Veasey Fights to Protect Our Nation’s Seniors

Washington, D.C. - In an effort to protect our nation's seniors, Congressman Marc Veasey, TX-33, introduced H.R. 6457, the Preventative Services Medicare Parity Act, that will update preventative services coverage for Medicare recipients. The bill would require Medicare to cover senior healthcare recommended by the U.S. Preventative Services Taskforce

Each year, the U.S. Preventative Services Taskforce meets to determine which preventative healthcare screenings and services should be provided for specific populations and makes corresponding recommendations to private insurers. Under the Affordable Care Act, private insurers are required to cover preventative services at no cost. In contrast, Medicare only partially covers the same services. For example, the U.S. Preventative Taskforce recommends lung cancer screenings for all adults from ages 55 to 80, but Medicare only currently covers these screenings until the age of 77. Additionally, other recommended services such as osteoporosis are not covered at all by Medicare.

"Medicare is the cornerstone of our country's promise to its seniors making sure that their health needs are taken care as they enter retirement," Congressman Veasey said. "Our seniors should have access to the same healthcare services regardless of whether they are covered by Medicare or private insurance."

According to a 2015 report by the Kaiser Family Foundation, over 3.5 million Texans are covered by Medicare. Congressman Veasey represents over 57,000 individuals over the age of 65 in the 33rd Congressional District spanning across Tarrant and Dallas County.

Read this original document at: http://veasey.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/veasey-fights-to-protect-our-nation-s-seniors