The Medicare Rights Center applauds Congresswoman Katie Hill (D-CA-25) and Congressman Brian Babin (R-TX-36) for introducing The Medicare Part B Fairness Act (H.R. 1788) in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The bill would improve the health and economic security of people with Medicare by limiting the amount and duration of the Part B Late Enrollment Penalty (LEP) and by expanding Special Enrollment Periods (SEPs) to include people with pre-Medicare coverage other than employer-sponsored group health plans.

Early this morning, the U.S. Senate once again defended the American people and rejected a bill that would have devastated American families, led to tens of millions of people losing coverage, and put the Medicaid program at risk. The “Health Care Freedom Act,” the so-called “skinny repeal” bill, was defeated 49-51, ending this partisan attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) without a reasonable substitute that would protect the coverage and care for all Americans.

Today’s Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report makes it clear: a handful of Senators working in secret back rooms cannot write a bill that works for American families. The Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA)—the Senate leadership’s amended version of the House-passed health care package—would yank coverage out from under 22 million people, restrict access to needed care, and hike health care costs most significantly for the oldest and sickest among us.

We knew the House-passed American Health Care Act (AHCA) couldn’t be fixed, and the proposal released today confirms it. Thirteen

A recent article on Next Avenue, a PBS website, highlights an often-overlooked aspect of the American Health Care Act’s proposed cuts to the Medicaid program—how these cuts would affect the millions of people with Medicare and their families who depend on Medicaid covered services.

Update: The House passed the American Health Care Act this afternoon by a narrow margin. Read Joe Baker’s statement on behalf of the Medicare Rights Center.

Because of the hard work from advocates across the country, the U.S. House of Representatives failed to vote on the American Health Care Act (AHCA) today—a victory for older Americans, people with disabilities, and their families.

New estimates from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), reported by the Ranking Members of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee and U.S. House Energy & Commerce Committee, find the American Health Care Act (AHCA) repeal of a tax on pharmaceutical companies will increase Medicare Part B premiums by $8.7 billion in aggregate over ten years.

Earlier this week, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its highly anticipated analysis of the American Health Care Act (AHCA) and what its passage would mean for American families. The CBO estimate confirms our worst fears—24 million people would lose health coverage over the next decade.

The report affirms that older adults will be among those hardest hit by the proposal. If the AHCA becomes law, the number of uninsured would increase most significantly among low-income Americans ages 50 to 64.

This week, the Medicare Rights Center (Medicare Rights) addressed its top administrative policy priorities in letters to President-elect Trump and Congressional leadership. Medicare Rights is a national, nonprofit organization that works to ensure access to affordable health care for older adults and people with disabilities through counseling and advocacy, educational programs, and policy initiatives.