Rush Holt Talks Medicare (Video)

U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (D) visited the East Brunswick Senior Center Wednesday evening for a forum on Medicare and how proposed changes included in a Republican budget proposal could affect those benefits.

Much of the focus during the evening centered on Medicare, and the Representative discussed the “Ryan Plan” several times, a Republican national budget proposal crafted by U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, (R-WI) that would change the way Medicare is distributed to seniors.

“It greatly improved the health of 10s of millions of Americans,” said Rep. Holt about Medicare.

According to literature provided by Rep. Holt, the Ryan Plan, which has been approved in the House of Representatives, would raise prescription drug prices by continuing the "donut hole" and eliminating the 50 percent discount for brand name drugs for seniors in the "donut hole."

The budget also calls for eliminating annual wellness visits and preventative screenings, including cancer screenings, something that could hit area residents hard.

“In New Jersey, 1.3 million seniors receive annual wellness visits,” he said.

Under the plan, he says, those under 55 years old, when they retire, would receive a voucher from the federal government, which would be used to get insurance on the private market. He said the value of the vouchers is designed to shrink relative to the cost of healthcare every year and that once it is gone, seniors would have to fend for themselves.

“You would get a voucher and told by buy insurance privately, if the voucher is not enough, you would have to fend for yourselves,” he said.

According to Rep. Holt’s office, proposed changes to Medicare would increase seniors’ out-of-pocket costs by more than $6,000. In addition, a 54-year-old planning for retirement needing to save an extra $182,000 before they retire to pay for additional healthcare costs under the voucher plan, according to a study by the Center for Economic and Policy research.

During the presentation, Rep. Holt was heckled several times by what appeared to be a group of three or four men, two of whom spoke  (with one interrupting the Representative several times and calling him a liar). The incident ended with a member of the East Brunswick Police Department getting involved.

One of those men, Daniel Popa, was handing out literature before the meeting and announced himself to at least one attendee as Rep. Holt’s “nemesis.” Popa did not raise his hand to ask a question until moments before the meeting ended. However, he had urged others to ask Rep. Holt this question: “Regarding the new Healthcare laws, why is the Obama administration granting 1,000s of exemptions and waivers to favored groups of current administration?”