Health Care Blog
Better Medicare In Your State
Posted by on May 6, 2011 at 9:00 AM EDTIt’s been a little more than a year since the Affordable Care Act became law, but seniors and people with disabilities on Medicare are already reaping its benefits. Thanks to the new law, seniors have access to free preventive care and a free annual wellness visit. People who hit the Medicare prescription drug donut hole are getting a 50 percent discount on their prescription drugs. We have protected and expanded guaranteed benefits for all 47 million Americans on Medicare. And estimates indicate that the new benefits and services provided to seniors by the Affordable Care Act will save the typical senior over $3,500 over the next decade.
Today, we are releasing State-by-State charts that provide more detailed information on how seniors in your State are benefitting from the Affordable Care Act. Check out the data for your State below.
Unfortunately, some in Congress want to undo this progress and take us backwards. Under the Republican Medicare plan, a typical 65-year-old who becomes eligible for Medicare would pay an extra $6,400 than what he or she would pay if the plan were not adopted. You can learn more about the Republican plan here.
President Obama is committed to strengthening Medicare and building on the Affordable Care Act. As the new charts show, millions of seniors are already receiving better health care and paying less thanks to this landmark law – and, each year, these benefits will get even better.
Medicare After the Affordable Care Act
Lower Costs, Better Care for Seniors
See how your state is affected
Stephanie Cutter is Assistant to the President and Deputy Senior Advisor.
Learn more about Health Care, Seniors and Social SecurityVote for Your Favorite Healthy Living Innovation
Posted by on May 5, 2011 at 4:21 PM EDTHow can you help improve community health across the country? By sharing your opinion with us. Are you interested in healthy nutrition in the work environment? Or does physical activity for children get your vote? We want to hear from you!
Earlier this year, the Department of Health and Human Services announced the Healthy Living Innovation Awards, an exciting chance to foster the spread of effective, community-based efforts that employ innovative approaches to promote healthy weight, physical activity, and nutrition. We asked for communities to submit creative, replicable, and sustainable innovations that demonstrate outstanding leadership and promising results---and today I’m pleased to say that by March we had received 245 applications.
Learn more about Health CareNo Comparison
Posted by on April 27, 2011 at 5:40 PM EDTEarlier this week, Speaker John Boehner said Rep. Ryan’s plan to privatize Medicare “transforms Medicare into a plan that's very similar to the President's own health care bill.” This comparison is deeply flawed. Here’s why:
No Guaranteed Coverage
The Congressional Republican plan privatizes Medicare, ending the program as we know it. Insurance companies would be under no obligation to offer insurance to seniors, so many older Americans could be left with no insurance at all.
The Affordable Care Act preserves Medicare and improves it by making prevention and prescription drugs more affordable, lowering its costs, and improving the quality of care. And health reform extends the life of the Medicare Trust Fund and helps ensure Medicare will continue to provide coverage to seniors in the decades to come.
Get Older, Pay More
The Republican plan repeals Medicare’s current policy where seniors are not charged more because of their age. Under the Republican plan, seniors could be forced to pay more for their health care every year, simply because they’ve grown older.
Learn more about Health CareChampions of Change: Chefs Move to Schools
Posted by on April 27, 2011 at 2:57 PM EDTEditor’s Note: Champions of Change is a weekly initiative to highlight Americans who are making an impact in their communities and help our country rise to the many challenges of the 21st century.
It is an honor to be named a Champion of Change by the White House for my work with school nutrition programs in the Pacific Northwest. Last Friday I joined a roundtable meeting with Administration officials and five other chefs from around the nation to discuss best practices for working with schools and teachers through the Chefs Move to Schools program.
We have an extraordinary opportunity in this country to influence a lifetime of healthy eating habits beginning with children and teens. Schools provide a perfect setting, both in the classroom and in the cafeteria. Chef volunteers with Chefs Move to Schools are ready to share their expertise to get kids excited about tasty, healthy foods.
In the classroom chefs can teach students through demonstration or hands-on cooking experiences. It could be something as simple as seasonal produce show-tell-and-taste, or a hands-on activity to build cooking confidence. Chefs in the classroom can also collaborate with the cafeteria to promote new healthy school menu items.
Meeting the Needs of People with Autism
Posted by on April 25, 2011 at 12:27 PM EDTHelping every American with autism achieve their full potential is one of this administration’s top priorities. At the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, we continue to strive to meet the complex needs of all people with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and their families. While there is no cure, early intervention is critical and can greatly improve a child’s development.
Perhaps the biggest step we’ve taken to support those affected by autism and their families happened over a year ago, with the signing of the Affordable Care Act. Now, new insurance plans are required to cover autism screening and developmental assessments for children at no cost to parents. Insurers will also no longer be allowed to deny children coverage for a pre-existing condition such as ASD or to set arbitrary lifetime or annual limits on benefits.
Learn more about Disabilities, Health CareThe Facts About the Independent Payment Advisory Board
Posted by on April 20, 2011 at 5:46 PM EDTLast week, the President outlined a framework for reducing our deficits and debt that is based on the values of shared responsibility and shared prosperity. We know we can’t reduce our deficit without reducing the growth of health care spending. But we also cannot bring down health care cost growth by simply raising costs for seniors and States and ending Medicare as we know it. That’s why the President opposes any plan that would simply place the burden of deficit reduction on seniors and undermine Medicare.
The President’s framework instead builds on the improvements made by the Affordable Care Act. It tackles Medicare fraud and excessive payments for prescription drugs, proposes a stronger Federal-State partnership in Medicaid, and includes a series of health care reforms that would save $340 billion by 2021, $480 billion by 2023 and at least an additional $1 trillion in the following decade.
Learn more about Health Care
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