ShAARP Session: Observations from AARP

A release from the Employee Benefits Research Institute today reports that paid sick leave was available to approximately two-thirds of Americans in March 2009. Specifically, 77 percent of full-time workers had access to paid sick leave, compared with 28 percent of part-time workers, and 90 percent of state and local government employees had access to paid sick leave.

According to the Department of Labor's Web site, "Generally, federal labor laws do not require employers to provide sick leave or pay sick time off." Have you always had paid sick leave? After reading these statistics, I might have been taking my paid time off for granted. Where do you fall?

And of course, some health care news from AARP...
Today, the Washington Post's "Voices of Power" series features an interview with AARP's Director of Policy, John Rother on health care reform. Check out the story for a video of Rother's remarks. He says that one of the "main challenges" today is making sure people are aware of what is really in the House bill that AARP endorsed last week. He also addresses "scare tactics" that have been used against seniors regarding health care reform. View the video for all of what Rother has to say as a "Voice of Power."

Finally,
Just an interesting note on a USA Today blog today: It reports on a study that shows that by 2030, more than one in four Florida residents will be over the age of 65, up from 17% today. What will that mean for the state? Well, the study (commissioned by the state legislature) says it will lead to a worker shortage and a strain on public pensions and state services.

Now that the health care reform bill has passed the House and moves to the Senate, folks are struggling to have a better idea of what exactly this bill is and what it means for them and their families. Here are just a couple of things the bill will do for the country:

The House measure would cover 36 million uninsured Americans and bar insurance companies from denying people coverage because of their health or age. It would require all Americans to have health coverage, provide subsidies for those who can't afford it and create insurance exchanges--where people could shop for coverage among a number of plans, including a government-run option.

For older Americans, the legislation would begin to close the Medicare "doughnut hole" coverage gap, place strict limits on what insurance companies can charge for policies and put a cap on the out-of-pocket health expenses.

As efforts are being made to merge the the two health care bills produced by the Senate's Finance Committee and the Health Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, this piece gives us the lowdown on how each measure - the House bill, the Senate Finance bill, and the Senate HELP bill - will effect everyone, whether you're an individual, business, if you're not insured, if you're covered by Medicare or covered by Medicaid. Check out the nitty gritty.

From AARP CEO, Barry Rand

We started this debate more than two years ago with the twin goals of making coverage affordable to our younger members and protecting Medicare for seniors. We've read the Affordable Health Care for America Act and we can say with confidence that it meets those goals with improved benefits for people in Medicare and needed health insurance market reforms to help ensure every American can purchase affordable health coverage.

Today's endorsement marks the first time in this legislative battle that AARP has put its full weight behind a comprehensive health care reform package. In the coming days, AARP will be educating its members about the health care reform package through its publications, paid advertising and more than five million calls and e-mails to its grassroots activists.

As members of the House gear up for this historic vote, they will hear from older Americans.

The Affordable Health Care for America Act and the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act contain critical components AARP has been fighting for on behalf of its members and all older Americans to improve health care for them and their families. They include:

• Protecting and strengthening Medicare for today's seniors and future generations of retirees;


• Ensuring seniors can see the doctor of their choice or find a doctor if they need one by improving Medicare's payments to doctors;


• Lowering drug costs for seniors by closing the Medicare Part D "doughnut hole" and allowing Medicare to negotiate with drug makers for lower drug prices;


• Taking steps to reduce waste, fraud, abuse and inefficiency in the Medicare program;


• Requiring Medicare and insurance companies to provide for important preventive services like screenings for diabetes, cancer and osteoporosis free of charge;


• Stopping insurance companies from denying you affordable coverage because of your age;


• Preventing insurance companies from denying you coverage if you have a pre-existing condition or dropping your coverage if you get sick;


• Limiting how much your insurance company can make you pay out-of-pocket;


• Providing affordable health insurance options for those who don't have insurance; and


• Providing benefits to help seniors and people with disabilities live in their own homes and communities by establishing the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) program.

We cannot continue to let insurers price older Americans out of the market, just as we cannot stand idle while millions of seniors are forced to choose between their groceries and their prescriptions. AARP is proud to endorse the Affordable Health Care for America Act and the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act, and we urge members of the House to pass this critical package in the coming days to help fix our broken health care system.

From Barbranda Walls

Health care reform may not dominate the news to the extent it did in the hot days of August, when tempers boiled over at Town Hall meetings; the balloon boy, the war in Afghanistan, and the mystery of the Northwest pilots have pushed it ever-so-slightly to the background.

But it's a complex topic that remains a major concern among AARP members, as evidenced by interest in the Vegas@50+ session "Don't Roll the Dice: Find Out What's Next in Health Care Reform and What It Means For You."

AARP board member Allen Douma, M.D., and John Rother, head of AARP policy and strategy, were peppered with questions about the public option and how to better understand the complex issue of health care reform. The two men laid out AARP's criteria for an acceptable health care reform bill; how reform will impact members and other Americans; and what's in the five House and Senate bills currently under consideration in Congress -- from which one bill in each chamber is expected to emerge this week. If the bills pass on the floor of each chamber, they would then need to be reconciled before going to the President's desk for his signature.

AARP has not endorsed any of the five bills, but Rother said that whatever bill emerges "would be a substantial improvement over the status quo."

After the Senate Finance Committee passed the Affordable Health Choices Act yesterday, Nancy LeaMond (AARP Executive Vice President) released this statement:

"We applaud the Senate Finance Committee for taking another important step toward fixing what's wrong with our health care system. Under the leadership of Chairman Baucus, the legislation reported today moves us even closer to providing much-needed relief to millions of older Americans who still face challenges accessing affordable, quality health care services.

"The Senate Finance Committee bill makes important improvements to the Medicare program by increasing preventive benefits, making sure Medicare's doctors do not face a pay cut this year, and most notably for AARP members--by reducing drug costs for seniors who fall into the dreaded Medicare doughnut hole, a costly gap in prescription drug coverage. Too often, those who fall into this coverage gap stop taking their prescription drugs because they simply can't afford to. While we applaud this assistance with drug costs in the doughnut hole, we urge the Senate to go further to meet the President's pledge to completely close the doughnut hole. With the skyrocketing costs of prescription drugs, we believe this bill should be improved so that it can help millions of older Americans afford their needed medications and avoid more intensive and costly care later in life.

"The bill also makes some improvements on age-rating, a discriminatory practice that allows insurers to charge exorbitant, age-based premiums to older Americans. Unfortunately, the bill will still allow insurance companies to charge older Americans premiums that are four times more than premiums for younger Americans, making it difficult for older Americans to afford health coverage. We hope the final Senate bill will be improved in this area.

"Finally, we strongly support provisions in the Senate Finance bill to expand home and community-based services (HCBS). The vast majority of Americans age 50 and over want to live in their homes and communities as long as they can. HCBS provisions are not only cost-effective, but can also help slow the growth in health care spending and keep millions of Americans out of nursing homes and in their own homes.

"The legislation passed is yet another milestone in the long journey to health care reform. We look forward to continuing our work with Chairman Baucus and his colleagues on both sides of the aisle to further strengthen the bill, and we will continue to fight for reform that protects benefits for people in Medicare, improves health care affordability, and improves the health of every American."

On Friday, this great article about AARP's health insurance options was featured on CBS Money Watch. The article takes an in-depth look at AARP's range of health insurance plans and what they mean for you, in terms of deductibles, preventative care and more.

The author, Bob Trebilcock, says: "After talking to nearly a dozen experts and comparing quotes from more than 50 companies, here's our conclusion: AARP health policies, while rarely the least expensive, are competitive, and might be the best plan for you if you have health problems." Check out the story for the low-down on all things AARP health insurance.

If you're looking for tips on your finances in this tough economic climate, check out this story that appeared in the L.A. Times this weekend, "How to Be Your Own Financial Planner." There is advice on budgeting, retirement planning and spending, taxes and more.

In health care reform news - the Senate Finance Committee is scheduled to vote on the "Baucus bill" tomorrow - we'll be keeping tabs!

Have a great Monday.

It looks like some of the fear and skepticism are starting to fade as older Americans learn more about the benefits of health care reform. You've read it here before: reform can mean lower drug prices, better coverage and the end of discrimination by health insurance companies. Now a new Associated Press-GfK poll shows that the opposition stirred up by the scare tactics of August is subsiding, dropping 16 points in September.

Check it out for yourself here.

Happy Monday!

Yesterday, The New York Times ran a story on the heated debate among AARP's generation gap, focusing on a dinner gathering of AARP members that took place in Wisconsin last week. That dinner was just one of 37 in Wisconsin alone over the past six weeks. AARP's intensive campaign to address the concerns of its older members has paid off, according to the article, with support for an overhaul growing as the campaign kicked into high gear over the past few months.

The article portrays the concerns of a wide range of AARP members, and also quotes David Certner, director of legislative policy for AARP and Nancy LeaMond, executive vice president of AARP.

In other news, an interesting story in the Chicago Tribune advises retirees to consider taxes when thinking of relocating in retirement. It's worth checking out. The author says, "No matter where you live, your federal taxes will be about the same. But you'd be amazed at how much your state and local tax burden may vary."

Finally, an AP story that got a lot of pickup over the weekend explained the waiver of the government required withdrawal from IRAs and employee-sponsored 401(k)s and profit sharing plans. The requirement is that once a person reaches 70 ½ years of age, they must withdraw money (called required minimum distributions) - but a law passed last year temporarily lifted that requirement to prevent retirees from having to withdraw from accounts that were hit hard by the stock market. It's temporary relief - but it's relief!

As the final quarter of the year is suddenly upon us, there is certainly no shortage of news concerning AARP and its members.

First and foremost, it looks like Sen. Baucus' health care reform bill might be voted on before the end of the week! The AP reports that the bill survived challenges from Republican critics over taxes and more on Wednesday - and Baucus seems pretty confident that they will get the through the Senate Finance Committee soon.

The committee is still debating so-called "Cadillac" insurance plans. Sen. John Kerry wants the threshold of plans to which a tax would apply to be higher for retirees and workers in "high-risk" industries. Read this story in the Washington Post about what exactly constitutes a "Cadillac" plan.

AARP was featured in a fun and useful U.S. News and World Report article called "Retired? How to Travel on a Budget." The article gives "9 ways to see the world without breaking the bank," and number one on that list is making the most of senior discounts. Of course, AARP is always negotiating great deals for its members, and the article includes a link to the exclusive Expedia AARP member Web site, www.expedia-aarp.com. Check out the story for all the great tips!

Another interesting story in U.S. News and World Report took a look at ageism in the workplace...and with the unemployment rate of Americans over 55 hitting a post-Great Depression high of 7 percent, older workers don't need stereotypes hindering their ability to find a job. But, the article also notes - sometimes the stereotypes of older workers are not necessarily negative. But wait...are stereotypes ever really a "good" thing? Hmmm...check out the article and see what you think.

USA Today featured a big story today on a survey from AARP that showed that Americans aged 45-64 are worried about having enough money for retirement and continued difficulty in paying for basic items such as food. Check out the story for all the startling statistics - there's a lot of anxiety out there about money these days.

In what some are calling a serious setback for President Obama, the Senate Finance Committee voted against the public health care option in Sen. Max Baucus' health care reform bill.

A Roll Call article reports that the White House has been "secretly drafting its own health care legislation that it may unveil at some point during the debate if officials believe it would help secure passage of a bill." Maybe that bill is an answer to the squabbling Democrats who are looking to the President to be the final arbitrator of the public option.

In retirement news, we are edging closer to January 2010, when the law enacted in 2005 - which will let anyone with a qualified retirement plan, such as a traditional IRA or 401(k) left behind at a former employer, shift those funds into a Roth - goes into effect. However, the WSJ reports that many people are confused about how Roth IRAs work. Check out the statistics - only 7% of survey respondents said they will be converting to Roth come January... I bet that number would be a lot higher if more people understood how they worked! Do you understand Roth IRAs? How did you go about learning the ropes?

Hot on the AARP News radar this morning is a front page article in the New York Times that takes a look at the effect the bill taken up this week by the Senate Finance Committee would have on seniors receiving health benefits through Medicare.

The debate is heated, and AARP had a voice in the article: David Certner, legislative counsel is quoted, saying "It's unfair to single out seniors to pay more for their health benefits when other high-income people are not being asked to pay more."

On the other end of the news spectrum, AARP The Magazine is getting a lot of attention for its cover stories in recent issues. On Bruce Springsteen's 60th birthday, the New York Times' "Well" blog posted "The Boss Turns 60," and talked about how fans of the rock legend never thought they'd see the day Springsteen was on the cover of AARP's magazine. But, as Nancy Graham says, "...he really personifies our message at AARP that attitude matters more than age."

An atypical place AARP news is showing up? PerezHilton.com. The ubiquitous celebrity gossip blogger featured the magazine's November/December issue cover with Natalie Cole. The story includes excerpts from ATM's article and calls Cole "a true inspiration." Fun fact: 93% of PerezHilton.com readers are under the age of 45 - with 70% between 21-34. We're really extending our reach!

From the mouth of the American Medical Association - Dr. James Rohack talks about protecting patient-doctor relationships.

As many of you may know, President Obama is scheduled to address the nation in a speech on health care reform tonight. Here's a preview from AP - an interview with the White House Communications Director on Health Care Reform, Linda Douglas.

Speech time is at 8 pm tonight Eastern, so make sure to tune in and let us know what you think right here in the comments section.

I've been getting a lot of questions in my inbox lately, and below is one of the most commonly asked. It's my hope that by answering these questions we can get the word out about why health care reform is important and debunk some of the myths that are floating around right now.

Q: We're worried health-care reform may go too far. Will we be forced into a plan or have to change doctors?

A: AARP will not support reform that would deny you the freedom of choice to keep your current plan, including keeping your current doctor. That's what AARP's fight for health-care reform is all about--creating the kind of quality, affordable, and uniquely American health-care system you want.

AARP's policy agenda is driven by you, our members. We developed our health-care reform priorities from nationwide member surveys, from member focus groups in a number of cities, and from the thousands of letters and phone calls we've received. You've told us what you need and what you want in health-care reform, and that's exactly what we've been fighting for.

Those of you who like your current plan and your doctors have told us in no uncertain terms that you want to keep them. Those of you ages 50 through 64 who have had trouble getting coverage have told us that you're tired of being told you can't get insurance because of an illness you had five years ago, or because of some other preexisting condition, or because of your age. AARP supports reform that ensures Americans ages 50 through 64 a real choice of quality, affordable health-care plans.

Those of you on Medicare let us know, in overwhelming numbers, how the Medicare Part D prescription-drug coverage gap--the dreaded "doughnut hole"--is hurting you. Annually, about one-quarter of Part D enrollees fall into the gap, paying so much more for brand-name meds that some people stop taking them altogether. Only 4 percent make it across the gap to the other side, when costs drop substantially.

There is good news at press time: AARP has endorsed an agreement--brokered by Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.)--between President Obama and U.S. drug manufacturers, who have offered to pay half the costs for most people who reach the coverage gap, as part of health-care reform legislation. This could take effect as early as July of next year. (For more information on dealing with the doughnut hole, see the "Drugs for Less" sidebar on this page.)

Another serious problem we've been hearing more about lately is that of hospitals discharging older patients without any follow-up, or "transitional," services. One of every five Medicare beneficiaries is readmitted within 30 days of discharge; and one of every three, within 90 days--often because of poor communication between patients, caregivers, and health-care providers. We need a benefit in Medicare to help people safely transition to home or another setting to prevent costly and unnecessary hospital readmissions.

Our work is to see that you get more from health-care reform, not less. You deserve the peace of mind of knowing you will always have quality, affordable care. But we need your support to persuade Congress to act on AARP's commonsense health-care reform priorities. Please visit our health-care reform Web site--healthactionnow.org--to see how you can make a difference in getting to needed solutions.

If you have a question and would like me to answer it you can send it to:

Dear Jennie
AARP
601 E Street NW
Washington, DC 20049
or e-mail DearJennie@aarp.org.

The Washington Post hosts regular online chats about the news of the day...and today AARP's Legislative Policy Director David Certner will be discussing health care reform and fielding questions from listeners.

You can submit questions and comments before the session which happens today Wednesday, Aug. 19th, at Noon ET.

Tune in, learn more and have your questions answered!

For over fifty years, AARP's mission has been educating and engaging in the issues most important to you, our members. With over 40 million members we understand the importance of debate. Even when some members don't agree with our advocacy positions, it is critical that we make sure those differences of opinion are based on facts, not myths designed to derail a long overdue effort to fix what's wrong in our health care system.

Doing nothing is not an option. But any reform must not get between a patient and their doctor. It must not cut Medicare benefits. It must not allow insurers to continue to line their pockets by covering only the healthiest and the youngest.

AARP is committed to making sure health care reform will do the following for our members:

Lower Drug Costs and Strengthen Medicare: Close the Medicare Part D "doughnut hole," ensure patients' access to their doctors, and crack down on fraud and wasteful spending;

Protect Your Health Care Choices: Make sure you can choose your doctor, your health insurance plan and where to receive care;

End Discrimination by Insurance Companies: Prevent insurance companies from denying you coverage because of a pre-existing condition or using age to price Americans age 50-64 out of affordable, quality health insurance; and

Guarantee Stable, Affordable Coverage: Ensure you have the security of knowing that if you lose or change jobs, you will be able to get affordable, quality health insurance.

Since July 1st, when we started seeing a rise in phone calls and emails here at AARP as a result of the health care debate, we have lost approximately 50,000-60,000 members. While we are encouraged that almost 1.8 million people have either joined AARP or renewed their memberships over that same time span, we take the loss of any member seriously. ‪We don't want to see you, our members, leave for any reason, and understand that even when we all have the facts reasonable people may agree to disagree on the proposals being put forth by Congress.

AARP's strength has always been our members, and we're working hard to represent them as best we can. Each of our policy positions have been carefully considered and are set by our all-member volunteer board of directors based on input from our members.

We're also working to dispel several of the myths and lies that have warped the health care reform debate, targeting older Americans in particular with horror stories about euthanasia and rationed care. We believe that, at a time when a lot of the information about health reform surfacing on the Internet, cable news and talk radio simply isn't true, it's important that each of our members are armed with all the facts about this very important debate.

As we continue to fight on your behalf and work to fix our health care system, we are bound to have different opinions among our members. We respect each opinion and choice you make, and will do our best to represent the individuals who have, with their membership, shown that the collective voice of 40 million members working together have the power to make our health care system better - for themselves and for generations to come.

Sincerely,
A. Barry Rand

Hi - I'm Barry Jackson and I run the online advocacy program here at AARP. You may receive some of the emails I send out. Hopefully you find them useful. We find that these emails are a fantastic way to stay in touch with AARP members and let them know about issues that are timely and actionable.

If your inbox is anything like mine, you're getting a lot of emails about how SCARY health reform is. From allegations about rationing care to wild reports of government-sponsored euthanasia, the rumors just keep getting crazier.

And I've had enough. Enough of the fear-mongering. Enough of the myths and unfounded rumors. Enough of the interest groups twisting the truth to stop health reform.

I'm fighting back - and I'm asking for your help!

Below I've debunked some of the common myths going around. Please join me in forwarding these facts to everyone you know. Print them out and pass them around at your social gatherings and other places where people are discussing the issues of the day. Help get the truth out about reform.

The truth is real reform is at risk because opponents are using scare tactics and slogans to gin up fear and misunderstandings. Don't let that happen.

Let's make sure everyone gets the truth. Forward the message below, share these myths and facts on Facebook if you have an account, or post them on other networking sites. If you're active on Twitter, please tweet the truth now.

******Forward these points to friends and family ******

FACT #1: Medicare will not be ended, and no benefits or services will be cut.

Your services will not be ended, nor will your benefits be cut. AARP's position on this could not be clearer. And we have sent this message loud and clear to Congress. While the current proposals include savings in Medicare by cutting out fraud, abuse, waste, and inefficiency, we're standing up and making sure benefits for Medicare recipients are not only fully protected, but are improved.

FACT #2: No legislation currently in Congress would mandate the rationing of care. Period.

Our staff has read all of the legislation circulating in Congress and there are no provisions in these bills that would ration care for our members. None. If any ever did, we would vigorously fight to stop that legislation.

FACT #3: There is no provision of any piece of legislation that would promote euthanasia of any kind.

The rumors out there are flat out lies. Right now Medicare does not cover counseling for end-of-life care. The portion of the bill in question would simply provide coverage for optional end-of-life consultations with doctors, so that the patient can be aware of all of the treatment options on the table. It is not mandatory and it has nothing to do with euthanasia.

FACT #4: We have not endorsed President Obama's plan.

In fact, we haven't endorsed any plan. We are supporting reform of our health care system, something that AARP has pushed for many years. We're working closely with Republican and Democratic members of Congress to lower health care costs and to ensure quality affordable coverage for older Americans - and we want reform legislation passed and signed by the president this year.

So what is AARP fighting for in health reform?

-Stopping insurance companies from charging older Americans unaffordable premiums because of their age.
-Ending the practice of excluding people from insurance because of pre-existing conditions.
-Holding down health costs and making insurance coverage more affordable for all Americans.
-Making prescription drugs more affordable by narrowing the Medicare doughnut hole, bringing generics to market faster, and allowing Medicare to negotiate better drug prices.

Find out more and take action at HealthActionNow.org.

One of the most common questions I'm asked when I meet with volunteers and attend health care reform events is, "We're worried health care reform may go too far. Will we be forced into a plan or have to change doctors?"

In this month's AARP The Magazine, I answer that question but I wanted to share it here, too.

AARP will not support reform that would deny you the freedom of choice to keep your current plan, including keeping your current doctor. That's what AARP's fight for health care reform is all about--creating the kind of quality, affordable, and uniquely American health care system you want.

Those of  you who like your current plan and your doctors have told us in no uncertain terms that you want to keep them. Those of you ages 50 through 64 who have had trouble getting coverage have told us that you're tired of being told you can't get insurance because of an illness you had five years ago, or because of some other preexisting condition, or because of your age. AARP supports reform that ensures Americans ages 50 through 64 a real choice of quality, affordable health care plans.

Those of you on Medicare let us know, in overwhelming numbers, how the Medicare Part D prescription-drug coverage gap--the dreaded "doughnut hole"--is hurting you. Annually, about one-quarter of Part D enrollees fall into the gap, paying so much more for brand-name meds that some people stop taking them altogether. Only 4 percent make it across the gap to the other side, when costs drop substantially.

AARP has endorsed an agreement--brokered by Senator Max Baucus (D-Mont.)--between President Obama and U.S. drug manufacturers, who have offered to pay half the costs for most people who reach the coverage gap, as part of health care reform legislation. This could take effect as early as July of next year.

Another serious problem we've been hearing more about lately is that of hospitals discharging older patients without any follow-up, or "transitional," services. One of every five Medicare beneficiaries is readmitted within 30 days of discharge; and one of every three, within 90 days--often because of poor communication between patients, caregivers, and health care providers. We need a benefit in Medicare to help people safely transition to home or another setting to prevent costly and unnecessary hospital readmissions.

Our work is to see that you get more from health care reform, not less. You deserve the peace of mind of knowing you will always have quality, affordable care. But we need your support to persuade Congress to act on AARP's commonsense health care reform priorities. Please visit our health care reform website--healthactionnow.org--to see how you can make a difference in getting to needed solutions.

Did you miss today's townhall with President Obama?

We recorded the event so you could watch it again, or you can read the transcript of the event here.

Got some questions about health care reform? Want some clarity on where AARP stands? Or maybe you're curious about how health care reform will impact you. No matter your question or curiosity get your info straight from the President.

Tune in today at 1:30 p.m. EST for a telephone townhall with President Obama and AARP CEO Barry Rand for a Q&A session with AARP members and volunteers.

You can watch it on the internet here. And share the link to the live video (www.aarp.org/townhall) on Facebook, Twitter and MySpace pages so everyone can learn more.

Thanks to those of you who posted your thoughts in the comments over the weekend. A lot of the concerns posted in the comments are ones we heard during last week's telephone townhalls that we hosted (and more than 400,000 of you attended) so I thought it might helpful if we posted up those questions and answers.

You can check out the whole article from the folks at Bulletin Today here.

From the article as well - here are some of the typical questions and answers fielded during the town hall meetings.

Why is AARP not standing up for seniors when Obama says he will cut Medicare to help pay for health care?
The proposed changes to Medicare will help to get fraud, waste and abuse out of the system and create payment incentives to reward doctors and hospitals for the quality, rather than the quantity, of care they provide. They will not cut the benefits our members rely on in the traditional Medicare program, but will help to keep it affordable to make sure you get the care you need.

Isn't this socialized medicine?
No. In socialized medicine the government directly owns the hospitals and directly employs the doctors. No one in Washington is talking seriously about anything like that. What health reform will do instead is provide people with a system much like the one members of Congress enjoy today. They will be able to choose from a range of quality, affordable private health plans, and possibly a publicly run option as well. These plans will have to accept everyone regardless of preexisting conditions or age. There also will be sliding-scale subsides for people with moderate to low incomes to make sure the coverage is affordable for everyone.

Will I lose access to my doctor?
No. The legislation will include a much-needed fix to the Medicare physician payment system to prevent an unwarranted 20 percent cut in their rates that otherwise would take effect next January and threaten access to doctors. It also will increase pay for primary care doctors to help preserve access to them, and promote training of more primary care doctors and nurses and geriatricians so we have enough health professionals to treat everyone.

Will there be rationing of health care to seniors based on age?
Absolutely not! That's a very harmful myth that opponents of reform are spreading to scare seniors. Nothing in the proposed legislation would lead to rationing of care for older Americans or anyone, and if it did, AARP would be leading the fight to kill it.

Is there mandatory end-of-life counseling for all seniors? Why?
No. This is another myth that reform opponents are using to scare people. What the bill does is let physicians get paid by Medicare for counseling people about things like advance directives, living wills, durable powers of attorney, hospice care and other steps people can take to make sure their wishes about how they want to be cared for at the end of life are known and followed. It's entirely up to the doctor and patient whether this counseling takes place, and completely up to patients whether they take steps based on the counseling to put their end-of-life wishes into legal documents. Facing a terminal disease or debilitating accident, some people want every possible life-saving measure in the hopes that treatment will give them more time with their families. Others will decide that additional treatment is not what they want and decline extraordinary measures. Either way, it should be their choice; all this does is help them make informed decisions about these issues with their doctor.

Will I be losing Medicare as the result of reform?
No. If you like the coverage you have, you can keep it, and that includes Medicare and your medigap coverage. Reform will help curb skyrocketing inflation throughout our health care system, including Medicare, so that Medicare coverage remains affordable for both you and the taxpayers who help foot the bill.

Will I be able to keep my current insurance coverage, which works well?
Yes. If you like the coverage you have, you can keep it.

Will preexisting conditions continue to exclude people from coverage?
No. There is broad, bipartisan agreement that health reform should ban insurers from discriminating against people based on any preexisting health problems.

Here's the press conference from last night. 90% of the focus was on the debate for health care reform

Our friends at AARP Bulletin have put together a very useful document that spells out the details of the current debate in easily digestible prose. This is a great resource for anyone wanting to get a handle on the current state of play of the health care debate.

So President Obama has taken to the road to promote health care reform. Along the way he held a town hall meeting in Green Bay Wisconsin where he got an interesting request. His questioner mentioned bringing his daughter to the event, causing her to miss the last day of school. In response, President Obama offered to write a letter to the girl's teacher to excuse the absence. In fact, the President did write the note which is pictured above. You can see the exchange right here:

Health care reform may just be the buzzword in politics right now. Democrats and Republicans are both rallying their supporters behind their ideas on how to fix America's health care system. There's a pretty good consensus that our current system doesn't work (just check out the facts), but that's where agreement seems to end. Some people say we need the government to take over health care. Others think the solutions can be found on the free market. Many people prefer some sort of middle ground. There are still plenty of unanswered questions: Who will pay? What role should technology play? Should a reformed system focus on treatment or prevention? Check out this fun video that breaks the issue down into easy to understand concepts:

More health care talk folks...

AARP Iowa held a truly amazing forum with Senator Grassley on April 9th to discuss the urgent need for national health care reform during a "Cost of Doing Nothing on Health Care Reform" forum at North Iowa Community College.

C-SPAN was there to tape it so the rest of us can take a look at it. Tune in tonight at 8:00 p.m. ET to catch it and check in here for the schedule and more information.

Hello everyone. There is no question we have health care on the top of of our minds - the cost of it, the need for it, and reforming it. This issue touches all of our lives. I was recently fortunate to have been invited to the White House's Regional Health Care Forum hosted by Gov. Schwarzenegger and Gov. Gregoire which was hosted in Los Angeles. The forums are part of President Obama's administration's national effort to gain insight and input on the President's own health care plan.

Naturally AARP was in attendance, as it's been for several of the other two-hour sessions where key White House officials spoke about the need for health care reform along with elected officials, business and advocacy leaders.

There were also the painful personal stories that individuals shared and people were able to ask questions both there in Los Angeles and from other communities around California. You can watch the whole two hour event on this YouTube video and you can also express your concerns and suggestions about reforming the health care system at HealthActionNow.com. It's clearly the time to make progress on this complex and challenging issue!

Health care reform has been one of the biggest buzzwords in politics and the news this year, but what exactly does it mean. What would an overhaul of the American health care system look like and what changes could Americans expect to see? Well to be certain, there are lots of areas for improvement and many good ideas that could be implemented. Want to ask an expert? Today at 1 P.M. Eastern, AARP's own Executive Vice President of Policy and Strategy, John Rother will be in a web chat to answer questions on health reform. If you have questions about what the face of health care reform could look like, be sure to check out the chat at: http://express.paltalk.com/index.html?gid=1191684214

AARP's CEO Bill Novelli reports to President Obama at the Fiscal Responsibility Summit on the road to sustainability through health care reform. See the clip below and tell us what you think...do you agree? Or disagree?

Have you heard about the new $40 million campaign in Washington, Health Care for America Now, that's pushing for health care reform and universal insurance coverage for the upcoming presidential election? On the AARP Bulletin, you can see the article, "Coalition pushes for health care reform", where it explains:

"Health Care for America Now's stated goal is 'quality, affordable health care for every American.' The coalition has set out to ensure that health care reform remains a top priority in the presidential and Congressional elections."

Sounds oddly familiar, huh? The Associated Press published an article comparing Divided We Fail and HCAN. Read the article, "Money, ads give health care top political billing," and let us know what you think.

TAGS: Health Care for America Now, Divided We Fail, AARP, health care reform, Associated Press, DWF, affordable health care, health care