Medicare offers stable, affordable coverage to millions of Americans 65 and over. How will reform affect this program?
Health reform efforts will strengthen Medicare. Reform will improve care for Medicare beneficiaries while reining in spiraling health costs that threaten the long-term stability of the program. From preventive care to prescription drug costs to hospice care, reform will improve the quality and affordability of services throughout the continuum of care. Cutting out waste and inefficiencies will help generate savings that can reduce Medicare premiums and ensure the program’s security and stability for years to come. Recently, outrageous accusations have claimed that health reform will “kill seniors” and that panels will decide who is healthy enough to merit care. There is no truth to these claims. Unfortunately, scare tactics such as these only mislead the public and prevent a constructive discussion of the issues. These scare tactics should not distract us from making meaningful improvements to Medicare and the health care delivery system as a whole.
