Last summer I traveled throughout Wisconsin as AARP members met in community conversations concerning the state of health care reform.
Two powerful impressions remain with me from those conversations. The first is pain. The pain of seniors who are struggling to pay medical bills. The pain of seniors who are trying to stay healthy without health insurance. The pain of seniors who cannot afford the prescription drugs that they need.
The second is courage. There was an underlying sense that our health care system soon would be reformed and courage to persevere through the pain. Our state office has more than 800 letters from Wisconsinites that speak of the pain and the courage of their lives. It is time for our political leaders to recognize the pain and to show political courage.
That is why AARP is working so hard to ensure older Americans are getting the health care coverage they deserve. After a lifetime of hard work, no one deserves to spend their later years struggling with medical bills or risking their health and life because they cannot afford a visit to the doctor or a needed drug.
After reading the Affordable Health Care for America Act and the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act, AARP has endorsed these bills and we are pleased that the Affordable Health Care for America Act recently was passed by the House. These are just a few reasons that we endorsed the bill.
The coverage gap in Medicare Part D will begin to be filled immediately, and will close completely over time. The bill also allows Medicare to negotiate prescription drug costs.
The House plan stops insurance companies from profiting on the backs of older Americans. It stops the practice of denying coverage because of age or pre-existing conditions and prohibits dropping people because they get sick.
There are measures in the plan that support preventive care and wellness, as well as primary and specialty care, chronic care coordination, and coverage for hospitalization, rehabilitation, emergency care, mental health and prescription drugs. These all are things that will improve the health of our nation as a whole.
We're making progress, but we have a long way to go, so we'll keep working with the House and Senate to ensure that our priorities are included in any final health care reform bill. We'll use the strength of our nearly 40 million members against any proposal that would hurt rather than help Medicare or older Americans' access to affordable, quality health care.
The time has come to stop the pain and take action for the common good.
Two powerful impressions remain with me from those conversations. The first is pain. The pain of seniors who are struggling to pay medical bills. The pain of seniors who are trying to stay healthy without health insurance. The pain of seniors who cannot afford the prescription drugs that they need.
The second is courage. There was an underlying sense that our health care system soon would be reformed and courage to persevere through the pain. Our state office has more than 800 letters from Wisconsinites that speak of the pain and the courage of their lives. It is time for our political leaders to recognize the pain and to show political courage.
That is why AARP is working so hard to ensure older Americans are getting the health care coverage they deserve. After a lifetime of hard work, no one deserves to spend their later years struggling with medical bills or risking their health and life because they cannot afford a visit to the doctor or a needed drug.
After reading the Affordable Health Care for America Act and the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act, AARP has endorsed these bills and we are pleased that the Affordable Health Care for America Act recently was passed by the House. These are just a few reasons that we endorsed the bill.
The coverage gap in Medicare Part D will begin to be filled immediately, and will close completely over time. The bill also allows Medicare to negotiate prescription drug costs.
The House plan stops insurance companies from profiting on the backs of older Americans. It stops the practice of denying coverage because of age or pre-existing conditions and prohibits dropping people because they get sick.
There are measures in the plan that support preventive care and wellness, as well as primary and specialty care, chronic care coordination, and coverage for hospitalization, rehabilitation, emergency care, mental health and prescription drugs. These all are things that will improve the health of our nation as a whole.
We're making progress, but we have a long way to go, so we'll keep working with the House and Senate to ensure that our priorities are included in any final health care reform bill. We'll use the strength of our nearly 40 million members against any proposal that would hurt rather than help Medicare or older Americans' access to affordable, quality health care.
The time has come to stop the pain and take action for the common good.
