BackLegislative News for Seniors
Article submitted by James S. Powers, MD. Dr. Powers practices Internal Medicine and Geriatrics in Nashville and is a member of the public policy committees of several area agencies benefiting seniors.
Are you concerned about how Medicare Part D is working for you? Have you lost TennCare benefits? Do you have difficulty finding healthcare providers who understand aging issues? You are not alone, and you can make a difference!
Part D Medicare has brought the possibility of assistance with medication costs, but it is far from perfect. Only about half of eligible seniors have applied for this complicated benefit. With so many choices and differences between plans it is no wonder. It takes seniors and their families many hours to compare plans and decide which is best for them. Often medications need to be changed and there have been delays in receiving needed prescriptions. Also, initial enrollment ends May 15, 2006 with later application premiums costing more and increasing with time.
TennCare, the state's indigent healthcare plan, has dramatically cut benefits and also dis-enrolled over 100,000 poor, medically needy, or uninsurable individuals. With these reductions come further losses of federal contributions to indigent healthcare. These citizens still need healthcare but there are insufficient safety net resources available and local public resources are stretched in some cases to the point of closure.
In a budget balancing maneuver last December, Congress cut several programs including home delivered meals and funding to train healthcare professionals in caring for elderly. Due to a technicality, the budget negotiation process continues, with the Senate at this time agreeing to reduce those cuts.
Well now is the time to come to the aid of your neighbors! Let your representatives hear from you.
Give your elected officials direct feedback on just how Medicare Part D has worked for you. Let them know how important your medications are to protecting your health and why it should be as easy as possible to obtain necessary prescriptions.
Contact your state senator and representative to support proposed TennCare reform legislation to restore healthcare coverage for uninsurable Tennesseans using federal matching funds. Let them know that you care about having adequate health safety net programs in our communities.
Finally, tell your congressional representative that you value home delivered meals and funding to train healthcare professionals in caring for elderly and to support a joint house-senate compromise restoring budget cuts in these areas.