Dear Editor:
As health care continues to be one of the most talked about issues today, I hope that consumers are not being misled by some of the myths that have been circulating. First of all, none of the major health care reform plans being considered call for repealing Medicare. AARP and other organizations are fighting to make sure any health care reform bill strengthens Medicare. They support provisions such as closing the Part D “doughnut hole”, protecting access to your doctors, preventing costly and avoidable readmissions, and including the overall quality of care. Right now preventable hospital readmissions alone cost Medicare billions of dollars.
AARP believes that any health reform plan should allow all of us to keep our doctors and health plan or choose another affordable private health plan. AARP is working hard to ensure that health care reform lowers the amount of money we pay out of our own pockets. We need to make certain that doctors are paid fairly so they continue to treat us and other people in Medicare.
Less money out of your pocket, the doctor of your choice and better care – that is what America’s health care reform plan must mean to people in Medicare.
Claire Edelman