E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS
As part of the administration's efforts to sell the still controversial health care overhaul to voters ahead of the midterm elections, President Obama held a town hall with senior citizens to talk about what the law will do to help them.
Seniors, an important voting bloc in any election year, have been among the most skeptical about the new law, many fearing that it will reduce their benefits. Today's event focused in part on the first mailing -- set for this week -- of the $250 "donut hole" rebate checks meant to help seniors pay for prescription drugs. The president and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius also stressed the need to combat scam artists who may try to take advantage of seniors.
Obama spent about 15 minutes spelling out the benefits of the new law, before taking about 45 minutes of questions from local seniors and people calling in on the telephone. The president held a similar town hall last year with the senior group AARP when he was trying to drum up support for the bill. Today he tried to assure seniors they had nothing to fear from the new law.
"This new law gives seniors and their families greater savings, better benefits and higher quality health care," he told the audience gathered at a senior center in Wheaton, MD. "The guaranteed Medicare benefits that you've earned will not change regardless of whether you receive them through Medicare or Medicare Advantage. Your guaranteed benefits will not change; eligibility won't change; Medicare will continue to cover your costs the way it always has; if you like your doctor you can keep your doctor."
For much of last year, the White House argues, opponents of the health care overhaul sought to distort its provisions, with some success. Today, the president wasted no time in painting a picture of a Republican party that wants to reverse the improvements the new law introduces, from taking away the donut hole rebate checks to allowing companies to continue to deny coverage to the sick.
"You have an entire party out there that's running on a platform of repeal, they want to roll back all these reform efforts," he said. "They'd gut the existing consumer protections. They'd put insurance companies back in charge."
The president and Sebelius tackled questions on the donut hole; Medicare Advantage benefits; support for primary care physicians; independent living for seniors; long-term solvency of Medicare and COBRA benefits -- subsidies for unemployed workers that help them pay health care premiums. Obama said he wanted to see Congress extend COBRA benefits for another six months, since unemployment remains high.
"This is being debated in Congress right now," he said. "What we need is to make sure that Congress follows through on its commitment to go ahead and maintain COBRA until people are working at higher rate again."
Leave a Comment:
Eric, Maybe you will get a good deal on crack from oblamo, cuz that's what your smoking buddy. What an idiot you are.
We have 40 million people on the welfare rolls and he keeps spending money we do not have. What is wrong with this loser?? Completely unqualified for his position.
Didn't the REPUBLICANS put 40 million people on the "Welfare Role" just as they did during the Great Depression? Your statement is FLAWED.
I am more and more coming to the conclusion that Obama is the last person I can believe after his sales pitch about health care. Many doctors are already refusing Medicare patients since it does not cover their costs. Guaranteeing seniors that they can keep their same doctor is simply not true. The longer these guys keep up their lies the more ridiculous they look.
Do you think cutting 500 billion from Medicare to give to medicaid is going to help seniors?
Ya, right I'm really believing Obama now. Still trying to sell the same stinky ObamaCare program. Give it up, the American public is on to your failed program, We don't want it ...... Hey, Barack how about some PRIVATE sector jobs ? ................... How about the budget deficit ? ................How about stopping the gulf oil disaster ? ........... Save America Impeach Obama ..................................
Woodman935, there are jobs available at the White House to help serve all of those star studded parties. In fact, I believe that the govt is the only place that has any new jobs to offer. Businesses are afraid to try to increase their businesses based on what they have seen of the new administration's game plan.
I wonder if the individual States are filing lawsuits for UnConstitutional breaches because the Health Care Bill violates several Amendments . Do you really think those lawsuits are merely about Constitution violations when it is obvious the Bill will bankrupt not only Medicade but the States themselves ?
Liberals really don't want to address this because putting States underwater financially will hurt the very citizens of those States due to higher taxes and lost jobs. The States are not filing these for political reasons, they are filing them because they believe they will win and avert financial meltdowns such as California is already in . Where are States like California and New Jersey going to get the 50% funds when they are already underwater on Union pensions and lost businesses leaving those States ? They will have no alternative other than layoffs of teachers , government employees or rasing taxes, and raising taxes only exasperates the problems.
The Congressmen , parrticularly Democrats, did not read the Bill , it was not even finished when voted on . Most of you have not read the Bill and know little about it. But the Bill does one thing, it gives the Federal Government Control over the Health Insurance Industry . Add that to Financial Regulation which gives them power over all Financial Institutions, Control of College Loans , Control of the Largest Insurance Company in the World - AIG , Control of 0ver 95% of all Residential Mortgages , Control of 2 of the 3 American Auto Manufacturers . Cap & Trade would give the Federal Government Control of Energy Producers and all energy Users. So Eric,, you don't think they want Control of Everything ?
Obama is pushing America towards European Socialism, exactly at a time when Europe is dying because of Socialism . The increaslingly violent protests in New Jersey and California now remind me of Greece. Only a blind man with no logic fails to see Obama's agenda will destory this country.
Did Obama just happen to talk to the seniors about the health care rationing czar he appointed? Nah probably not! Read www.infowars.com/obama-health-care-rationing-czar/
I read in the paper (Washington Post) this morning that democrats are being schooled by the White House on how to explain the HCR law to their constiuents. I find it amazing that they passed a law before first understanding every single facet of it.
Go USA, where did you find the article in the Post ? I'd like to read it.
And on top of that, We are going to run a transparent administration and we will debate the issues and health care on C-span and the bills will be posted on the Internet -which Fat AL (China's Whore) Gore invented- for 72 hours before they are voted on.
As usual, further investigation into Obama promises and the benefits of his health care bill indicates what we have come to expect. He lied. Just ask the CBO, right folks?
Bammy is as slick as that oil spreading throughout the Gulf. Slick tongue, slick demagogue,
slick skulduggery, from ole Chicago to Washington. We couldn't have a more slicker Annointed
One than this one.
All,
The first round of mistakes has started and reality is about to kick in. Almost 2 million people will lose their health insurance because the new law outlaws plans that have low cannual caps ($10,000 to $25,000). This goes into effect 9/23/10. This insurance is cheap and is affordable for those making $30k or less.
Problem is that the government option isn't in affect until 2014. READ THE BILL!!
Can you provide a citation? That way I can see it for myself.
Pietro,
Here is an article from HotAir or just Google mini-med plans set to expire. BUT...the way I found out was:
The company I run employs 3,500 $12.00 an hour employees. I authorized putting this plan in last year so that my employees can get some coverage. We also kick-in some money along with the employee. 600 employees and their family members signed up the first year and our goal was 1,000 next year.
We are up for renewal 10/1/2010 and ran into this buzz saw first-hand. This is absolutely ridiculous. This is incompetence at its worst. These are the people that need the help the worst and they are getting the short end of the stick.
Unfortunately we can't offer the "government mandated" type of insurance because my employees can't afford even a 25% contribution to an approved plan. The government plan does not go into effect until 2014 and I am sure that will be delayed. What are my employees supposed to do??
I am calling for the administration to delay this part of the plan or fix the bill so the timing is right. Hopefully after November this nonsense will be fixed. I am confident of one thing "THIS IS ONLY THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG" as it relates to this bill.
posted at 10:12 am on June 8, 2010 by Ed Morrissey
printer-friendly
Well, Nancy Pelosi did tell us that we wouldn’t know what was in the ObamaCare bill until it became law. However, this development really isn’t a surprise, but actually part of the plan. Politico notes that as many as a million low-income workers currently covered under “mini-med” health plans will find themselves with no coverage at all, thanks to a ban on hard-cap plans offered at low cost:
This is entirely deliberate, although Congress apparently never considered the timing. Barack Obama and Pelosi continually harped about the “underinsured,” and the mini-med plans are what they had in mind. They wanted to put an end to such cost-efficient plans and force employers to either provide comprehensive insurance or kick their employees into the state-run exchanges, where the newly-uninsured would get welfare payments to buy their own plans in the individual market.
Democrats will get their wish — but the employees won’t get their coverage. The law imposes the penalties for mini-med plans in three months, but the exchanges won’t start until 2014. That means more than three years of having no insurance at all for low-income workers who previously had it, even if Obama and Pelosi sniffed at the worth of the plans.
Why did they impose the mandates first? This was part of the “front-load” strategy of the Democrats, who wanted to implement what they thought would be the most popular components of ObamaCare immediately, in order to build support for its continuance. Instead, the mandates will mean that mini-med plans will either cost so much that the employees can’t afford it, or more likely, the insurers will drop the plans as money-losers. It’s a big indicator that the people who drafted the law had very little understanding of the insurance industry, or of the private sector.
It’s also worth noting the irony of the timing. The mandates kick in in September, which is probably when the insurers will terminate the coverage. That means up to a million people will get the first-hand impact of ObamaCare just nine weeks before going to the polls in the midterm elections. That certainly qualifies as an unintended consequence.
Jadams, thaks for the citation and I appreciate your posting this. I am going to do more research.
Obama knows his star is fading fast and he's trying to "butter up" the elderly. He's cutting medicare and when that happens there WILL BE rationing. I lived in Europe and it takes months to see a specialist and if your elderly, they will put you off as long as they can. These seniors have paid into medicare for years as well as Social Security and he will destroy both with his healthcare plan, the CBO has said that is way over what he stated the cost would be. They knew when they published the cost it was UNDERSTATED, but ole arrogant Obamy wanted it and therefore it got pushed through over a long weekend and middle of the night dealings. Seniors beware of a wolf in sheep clothing!!! I never heard of a bill that has been past that it is still being promoted, something "fishy" here? He knows the cost will be another blow to his falling numbers in the polls.
Rctx3:
Like that Lone Star that's already faded? That's the state where presidential murders reside and hate of Liberals, Civil Rights and Mexicans and where murderer Bush enjoyed capital punishment!
On the contrary, President Obama's STAR is STILL shining bright-- careful...the green under your pale is coming through!
still trying to sell that bag of cow manure........
and spending a fortune doing so...
It was in section A. I have already put in the recycle bin.
Because if he stayed at his DC desk, you would bitch that he doesn't get out & do something. He is out there, "not selling" it, but explaining the facts, so the seniors will stop listening to all the nasty,negative warnings about the new plan that ilk like Palin are spreading around.....he, and every prez in charge, are made out as nothing but scapegoats for personal ideologies....strictly political gumbo. Let the man do his job......and stop your groundless bitching about him at every turn.
co-signed and voted!
None of us would have to worry about Social Security if the government had not used every cent in surplus that would take care of all of us that have contributed for as many as 50 plus years. The government has used our money for all their pet projects until there was nothing left. Now they are printing money in order to send us our Social Security checks. Although the young workers are paying into SS now, they will never receive checks when they are of age to retire. This is so sad! Our big spending president is spending, and spending. He has got to go. The sooner, the better! ! ! ! ! ! !
HE SOONER, THE BETTER
Wheres the real story relevant today :
About the White House doctoring a report??
"The seven experts who advised
Obama on how to deal with offshore drilling safety after the Deepwater Horizon explosion are accusing his administration of misrepresenting their views to make it appear that they supported a six-month drilling moratorium -- something they actually oppose."
You can read it on Fox but not anywhere on msnbc.
you will find a lot of things on Fox that you can't find on NEWS sites,...don't be offended,...just seek other sources.
If you are a healthy senior and have a good supplemental insurance policy that backs up your Medicare you might dodge the bullet, however, every thing is in a state of flux and no one knows what effect Obamacare will have on Medicare until they pull the trigger and then read the small print.
Absolutely amazing. At the same time he's talking about the massive benefit of the $250 donut hole fix, MediCare physicians are getting ready for a 21% cut in their fees. Gee, I wonder if anyone is concerned that this may affect access and quality of care for MediCare recipients. Its no wonder every time you turn on the TV it seems BHO is always talking. Being able to talk out of both sides of your mouth simultaneously allows one to lie at twice the rate of a regular politician.
The American people have found out that the change the libs were talking about was not the change the American people were hoping for and also voted for almost two years ago. Apparently the Dems think they can fool the people most of the time but their gamble will definately fail come this November. It amazes me how they can constantly go on the way they are moving. They think the people work for them when in reality they work for the people. HealthCare, Imergration, Cap & Trade all are shown not to have the American people behind them and they move foward with them. Unbelieveable, our policy with our allies are simply going in the wrong direction. We are telling the israelis how to protect themselves and then offering to send 400 million dollars of aid to the people who are responsible for the terror in that area. The aid should be given to israel so they can use it to further their defences and make their security stronger. Giving aid to the people who laughed and danced in the streets after 911 is an insult to the people we lost on those attacks. We need people in Washington who understands what America wants, and most important stands for. We do not need anyone apologizing for us, just look at all the service men in cemetaries all around the world who fought for their freedoms and ours and paid the ultimate price. Do not ever forget we live in the greatest country in the world with the greatest freedom loving people. no reason to apologize.