Schwartz Comments on Seniors

from the inbox, some remarks by Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz:

Dear Friend,

As Congress continues to debate key issues, I wanted to update you on some initiatives I have been working on for seniors.


Home Health Care

I recently introduced the Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act, which will allow physician assistants, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists and certified nurse midwives to order home health services for Medicare beneficiaries.

Those seniors and disabled citizens who see these medical professionals as their primary care providers often need an extra office visit with an unknown physician in order to get the care they need. This bipartisan legislation will relieve that burden for you or your loved one.

We have a responsibility to provide America’s seniors with high quality health care, and a key part of that is ensuring they have timely access to home health care services. Seniors will no longer have to jump through hoops to get the health care they need.


Prevention and Wellness Services for Medicare Beneficiaries

As some of you may know, health care reform strengthened benefits for seniors.

During this time of economic uncertainty, many seniors are still struggling to make ends meet. That is why I fought for free prevention and wellness services including:

• blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol tests;
• cancer screenings, like mammograms and colonoscopies
• flu and pneumonia shots

Seniors no longer have to worry about getting the preventive care they need even if they are unable to pay for the doctor visit. I also worked hard to ensure we closed the donut hole, which ensures you and your loved ones can afford lifesaving medications.

I am committed to ensuring our seniors have access to the health care they need and urge you to take advantage of these prevention and wellness services.

Preserving Medicare for You and Your Family

While the budget debate continues, it’s important that we find responsible and sensible solutions to reduce our deficit and grow our economy.

But forcing our seniors to shoulder America’s economic burden through drastic cuts to Medicare benefits is the absolute wrong approach.

The Republican budget does not reduce health care costs; it just shifts the burden to our seniors and will actually increase their out-of-pocket costs.

Millions of seniors in my district and across the country depend on Medicare every day for their lifesaving medications, doctor appointments, and hospital visits.

I stand firm in my commitment to preserve this guaranteed health benefit for all seniors.

Constituent Services for Seniors

In addition to the constituent services my office provides to all residents of Pennsylvania’s 13th congressional district, we also provide assistance to seniors including:


• Applying for Social Security and Medicare
• Disability applications
• Medicare benefits and billing
• Veterans services and benefits
• IRS Issues

As we continue to implement the new health care reform law, my office can provide important information about new benefits for you and your loved ones including:


• Wellness and prevention services
• Prescription and generic drug benefits
• Prevention and protection against Medicare fraud