Tom Reed
WASHINGTON – The man who wants to represent Chautauqua County in congress is continuing to rail against the Affordable Care Act. Congressman Tom Reed (R-Corning) is calling the full implementation of the Affordable Care Act a “calamity” for seniors. Reed says the new health care law – which was recently upheld by the Supreme Court – cuts $500 billion from Medicare over 10 years.
Reed says President Barack Obama’s proposed budget will calls for removing $500 billion in Medicare, with $206 billion coming from the popular Medicare Advantage program and other benefits aimed at seniors. The remaining cuts come from hospitals, hospice, home health, and provider reimbursements.
As a result, Reed says full implementation of the Affordable Care Act will have a significantly negative impact on access to care as doctors stop seeing Medicare patients.
The congressman also cites the non-partisan Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, which predicts that as many as 1 in 5 senior citizens will lose access to Medicare doctors due to the Affordable Care Act.
Supporters of the Affordable Healthcare Act, however, point to numerous benefits for seniors, including a significant reduction in how much seniors have to pay for their prescription medications. Doctors and hospitals will also receive new incentives to provide better care to patients, reducing infections that patients receive in the hospital, improving patient safety and lowering costs. Supporters say the new law also invests more resources in fighting Medicare fraud, to protect the trust fund, and keep Medicare secure for longer.
Reed is running for reelection in the newly formed New Yok State 23rd Congressional District, which includes Chautauqua County. His Democratic Challenger is Nate Shinagawa of Ithaca.
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