The raucous health care reform debate that has been playing out across the country and in Washington, DC is now reaching the point where key Congressional committees are voting on which provisions will be in or out of the final bill. Central to these votes and the tensions all around is how reform will impact seniors.

In numerous versions Medicare cuts have been proposed and opposed. As different versions of reform bills have cleared various House and Senate committees, it has remained very clear that seniors remain a powerful force impacting the final outcome. Organizations such as AARP and the American Health Care Association (AHCA) have been very effective proponents for making sure that current benefits are not taken away from seniors, or that cuts do not reduce access to or the level of quality in long term housing and care.

It appears that we will see the full chambers of both the House and Senate voting on final bills within a matter of weeks, and the President could possibly sign sweeping change into law before the end of this year. For seniors and family members concerned about how they could be impacted, visit the websites of organization such as AARP and AHCA for up to date and easy to understand information as well as assistance in how best to communicate with your members of Congress if you wish to express your opinion. For example, Life Care Funding Group is a member of AHCA and has posted a link to their “Save our Seniors” (SOS) resource center for easy access from our website.

To read more about the current status of health care reform, click here.