Group Sets Out To Educate Seniors On Overhaul Impacts

The National Council On Aging is ramping up its outreach to seniors about the healthcare overhaul law, in response to polling data that showed seniors were misinformed about the effect of the law, as well as the organization’s feeling that seniors have not been served well by standard Democratic and Republican talking points.

“In general, what’s happened is that both sides have been selective in their facts,” said NCOA CEO James Firman. “Seniors have been unable to reconcile the messages they are getting from Democrats and Republicans. They’ve been around the block, so you have to either acknowledge the truth, or you lose them.”

Republicans have been arguing that the law will lead to cuts in Medicare benefits, specifically emphasizing reductions to the Medicare Advantage program. Democrats have maintained that some lower payments in the Medicare Advantage program are necessary to reduce overpayments in the program, and that in general Medicare benefits will not be reduced.

The poll found that only 22 percent of seniors understood that the new law would not cut their basic Medicare benefits. Meanwhile, 42 percent held the incorrect view that the law would cut their basic Medicare benefits, while 37 percent said they did not know.

Regarding the deficit, only 14 percent of seniors were aware that CBO had projected that the new law would reduce the deficit, while 49 percent said they believed it would increase the federal deficit. Read more.