Health-Care Reform

AARP believes that health-care reform is one of the most pressing domestic issues facing our nation. To learn more, please visit the Learn More page at Health Action Now. 

• Allow Americans who like their doctor and their plan to keep their current health-care plan.
• Guarantee Americans ages 50-64 a choice of affordable, quality health-care plans regardless of age or pre-existing conditions.
• Close the Medicare Part D "doughnut hole" and lower drug costs so people with Medicare can afford the medications they need.
• Enhance the quality of health care so all Americans have the peace of mind that comes with good care.

For a list of some of the most common myths about health-care reform and the facts to prove them wrong, please visit the Myths vs. Facts page at Health Action Now.

H.R. 676 essentially eliminates Medicare, Medicaid, and the SCHIP programs that have served the American public well for many years. These programs have very finely tuned financing arrangements and have adapted their coverage to meet the needs of many Americans. Starting over with a new, "single-payer" program will not eliminate the problems Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP currently face, such as the spiraling costs of procedures and prescription medications, as well as technological advances that are often not comprehensively tested to be proven safe or effective before marketing. H.R. 676 does not address the problem of increasing health-care costs. Rather, it allows costs to continue to grow, which will result in unaffordable coverage. By 2016 projections show total health spending almost doubling to $4.1 trillion and consuming one-fifth of the nation's gross domestic product.

No. AARP believes that any health-care reform legislation should result in a better and stronger Medicare program for current and future beneficiaries—not in a Medicare program that delivers less than today. The proposed changes to Medicare will help 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.

This myth is a misleading and cruel scare tactic. AARP believes that individuals should have the ability to speak with their doctors in advance about difficult choices every family must make when a loved one nears the end of their life. AARP supports compensating doctors for taking the time to talk to individuals about these difficult end-of-life care decisions. But, it should be entirely up to the patient and doctor whether this counseling takes place and whether the patient takes further steps based on this counseling.

No health care reform proposal currently under discussion by Congress gives health care to illegal immigrants with taxpayer dollars. While AARP believes the government must enforce our immigration laws, we are focused on lowering health-care costs and ensuring our members have access to affordable care. A critical component of our health-care agenda is ensuring that everyone who receives health care in America pays their fair share.

Financial well-being is a cornerstone of the American dream. For complete information on AARP's position, visit the Financial Security pages on Divided We Fail.

AARP helps its 40 million members hold their federal elected officials accountable for the way they vote on the issues of greatest importance to Americans age 50+. For more information, visit AARP's Government Watch Web page.

To learn about becoming an AARP Activist, visit the AARP Advocacy Center online.

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