The Final State of the Union
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Summary:
As health insurance reform gains new momentum, those looking to preserve the status quo are amping up their scare campaign against seniors.
It's no secret that institutions of all stripes focus their communications on certain messages day to day. We thought it would all be a little more open and transparent if we went ahead and published what our focus will be for the day, along with any related articles, documents, or reports.
Supporting video: "What's Good About Health Care Reform for Seniors? A new series of videos addresses how health care reform would safeguard Medicare," AARP
Talking Points: Strengthening Medicare through Health Insurance Reform
- President Obama is committed to protecting and strengthening Medicare for America's seniors – anyone who tells you different is trying to scare and deliberately mislead you. Health insurance reform will not cut Medicare benefits. Period.
- Medicare is a sacred trust with America's seniors and the President’s health insurance reform plan will ensure that trust is never broken.
- Not a dime of the Medicare trust fund will be used to pay for reform.
- Instead it eliminates waste to strengthen the financial health of the program.
- It will end wasteful overpayments to insurance companies through Medicare Advantage. There is no evidence these overpayments improve the quality of care for seniors, yet they contribute to higher premiums for all Medicare beneficiaries.
- Eliminating these overpayments adds years to the Medicare trust fund.
- Reform will make care more affordable for seniors.
- It will substantially reduce the cost of prescription drugs for seniors who fall into that gap in coverage known as the Donut Hole. And the President is committed to closing that donut hole altogether.
- It will make preventive services free.
- And it will aggressively attack fraud and abuse that raise Medicare costs for all seniors and taxpayers.
- Reform will also improve care for Seniors.
- It will move Medicare toward a system that rewards high-quality care and invest in innovations in primary care.
- It will result in better coordination of care and an end to the duplicate tests and bureaucracy.
- It will make long-term care services more affordable.
- And it will eliminate the imminent physician payment cut that threatens to constrict doctor choices for seniors.
