Seniors

Improving Seniors' Healthcare with the Affordable Care Act

Louise is proud to have a played a major role in the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010. Commonly referred to as "Obamacare", Louise has repeatedly opposed efforts of the House GOP Majority during the 113th and the 112th Congresses to repeal and defund the law. This law is dramatically improving the quality of health care services for seniors, reducing prescription drug costs and improving access to preventative services.

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, seniors who are on Medicare now receive free preventive services including flu vaccine, mammograms and colonoscopies. The new law also extends the solvency of Medicare by weeding out waste and achieving payment parity between traditional and private Medicare plans.

The Affordable Care Act is also closing the so-called "donut hole," the gap in coverage under Medicare Part D that has forced seniors to cover drug costs on their own. By the end of the decade the donut hole will close completely, and provide relief to thousands of seniors in the 25th Congressional District.

Protecting Social Security and Medicare

Social Security and Medicare are among the most successful programs our country has undertaken. Older Americans have worked hard and sacrificed themselves to ensure a better, stronger country for future generations. These programs are a measure of what Americans truly value, and who we are as a nation. Rep. Slaughter will continue to take a leading role to improve—rather than undermine—Social Security and Medicare.

Preserving Social Security

This visionary program, which is essentially a promise between generations, was instituted by President Franklin Roosevelt during the depths of the Great Depression. In the 75 years since its founding, it has become one of the pillars of our society. Social Security has provided older Americans with the supplementary income necessary to achieve a healthy, stable retirement since 1935. It has reduced poverty dramatically among older Americans and given them reliable access to good health care.

Without Social Security, one out of every two seniors would fall into poverty. Disabled individuals and surviving dependents – including millions of children – would find themselves without this critical safety net in their time of need. In New York's 28th Congressional District alone, over 120,000 people received Social Security benefits in 2009, including over 77,000 seniors and nearly 13,000 children who receive benefits because a family member has retired, become disabled, or died.

Despite the program's demonstrated success and longevity over the years, there are some in Congress who say Social Security should be fundamentally altered, even partially or completely privatized.

In October 2010, Congresswoman Slaughter joined like-minded House colleagues in sending a letter to President Obama expressing their strong support for Social Security and their view that it should be strengthened. The letter states:

"We oppose any cuts to Social Security benefits, including raising the retirement age. We also oppose any effort to privatize Social Security, in whole or in part."

COLA Relief for Seniors

Congresswoman Slaughter has also cosponsored legislation to provide needed relief to seniors as there was no Social Security cost of living adjustment (COLA) in 2010, and it is widely expected that there will be no COLA for 2011 as well.

By law, the COLA is calculated by comparing the increase or decrease in consumer prices from one year to the next. Due to high energy prices in 2008, inflation increased and the 2009 COLA was the highest increase in decades at 5.8 percent. Because of stagnant consumer prices, there was no COLA in 2010, and it is projected that there will be no COLA in 2011.

Seniors

From protecting Social Security and Medicare from budget cuts to fighting to provide seniors with free prevente health care measures to Medicare recipients, Louise has been at the forefront in the fight to provide our nation's seniors with the healthcare and financial support they deserve.

Learn More:

Protecting Social Security and Medicare from the Ryan Budget

Expanding Healthcare to Seniors with the Affordable Care Act