The Affordable Care Act (ACA) signed into law by President Obama in March 2010, fulfilled a promise he had made to the American people during his campaign. Since then, Republican opposition has taken many forms, including media scare tactics aimed at seniors with talk of “death panels,” euthanasia of old people and increased prescription costs. While the Supreme Court is reviewing the constitutionality of ACA, America’s seniors are benefiting from the new legislation.
Republican False Allegations:
Sarah Palin’s absurd rants on the subject are credited as one of the sparks giving rise to the Tea Party movement. Pants on fire
One of Michele Bachman’s platforms was pure anti-ACA where she argued, during a national security debate, that the Affordable Care Act would undermine America’s “strong national defense” because it would take away resources from our Security Defense Fund.
House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), Chris Kristy (R-NJ), Jon Huntsman (R), Rick Santorum (R), and Mitt Romney along with a plethora of other Republicans across the country all have made false allegations about the cost of ACA, and how it will impact Americans so many times that Politifact.com has published a special article for their readers to reference because the false and pants on fire lies continue on despite debunking over and over again.
When it comes to dirty-fighting techniques, the Republican opposition has shown no integrity on the subject of ACA, employing false arguments and out-right lies to discredit it, but perhaps the worst is frightening one of our most vulnerable, conservative and under-informed populations; our seniors. Thankfully one organization is taking the time to present the facts to seniors. http://www.healthcare.gov/news/factsheets/2011/08/seniors.html (See facts below)
Top Things to Know for Seniors
- Under the health care law, your existing guaranteed Medicare-covered benefits won’t be reduced or taken away. Neither will your ability to choose your own doctor.
- Nearly 4 million people with Medicare received cost relief during the law’s first year. If you had Medicare prescription drug coverage and had to pay for your drugs in the coverage gap known as the “donut hole,” you received a one-time, tax free $250 rebate from Medicare to help pay for your prescriptions.
- If you have high prescription drug costs that put you in the donut hole, you now get a 50% discount on covered brand-name drugs while you’re in the donut hole. Between today and 2020, you’ll get continuous Medicare coverage for your prescription drugs. The donut hole will be closed completely by 2020.
- Medicare covers certain preventive services without charging you the Part B coinsurance or deductible. You will also be offered a free annual wellness exam.
- The life of the Medicare Trust Fund will be extended as a result of reducing waste, fraud and abuse, and slowing cost growth in Medicare, which will provide you with future cost savings on your premiums and coinsurance.
If ACA is found unconstitutional, in part or entirety, the above benefits to seniors will be either reduced or disappear altogether, an ironic fact considering they have been misled to believe ACA will make their lives a nightmare. The nightmare will come in the form of the above ACA benefits being taken away from them. Simply put, a victory for Republicans in the Supreme Court would rob seniors of the security ACA has given them.
