SENIORS-TO-SENIORS FIGHT FOR HEALTH CARE

[Above Photo: Hundreds of seniors gather today in Hartford to continue the fight for meaningful national health care reform and to counter the lies being told by the "tea baggers," the Republican opposition and the corporate profit makers. Click on photo for full screen.]

The event was sponsored by the Seniors-to-Seniors coalition made up of groups like the AARP, the Alliance for Retired Americans, the Services Employees International Union, AFSCME Retirees, the Center for Medicare Advocacy, the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, the Center of Black Aged and the Association of Jewish Aging Services.

All the coalition presenters agreed that we must contact our congressional delegation to support the best aspects of the House and Senate bills to get the strongest health care legislation possible. They noted that it appears that we will not get everything they wanted, like the public option, but there are many positive aspect of the legislation being developed. They committed to continue to fight to improve whatever legislation final passes into law.

[Above Photo of presenters from left to right: Mary Elia, Alliance of Retired Americnas, Bonnie Gauthier, American Association of Homes and Services, Brenda Kelley, AARP and Barbara Kennelly, former congressional representative from Connecticut and now President of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare.]

Some of the key points made by the panelist were:

* Health care reform will not cut any guaranteed Medicare services such as doctor visits, hospital care, or rehabilitation services.

* Keep doctors in the system -- If Congress does not act on Health care this year, Medicate payments to doctors will be cut by 21 percent and they will stop servering Medicare beneficiaries.

* Health care reform will:

- Lower drug prices by closing the coverage gap, or "doughnut hole."

- Make long-term care more affordable and relieving family caregivers' burdens by creating a new voluntary long-term care services insurance program. It will provide a cash benefit to help seniors and people with disabilities obtain service and supports that will enable them to remain in their homes and communities.

- Improve quality and coordination for the treatment and management of chronic illnesses, such as diabetes and high blood pressure.

- Make it easier for seniors in greatest need to get help with paying rapidly rising Medicare premiums and other health expenses and

- Strength Medicare for the future by adding extra years to its fiscal health.

- Allow millions of Americans without any health care coverage to acquire health care insurance.

CONTACT YOUR CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVES TODAY AND TELL THEM TO FIGHT FOR A STRONG HEALTH CARE REFORM BILL THAT HELPS WORKING PEOPLE AND VULNERABLE GROUPS. Please thank our House representatives and Senator Dodd for thier efforts thus far and continue to fight for the best possible bill.

CD1 John Larson (202) 225-2265 [DC] - (860) 278-8888 [CT]
CD2 Joe Courtney (202) 225-2076 [DC] – (860) 886-0139 [CT]
CD3 Rosa DeLauro (202) 225-3661 [DC] - (203) 562-3718 [CT]
CD4 Jim Himes (202) 225-5541 [DC] – (866) 453-0028 [CT]
CD5 Chris Murphy (202) 225-4476 [DC] – (860) 223-8412 [CT]

Senator Christopher Dodd
(800) 334-5341 [DC] – (860) 258-6940

Senator Joseph Lieberman
(800) 225-5605 [DC} – (860) 549-8463

Posted by Tom Connolly