shAARP Talk: Observations from AARP

Champ would be proud. On Wednesday, a bi-partisan group of legislators in Congress overwhelmingly passed the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008.

You, the grassroots, are largely responsible for this achievement. But we can't yet rest on our laurels. We still need to take action: President Bush is threatening to veto this critical legislation that would protect millions of Medicare beneficiaries as well as the thousands of doctors that are involved in the Medicare program.

Our friends at Keep Medicare Fair have all the tools you need to keep the pressure on our decision makers. If push comes to shove, we will have to mobilize to force congress to override a possible veto. In the meantime, tell President Bush to sign the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 into law immediately.

Led by the dramatic and emotional return of Senator Ted Kennedy, the Senate overwhelmingly passed the House-passed Medicare bill by the score - er, um count of 69-30.

The Senate vote - like the House's passage - is strong enough to override President Bush's promised veto.

AARP CEO Bill Novelli issued a statement praising the bipartisan support that passed this bill in both chambers of Congress. Bill noted that "[this vote] shows what can happen when leaders in Washington break through partisan gridlock."

Make no mistake about it - this vote also shows what can happen when people at the grassroots get involved.

The fact is that today's Senate vote was a mulligan. Two weeks ago, the same legislative body came up one vote short on the same bill. So what changed the math? You did - and I think Senator Kennedy would agree.

Since the start of the Keep Medicare Fair campaign, AARP volunteers have called, emailed or signed petitions to their Senate offices more than 780,000 times. And when the Senate left Washington last week after failing to pass the bill the first time around - you made sure to share your thoughts in person with them at July 4th parades and community events.

Like the roar of the crowd when Senator Kennedy walked onto the Senate floor, the Senate heard you loud and clear.

Medicare enrolled its first members 42 years ago today, forever changing health care for older Americans. But today is also the deadline for Congress to pass legislation that keeps Medicare fair. Well, Congress left town over the weekend, and they still haven't passed a bill.

First things first, though: if you have Medicare, don't panic. You can still see your doctor while Congress works out the details.

But we also need to tell Congress to act quickly when it returns. Lawmakers will only have a few days to pass a bill that keeps Medicare fair. So call your senators at [get a number from Barry, maybe?] and tell them to pass H.R. 6331, the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act.

Tommy Thompson and Senator Daschle recently spoke about health care in our country at the 6th Annual John M. Templeton, Jr. Lecture on Economic Liberties and the Constitution presented by AARP and the National Constitution Center. The event is also going to be replayed on C-SPAN's American Perspectives at 6:45pm ET on July 4th.

Check out our exclusive chat with them - they even offer a few ideas about how you can do your part to help fix health care...

Yes, I am preachy. Yes, health care costs have skyrocketed. Yes, Medicare premiums have doubled since 2001. Yes, you need to sign the petition. And yes, you need to check out the new ads for Keep Medicare Fair.

Recently on ShAARP Session we wrote about the Keep Medicare Fair Campaign. We've had a tremendous response - 200,000 180,000 plus petitions signed and counting. But this isn't just about the numbers, so I thought I'd share with you one of the personal stories we've received.

"I am 70 years old and live on a fixed income of approximately $24,000 a year. I pay just under $2,000 for Medicare and a supplementary insurance plan plus an additional $400-500 for prescription medications. This year, my supplemental insurer has increased the co-payments for medications and deductibles, so my basic cost in the coming year will increase to over $3000. And this is for basic well-care. I worry constantly that I will not be able to afford treatment if I should become seriously ill."

- M.T.

She's not alone in her fears. Hers is just one of many heart wrenching stories - people are suffering because of higher premiums and out-of-pocket expenses. We need to do all that we can to make sure that their voices are being heard. Congress is expected to act on the matter very soon. So what are you waiting for - go sign the petition already!