With Medicare open enrollment upon us, now is the time to reflect on how important Medicare is to our country–and to keeping seniors across Virginia and the nation healthy. Thanks to Medicare, seniors have access to life-saving healthcare without having to worry about excessive bills. The Affordable Care Act extends the life of Medicare by ending overpayments to private insurance companies and cracking down on waste, fraud, and abuse. Thanks to the healthcare law, seniors can breathe a bit easier knowing that Medicare–and senior care–isn’t going anywhere.
Already, more than 5.5 million seniors and people with disabilities have saved nearly $4.5 billion on prescription drugs since the law was enacted. A new report found that Americans enrolled in Medicare will save $5,000 through the year 2022 as a result of the Affordable Care Act.
Policy proposals that slash seniors’ benefits would undo this tremendous progress by throwing seniors back into the prescription drug donut hole and cutting access to preventive care. We all know that this program is absolutely and we must all continue to support policies that improve seniors’ access to care and strengthen the Medicare system.