Issue Position: Seniors

Issue Position

I work every day to ensure the strength and long-term solvency of Medicare and Social Security in order to support today's seniors and the generations to come. Since their inception the Medicare and Social Security programs have assisted seniors with the costs of health care and living. Older Americans rely on these programs not only for their health and long term care needs, but for their basic income to assist with the cost of daily basic necessities such as groceries and gas. For their entire lives Americans pay into the system anticipating that once they retire they will be guaranteed the benefits that they rightfully deserve through decades of hard work.

While there are improvements that can be made to these programs to reduce wasteful spending and make them more cost efficient, we must not abandon our commitment to the millions of Americans who rely on these programs for every day needs and for future generations that were guaranteed these benefits. I strongly oppose proposals to raise out-of-pocket costs or cut benefits for Medicare and Medicaid or proposals that would reduce Social Security benefits and am committed to fighting for these programs. For more information on the Medicare and Social Security programs please visit: www.medicare.gov and www.socialsecurity.gov.

The Affordable Care Act, enacted by me and my colleagues in March 2010, further strengthens Medicare and assists seniors in taking charge of their health care. The law provides important benefits such as free preventative services, free annual wellness visits, and a 50 percent discount on prescription drugs for Medicare recipients in the coverage gap known as the "donut hole." Over 132,000 seniors in New Jersey alone have seen lower prescription drug costs as a result of this law. For more information on the Affordable Care Act and its impact on seniors, please visit: http://www.healthcare.gov/news/factsheets/2011/08/seniors.html.

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