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National
Senior Citizens Law Center Statement on
newly effective Health Reform Benefits for
Older Americans
WASHINGTON, Sept.
23 ,
2010/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The
National Senior Citizens Law Center welcomes
the Patients' Bill of Rights provisions of
the Affordable Care Act, that take effect
today, along with other provisions securing
important benefits for older Americans.
Protections Against Chronic Insurance Abuses
That Plague Older Adults
No demographic group has suffered more from
insurance abuses than older adults who are
not yet eligible for Medicare. Those
protections include:
-
Protections against common insurance
industry practices that avoid covering
treatment for the ill and injured
-
Barring insurers from arbitrarily
canceling coverage after illness or
injury strikes, or that requires
expensive treatment
-
Barring lifetime caps on coverage
amounts
-
Requiring insurers to cover preventive
care, such as mammograms, colonoscopies,
and immunizations, with no out-of-pocket
cost – no deductibles, co-payments, or
co-insurance
-
Denying or cancelling coverage due to a
pre-existing medical condition
Protection Against Arbitrary Cutbacks in
Eligibility, Quality, and Availability of
Long-Term Care Services.
One important element to older adults takes
effect immediately. States are barred until
2014 from cutting back eligibility for
long-term care services. This means that
seniors receiving Medicaid coverage for
critical services will have their
eligibility guaranteed for at least the next
three years.
Provisions Effective in 2011 That Confer
Critical Benefits on Older Americans
And, in 2011, a number of other positive
provisions for low income older adults that
NSCLC supports will take effect:
-
Support for Care at Home. The
law will make it easier for lower income
people with Medicaid to get long-term
care at home instead of in a nursing
home by providing extra federal funds to
states that provide in-home services.
-
Improved Nursing Home Quality. Some
nursing home quality standards will be
improved and there will be enhanced
training for workers who care for
seniors. Over half of all Americans
will reside in nursing homes for some
period during their lives, and two of
every three nursing homes receive all or
part of their financial support from
Medicaid.
-
Phasing Out the Donut Hole. If
you do not qualify for the low-income
subsidy under Medicare Part D, you may
be subject to the donut hole. In 2011,
you'll pay only half of what your plan
charges for brand-name drugs—a 50%
discount.
-
Better Coordination for Dual Eligibles. The
law provides for a new office in the
federal government that will ensure that
people who have both Medicare and
Medicaid receive the best possible care.
In addition, there will be new protections
against elder abuse, neglect, and financial
exploitation as well as free wellness visits
under Medicare and incentives to providers
to coordinate care – all taking effect in
2011.
National Senior Citizens Law Center is the
only national non-profit whose principal
mission is to protect the rights of low
income older adults. Through advocacy,
litigation, and the education and counseling
of local advocates, we make the law work to
ensure their health, economic security and
continued access to the courts. NSCLC has
offices in Washington,
DC, Oakland and Los
Angeles, CA. For
more information, visit www.nsclc.org .
