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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 29, 2010
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Contact: Zach Goldberg
202-225-5801 (office) |
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HOLT VISITS SENIOR COMMUNITIES IN TINTON FALLS, PRINCETON
TO DISCUSS HEALTH CARE REFORM IMPROVEMENTS FOR SENIORS
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(Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (NJ-12) visited senior communities in Central New Jersey to meet with residents and answer questions about how the health care reform law will benefit seniors and strengthen Medicare. On Saturday, Holt visited Seabrook Village in Tinton Falls and on Monday, Holt visited Buckingham Place Assisted Living.
“Now that President Obama has signed health care reform into law, I want New Jersey seniors to understand what it means to them. I want to be clear that not only does Medicare remain intact under health reform, reform makes it better. I appreciate the opportunity to talk with Seabrook and Buckingham Place residents about those improvements, including: providing free preventive care, lowering drug costs, extending the life of the Medicare Trust Fund by nine years, and cutting down on insurance fraud and abuse,” Holt said.
“Our seniors and veterans at our Medical Day Program and Assisted Living at Buckingham Place in Princeton thank Rush Holt for his time answering our questions pertaining to health care, Medicare, and Veterans Affairs. It was a very informative morning,” said Stephanie Gaber, Activities Director at Buckingham Place.
Holt highlighted what health care reform would mean to seniors:
• Better Primary Care: Currently, about 12 million seniors lack access to a primary care doctor in their community. Reform will ensure seniors have access to and can spend more time with their primary care doctor, and receive better coordinated care and recommended treatments.
• Lower Drug Costs: Each year, 8,300 seniors on Medicare in New Jersey's Twelfth District, and 227,000 statewide, experience the coverage gap when assistance stops after $2,800 in prescription expenses. They immediately will receive a $250 rebate, and eventually the “donut hole” gaps will be closed completely.
• Free Preventive Care: Seniors will pay nothing on recommended preventive services, including mammograms and colonoscopies. They can also take advantage of a free annual wellness visit.
• Protection of Medicare: The bill extends the solvency of the Medicare Trust Fund by at least nine years, according to the Chief Medicare Actuary.
• Greater Oversight: Reform will crack down on waste, fraud, and abuse that increase costs for everyone. Last year, improper Medicare payments that were discovered and stopped totaled more than $450 million.
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