Wednesday, August 04, 2010 Most seniors don't understand the health care reform legislation
A national survey of adults aged 65 and older for the National Council on Aging (NCOA) finds that most seniors are still confused or unaware of important aspects of health reform, or the Affordable Care Act, including its impact on their own Medicare coverage, the growth of Medicare, and the budget deficit. NCOA identified the top 12 facts that every senior should know about the health reform law. The “Straight Talk” poll reveals that only 17% of seniors knew the correct answers to more than half the factual questions posed about these key aspects of new law, and only 9% knew the correct answers to at least two-thirds of the questions. None of the 636 older adults interviewed for the poll knew the correct answers to all 12 of the factual questions. Speaking at a town hall meeting at Iona Senior Service Center in Washington, DC, James Firman, President and CEO of NCOA, announced the launch of NCOA’s “Straight Talk for Seniors on Health Reform” campaign, aimed at helping seniors get the facts they need about health reform and changes to Medicare. “Seniors need to know the key facts about health reform so that they can be informed consumers and educated citizens,” Firman said. The campaign will continue through the fall with additional town hall and educational events, a series of “Straight Talk” educational materials (available at http://www.NCOA.org/StraightTalk), an interactive online “Straight Talk” quiz for people to test their knowledge of the law and learn more about it, detailed poll results, and Webinars to prepare aging services professionals to give “Straight Talk” presentations in their own communities.
Source: National Council on Aging (July 26, 2010)
Full story: http://www.ncoa.org/press-room/press-release/most-seniors-misinformed.html |