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What’s in the health reform bill for seniors?
LOWER DRUG COSTSRep. Becerra also released a guide on health insurance reform for seniors — including frequently asked questions and the facts on repeated myths. Download a copy(.pdf) here>>Ending the ‘doughnut hole’ for prescription drug coverage. The reform bill will result in lower overall prescription drug costs for seniors, according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office. Right now, evidence suggests the “doughnut hole” coverage gap reduces seniors’ use of drugs prescribed by their doctor by an average of 14%, posing a real health threat to seniors who simply cannot afford the drugs.FREE PREVENTIVE CARESo you pay nothing on recommended preventive services that will keep you healthier longer. Right now, one in five women age 50 or over did not have a mammogram in the last two years, and 38% of adults age 50 or over have never had a colonoscopy – with costs often a factor.BETTER PRIMARY CAREEnsuring you have access to and can spend more time with your primary care doctor, and making sure your care is better coordinated to ensure you get recommended treatments, particularly for chronic diseases. Right now, about 12 million seniors lack access to a primary care doctor in their community.GUARANTEED ACCESS TO YOUR DOCTOREliminating the 21% pay cut your doctor was facing for Medicare reimbursements, ensuring that these doctors will still be able to care for seniors—especially in rural areas. Right now, without reform, 40% of doctors say they will reduce the number of Medicare patients they treat.IMPROVED SAFETY
Developing national standards on quality measurement and reporting, investing in patient safety and rewarding doctors and nurses for high quality care. Right now, nearly one in five Medicare patients who are discharged from the hospital are readmitted within 30 days—many for preventable reasons.PROTECTION OF MEDICAREExtending the solvency of the Medicare Trust Fund by five years, to help ensure Medicare can cover every American as they get older. Right now, the Medicare Trust Fund is projected to be exhausted in just eight years, in 2017, which could cause cuts to services and care.TIGHTER OVERSIGHTFocusing health care dollars on your care and benefits and cracking down on waste, fraud, abuse, and overpayments to enrich private companies. In the last year alone, improper Medicare payments that were discovered and stopped totaled more than $450 million.
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