The Affordable Care Act For Seniors: No More Bills Vs. Prescriptions

Over the last year, SEIU Healthcare Illinois/Indiana member Traci Myers has been struck by the impact the new healthcare law has had on the lives of the people she takes care of as a home healthcare worker in Chicago.

"One of my clients is an elderly client who used to be forced to make the tough decision of whether to pay her electric bill, her gas bill or medication," said Traci. "But now my clients can get good healthcare and not worry about having to make decisions about which bills to pay."

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, thousands of seniors no longer have to make the impossible choice between paying their bills or paying for needed prescription medications. The law empowers seniors to have more freedom and gives them back control over their health care decisions.

The healthcare law helps deliver better, more affordable care to seniors by:

Expanding Medicaid services and options that provide states with new options for offering home and community-based services through a Medicaid state plan.
Ending Medicare overpayments to private insurance companies
Providing relief to seniors who fall in the Medicare prescription drug "donut hole."
In 2010, 3 million seniors received a $250 rebate check to help with the cost of prescription drugs.
In 2011, seniors who hit the donut hole are eligible for $1,500 in savings.
Allowing 44 million seniors to receive free preventive care benefits, including an annual wellness exam.

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While Republican politicians and corporate special interests may want to re-fight the same old political wars to give control over your health care back to insurance companies, the communities impacted by the law do not. don't. The
Affordable Care Act is a step forward for seniors' health, and America's stability.

Read more about how the Affordable Care Act benefits seniors and visit our newly-redesigned healthcare resource hub on SEIU.org at http://www.seiu.org/the-healthcare-law.