Large Majority of Seniors Fear Negative Impact on Care if Congress Slashes Medicare Benefits; At FL and PA Events, Lawmakers Urged to Help Preserve, Protect and Defend Quality Nursing Home Care
As Congress prepares to reconvene next week following an August recess replete with wide-ranging local discussion of how to fund health care reform, new polling finds both seniors and the public at large are strongly opposed to slashing Medicare-funded nursing home care to pay for the plan. Meanwhile, at events in Florida and Pennsylvania - states with large concentrations of Medicare beneficiaries - seniors and caregivers are urging their respective state congressional delegations to help preserve, protect and defend quality nursing home care as the legislative debate resumes Tuesday on Capitol Hill.
According to a new national poll (1000 RVs, 8/21-24, +/- 3%) and analysis from the Mellman Group (D), "78% of voters nationwide predict that if Congress cuts $32 billion in Medicare payments to nursing homes, the quality of care delivered to seniors will decline. Seniors are equally concerned, as 78% of those over 65 believe nursing home care will get worse because of such cuts, and a majority believes care will get 'much worse' (58%). Those approaching retirement age (55-64) express even more concern. 83% believe care will worsen." The Mellman Group data also finds a full 66% of voters are less likely to support their local member of Congress for re-election if he or she votes for cuts to Medicare-financed nursing home care. The poll analysis is available in its entirety at www.ahca.org.
Additionally, A new CNN poll (1010 Adults, 8/28-31, +/- 3%) released 9/2) finds that by a 43% to 26% margin, Americans believe senior citizens will be "worse off," not "better off," from the health care reform proposals now being advanced. 30% said "about the same"; 1% expressed no opinion.