policies, the donut hole has left thousands of seniors to choose between buying the prescriptions they need and putting food on the table.  But as a result of the health care law, millions of seniors are already receiving help.  Since the law was enacted, 6.6 million seniors in the Medicare Part D 'donut hole' coverage gap have saved over $7 billion on prescription drugs, or an average savings of $1,061 per senior.  The health care law completely closes the donut hole by 2020. 

Another important benefit for Medicare beneficiaries from the Affordable Care Act is increased access to preventative care services. Before the health care law, Medicare beneficiaries only received one wellness physical throughout their entire time on the program. Now, all Medicare beneficiaries are able to see their doctor once a year for an annual physical. This allows Medicare beneficiaries the chance to focus on wellness and prevention, and provides the time needed for doctors to identify risk factors or developing ailments early. Furthermore, Medicare beneficiaries have access to a host of new preventative screenings and procedures, without any out-of-pocket costs. This benefit allows doctors to catch developing diseases early, when they often can be treated more effectively and with minimal disruption to the patient. 

Finally, the law strengthens the system of Medicare as a whole. It provides for increasing the primary care workforce, which will increase Medicare beneficiaries’ access to care, and strengthens the financial footing of the program. This is a critical step, as it will extended Medicare solvency by an additional 12 years, from 2017 to 2029.