Sen. Shaheen Hears Concerns Over Health Reform from AARP members in N.H.
AARP
New Hampshire Union Leader
Joseph Markman
Boston University Washington News Service
11/19/09
WASHINGTON – Following the unveiling of the Senate Democratic leadership’s version of health care reform, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., fielded questions ranging from Medicare cuts to prescription drug costs on a teleconference call with 5,900 New Hampshire AARP members Thursday morning.
The legislation, which the Congressional Budget Office said would cost $848 billion over 10 years and extend insurance coverage to 31 million uninsured Americans, would also impose higher Medicare payroll taxes on couples making more than $250,000 a year and trim various aspects of Medicare, including $118 billion over 10 years from Medicare Advantage spending.
Joanna from Canaan, one of the AARP members calling in and a self-described “big supporter” of a government-run insurance option, urged Shaheen to convert some of her Republican colleagues into getting behind the so-called public option in the Senate bill, which would allow individual states to opt out.
“The government has shown with Medicare that they know what they’re doing with health care,” Joanna said, “and I have more confidence in a government-run program than private companies.”
Shaheen responded that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s bill would spur competition through its public option, but that the legislation was only a “starting point” and would change as it faced vigorous debate.
The senator also suggested Joanna call Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., to help convert him herself.
Gregg said recently about the opt-out government-run insurance plan: “Assuming that the states will opt out of a federally subsidized government-run plan is like assuming your children will opt out of their allowance.”
Barbara from Salem said she is a diabetic and wondered about the Senate’s fix for the Medicare Part D “doughnut-hole” prescription drug coverage gap, in which she finds herself every year.
“There are some changes in the bill that I think will help with this,” Shaheen said. The legislation would provide a 50 percent discount on brand-name drugs and provide a better path for generic drugs to get to the market.
“It’s a good start. Obviously we need to keep working,” Shaheen said.
Donna from Merrimack, who said her son pays $700 per month in premiums to a private insurer, asked if the measures before Congress would alleviate the financial pain people like her son face.
“There are changes in the bill to help folks with the cost of insurance coverage,” Shaheen said. “It provides subsidies so you only have to pay a certain part of your income.”
On the cost-cutting front, Fred from New Ipswich said he was a senior and very concerned about Medicare cuts in the health reform bills.
“How can you comfort me that Medicare will not be diminished in the future?” Fred asked.
Shaheen responded by calling attention to an aspect of the bill she introduced in September that would help senior citizens with follow-up care after leaving the hospital, significantly reducing the cost to Medicare of re-hospitalization.
“There are real savings we can provide by doing a better job providing health care to people,” Shaheen said.
###
