April 26, 2008
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SENIORS
Affordable Health Care
Provide Cheaper Prescription Drugs:
Our seniors pay the highest prices in the world for brand-name drugs. To lower drug costs, Obama will allow the federal government to negotiate for lower drug prices for the Medicare program, just as it does to lower prices for our veterans. He also supports allowing seniors to import safe prescription drugs from overseas, and will prevent pharmaceutical companies from blocking cheap and safe generic drugs from the market.Protect and Strengthen Medicare:
Obama is committed to the long-term strength of the Medicare program. He will reduce waste in the Medicare system, including eliminating subsidies to the private insurance Medicare Advantage program, and tackle fundamental health care reform to improve the quality and efficiency of our healthcare system. Obama supports closing the “doughnut hole” in the Medicare Part D prescription drug program.Provide Transparency to Medicare Prescription Drug Plans:
Many seniors are enrolled in Medicare prescription drug plans that are actually more expensive for them than other available plans. Obama will require companies to send Medicare beneficiaries a full list of the drugs and fees they paid the previous year to help seniors determine which plans can better reduce their out-of-pocket costs and improve their health.Strengthen Long-Term Care Options:
As president, Obama will work to give seniors choices about their care, consistent with their needs, and not biased towards institutional care. He will work to reform the financing of long term care to protect seniors and families. He will work to improve the quality of elder care, including by training more nurses and health care workers.Protect and Honor Seniors
Ensure Heating Assistance:
Obama will increase funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) which helps low-income citizens – many of them seniors – pay their winter heating and summer cooling bills.Support Senior Volunteer Efforts:
Retired Americans have a wide range of skills and knowledge to contribute to local and national public service efforts. Obama will engage more interested seniors into public service opportunities by expanding and improving programs like Senior Corps to connect seniors with quality volunteer opportunities.OBAMA RECORD
Social Security and Pensions
In the midst of the 2005 debate over Social Security privatization, Obama gave a major speech at the National Press Club forcefully arguing against privatization. He also repeatedly voted against Republican amendments that aimed to privatize Social Security or cut benefits. Obama has also voted to force
companies to properly fund their pension plans so taxpayers don’t end up footing the bill.Medicare
Obama has supported a number of efforts to strengthen Medicare, including voting for legislation to allow Medicare to negotiate for cheaper prescription drug prices and to extend the enrollment period for low-income beneficiaries.
Protecting Seniors
After reports that lobbyists, but not the American people, received information about the most unsafe
nursing homes in the country, Barack Obama demanded the Department of Health and Human Services release that information. Following Obama’s letter, the names of the four Iowa care facilities cited for unsafe care were released to the public. Obama’s efforts follow his successful efforts in Illinois to make nursing home information public and strengthen elder abuse laws.
