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By Lori Parham,
AARP Maine State Director Portland
Safeguarding the health and well-being of older Americans has been part of the mission of AARP since the association was founded almost 60 years ago. Here in Maine, and across the country, AARP stands ready to mobilize our millions of members to oppose any attempts to cut Medicare benefits for seniors and future generations. As the Medicare debate heats up in Congress, AARP will vigorously protect and defend the health care coverage that Medicare beneficiaries receive. With close to 230,000 Medicare beneficiaries, we know how important this program is to Mainers and their families.
As our CEO, Jo Ann Jenkins, has made clear, AARP will flatly oppose any attempts to cut, scale back or diminish Medicare’s benefits. This includes any efforts to eliminate the guaranteed level of coverage that has been part of Medicare from the start.
The importance of Medicare to aging Americans is indisputable. Today, 57-million Americans rely on Medicare to help pay for their prescription drugs, doctor visits and hospitalizations. Workers have earned these benefits by paying into the program throughout their working lives.
Current beneficiaries need to know that the coverage they count on every day will not be reduced or taken away. Those nearing eligibility must know that the promise of guaranteed benefits will be kept.
While fighting to protect and defend Medicare for current and near-term beneficiaries, we must also improve it for future generations while continuing its guaranteed benefits.
We will work to find sensible solutions that improve care, reduce costs and create real savings for taxpayers without cutting benefits or access to care. These include: reducing prescription drug costs by allowing Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices and improving access to lower-cost biologic drugs; improving care coordination; cracking down on waste and fraud; and eliminating inefficient payment systems, uncoordinated care, mistakes, duplication and unnecessary paperwork.
We will also fight to protect the key provisions of health care reform that you have told us are important to you and your families:
• Eliminating discrimination by insurance companies due to preexisting conditions.
• Restricting discrimination by insurance companies based on age and gender.
• Closing the “doughnut hole” to make prescription drugs more affordable under Medicare.
• Keeping children on their parents’ policies to the age of 26.
• Expanding preventive services.
• Protecting Medicaid’s critical long-term services and supports that help our nation’s most vulnerable citizens, including older adults and disabled children, continue to live in their homes and communities.
Join us in the fight to ensure that all Americans continue to receive the health care that they have earned, that they need and that they deserve. There are several ways you can get involved:
• Go to www.aarp.org/nocuts and sign our petition to Congress;
• Call or visit your member of Congress during the next Congressional recess which is February 20-24th;
• Contact AARP Maine at me@aarp.org or 1-866-554-5380 to work with us locally or to share your story about why Medicare is important to you.
Medicare is the bedrock of health security for all Americans as they age. It helps keep older people out of poverty and enables them to live with independence and dignity. AARP Maine stands with you and your family on this critical issue.
