AARP Hawaii will hold a “Protect Medicare” Community Meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 28, in Hilo to talk about proposals in Congress to change Medicare in ways that could dramatically increase healthcare costs and risks for current and future retirees.
AARP has launched a nationwide campaign to reject a proposal to turn Medicare into a voucher system (aka “premium support”) that would raise costs for seniors and future retirees by eliminating a guaranteed level of coverage and shift costs to people on Medicare.
The proposal in Congress would give those on Medicare a set dollar amount to purchase insurance from private companies and if the amount isn’t sufficient, they would pay the difference or get less coverage.
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AARP is also fighting what it calls an “age tax”—a proposed unfair penalty on older adults that would allow insurance companies to charge 50- to 64-year-olds as much as five times more than what everyone else pays for the same health coverage. If the age tax bill passes, the average 60- year-old could pay over $3,000 more a year.
The forum will look at efforts to preserve parts of the Affordable Care Act that benefit older Americans. Those include a ban on denying health insurance to people with pre-existing conditions and efforts to close the donut hole in prescription drug coverage.
The public is invited to learn about threats to Medicare and to share their concerns, which will also be shared with members of the Hawaii Congressional delegation. Attendees will also receive information on what you can do to join AARP’s fight to protect Medicare.
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We will also provide an update on state legislation affecting seniors.
The Protect Medicare Community Meeting will be held from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 28, at Church of the Holy Cross Building of Faith, 440 West Lanikaula Street.
There is no cost to attend, but RSVP at (877)926-8300 or online.
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