July 23 marked 4 months since President Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which represents landmark health reform legislation. Signed into law on March 23, this legislation calls for sweeping changes in the quality and availability of health care to all Americans—including millions of seniors. The goal of this new law is to give Americans more control over their health care by way of more benefits, greater savings, better care, and the right to expect better accountability throughout the health care system.
For seniors enrolled in the Medicare program, this new law promises—
- No change in eligibility
- Freedom to choose their primary care doctors
- Gradual elimination of the gap (known as the “donut hole”) in prescription drug coverage
- New preventive care services
- Patient-centered care that is well-coordinated with support in communities
- More doctors, physician assistants, and nurses
- Protection from payment errors, waste, fraud, and scams
- Elimination of high administrative fees paid for in part by premiums
- Longer life of the Medicare Trust Fund
Beyond Medicare, this new law offers a host of provisions to address the challenges of the elderly, Medicaid recipients, and those who are uninsured due to pre-existing conditions. Resources to protect against elder abuse and neglect, improve the quality of nursing homes, provide for home- and community-based support for Medicaid recipients, and offer affordable health insurance for the uninsured are some examples. To protect Americans from insurance company abuses, recent regulations have granted consumers in every state the right to appeal decisions made by health plans.
Now that reality has set in, what do seniors think so far about these changes? Recent surveys show mixed reviews. This month, a telephone poll conducted for the National Council on Aging found that seniors are still confused, or are unaware of important aspects of the new law:
- Of the 636 seniors polled, nearly twice as many (42%) thought the new law would cut their basic Medicare benefits compared with those (22%) who thought their basic benefits would not change. As many as 37% said they did not know.
- About 4 in 10 (42%) were aware of the provision to close the Medicare prescription drug coverage gap.
- Only 17% were “satisfied” with the accuracy and reliability of the information they received about the new law; 7% were “very satisfied,” and 38% were “not at all satisfied.”
Also, according to recent USA Today/Gallup polls, seniors continue to be the age group that is most widely opposed to the new law. Fifty-seven percent of seniors polled in April regarded the new law a “bad thing.” And in June, that percentage rose to 60%.
As more provisions of the new law unfold in the coming months, the challenge to market their benefits to seniors lies ahead. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (the federal agency that runs these programs) encourages seniors to visit Medicare.gov and HealthCare.gov, or call 1-800-MEDICARE to report scams, get their questions answered, and receive timely and credible information.