Pat Meehan Opposes This Critical Aid For Pennsylvania Seniors

By LENTZ FOR CONGRESS

MEDIA –Representative Bryan Lentz announced that Medicare started sending out $250 ‘donut hole’ checks to senior citizens across Pennsylvania today to help them cover the high cost of prescription drugs. It is the first direct benefit that senior citizens throughout the nation will experience as a result of health insurance reform signed in to law this spring.

As additional seniors in the state enter the gap in Medicare’s prescription drug coverage program known as the donut hole, these one-time checks will continue to be issued monthly. Beginning in January 2011, seniors in the donut hole will receive a 50% discount on brand name drugs. By 2020, the donut hole will be completely closed.

“It is no surprise that after 30 years in politics, Pat Meehan would oppose this progress for seniors and want to return us to a system of higher drug costs, shrinking benefits, and insecurity for seniors,” Lentz said. “When you have been around as long as Pat has and when you make your living defending multi-national corporations, it is no surprise that Meehan wants to protect insurance company profits at the expense of care for our seniors.”

“Our seniors deserve affordable prescription drugs, and until the donut hole is closed completely we have an obligation to ensure seniors have access to the medication they need,” Lentz said. “This is just one example of how the health insurance reform bill strengthened Medicare and is helping seniors. Send me to Congress and I will fight everyday for Pennsylvania’s seniors and working families – not corporate insurance industry profits.”

Congressional Republicans created the donut hole – leaving thousands of seniors to choose between buying the prescriptions they need and putting food on the table – and now they refuse to help close it. The ‘donut hole’ coverage gap is the period in the prescription drug benefit (once their prescription drug costs exceed $2,830) in which the beneficiary pays 100 percent of the cost of their drugs until they hit the catastrophic coverage threshold.

Last year, roughly 189,000 Medicare beneficiaries in our state of Pennsylvania fell in the donut hole and received no extra help to defray the cost of their prescription drugs. Now, under health reform, help is on the way.

Under health insurance reform, the $250 checks are just the first step in reducing seniors’ prescription drug costs. Beginning next year, there will be a 50 percent discount on prescription drugs in the donut hole, and by 2020, the donut hole will be completely closed.

Medicare recipients don’t have to do anything to get the $250 check – once their drug costs for the year hit $2,830 the one-time check will be issued automatically. But Rep. Lentz warned seniors to be on the lookout for fraud.

Making prescription drugs more affordable for seniors is only one of the many benefits for seniors included in the recently enacted health reform law.

Other benefits for seniors include:

·         Provides free preventive care services under Medicare, beginning in 2011.
·         Strengthens Medicare by extending its solvency by an additional 12 years, from 2017 to 2029.
·         Improves seniors’ access to doctors.
·         Continues to reduce waste, fraud and abuse.
·         Improves care by helping doctors communicate and coordinate.
·         Expands home and community-based services to keep seniors in their home, instead of in nursing homes.

###

pa2010.com publishes press releases, statements and other information from campaigns and political committees. We also publish legislative releases from candidates considering higher office in 2010 and from incumbents holding those offices. E-mail releases to press@pa2010.com.