Higgins Votes with House to Approve Medicare Premium Fairness Act
Bill Cosponsored by Higgins Protects Seniors from Medicare Cost Increase in 2010
Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-27) voted with his colleagues in the House of Representatives to approve H.R. 3631, the
Medicare Premium Fairness Act. The bill, cosponsored by Rep. Higgins, protects seniors from Medicare cost increases in 2010.
In
remarks on the House floor urging approval of the bill Congressman Higgins said, “…Because of Medicare, Americans no longer have to live in fear of not having health care when they retire…We must ensure that next year, seniors living on fixed incomes are not forced to pay more for the Medicare they depend on…I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and keep the promise of quality, affordable health care for American seniors.”.
Without this legislation almost a quarter of the 42 million people enrolled in Medicare Part B would see their premiums rise by 20 percent, about $20 per month, due to automatic provisions in the current Medicare law. Under the Medicare Premium Fairness Act all Medicare recipients would be held harmless, keeping premiums the same from 2009 to 2010.
“Western New York seniors are already stretched painfully thin,” said Higgins, a member of the Ways & Means Committee, which introduced the legislation. “With approval of this bill we remove additional financial burden that would be placed on Medicare Part B recipients next year.”
Congressman Higgins is also cosponsoring H.R. 3536, the Social Security COLA Fix Act. Under the bill, Social Security recipients would receive a one-time $150 addition to their Social Security check to compensate for the Cost Of Living Adjustment freeze. Approximately 146,000 residents in Congressman Higgins’ district receive Social Security.
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