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Senior Citizen Politics
Many Yelling at Town Halls are Senior Citizens Worried Health
Reform Will Hurt Instead Of Help
Democrats have a senior citizen problem, reports
Politico; also fighting full-blown myths -
attacks claiming reform would create government 'death panels'
authorizing euthanasia
 Aug. 12, 2009 Many of those people wildly
shouting at the Congressional town halls are senior citizens, who already
have a government health plan that they like Medicare. Yet, they are
screaming against reform, possibly because many fear it will endanger
the Medicare benefits they happily receive now.
"Democrats have a senior citizen problem,"
Politico reports.
"Frustrated older Americans are packing the town
halls on health care. They are incredibly passionate about their
Medicare benefits. Polls show senior citizens largely disapprove of
health care reform ideas so far. And of course, they vote in larger
numbers than any other demographic."
For the most part, Democrats have focused on
appealing to middle-class Americans and the uninsured, but at his New
Hampshire town hall meeting on Tuesday, "President Barack Obama made a
point to reach out to seniors, noting the low support in polls for his
health care proposals."
He told them "we're not talking about cutting
Medicare benefits." There is, however, talk of "finding hundreds of
billions in savings from Medicare cuts supporters say will trim fat
from the program including slashing $156 billion in subsidies to
Medicare Advantage, a privately-administered Medicare program."
 "A July 31 Gallup poll found that just 20 percent
of Americans aged 65 and older believe health care reform would improve
their own situation, noticeably lower than the 27 percent of 18- to
49-year-olds and 26 percent of 50- to 64-year-olds who say the same.
The senior citizen problem could pose a serious
problem for the 2010 election cycle."
|
The Truth
About Death Panel in Health Care Reform Bill
ABC's Kate
Snow takes a close look at end of life proposal -
Click here to view at ABC |
Beyond those statistics, "look at the faces at
these chaotic congressional town hall events across the country. They
are the faces of older Americans who paid into Medicare most of their
working lives and are now enjoying the health care benefits they believe
theyve earned."
Cuts to Medicare Advantage are a real possibility,
but "Democrats are also fighting full-blown myths that have gained
traction, attacks claiming that reform would create government 'death
panels' authorizing euthanasia" (Frates and McGrane, 8/12).
The Los Angeles Times: "Members of Congress have reported an
outpouring of concern from their senior constituents. Rep. Eliot L.
Engel (D-N.Y.) said his offices had received 'hundreds of calls' from
older people eager to understand how they might be affected."
Many seniors wonder how it is possible to cut from
Medicare without affecting their health care, and "the proposed creation
of a center to study the effectiveness of medical treatments has
prompted some critics to allege that results would be used to discourage
or deny care not deemed effective. Supporters have said the research
would help doctors and patients make better decisions" (Graham and Hook,
8/12).
>>
Read the complete story at Politico
>>
Go to the Politico home page for a poll (bottom right of
page) about Democrats' Senior Problem
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This
information was reprinted from
kaiserhealthnews.org with permission from the Henry J.
Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser
Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives and sign up
for email delivery. © Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. All
rights reserved. |
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