Suffolk County seniors, some local pols are looking out for you. At a press conference today, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer and Reps. Steve Israel and Tim Bishop were joined by Babylon Town Supervisor Steve Bellone calling for parity in Medicare Advantage payments between Nassau and Suffolk.
Suffolk County has received millions less in the Medicare payments because the federal program does not count care provided by Northport’s VA Hospital to Medicare recipients, which is against the law, the elected officials said. Lower payments mean Medicare Advantage raised premiums in Suffolk with the result that seniors will pay about $2 million more this year than their Nassau counterparts. And many other insurance plans are pulling up stakes from Suffolk.
The senator and congressmen promised to introduce legislation to right the wrong.
From the joint press release:
“Whether or not someone needs health care isn’t based on whether or not they live in Nassau or Suffolk so neither should whether or not they can actually get the health care they need,” Senator Schumer said. “This ridiculous inequity is literally taking money out of the pockets of tens of thousands of Suffolk County seniors and making it harder for them to get the care they need and deserve. Medicare Advantage was created to provide affordable coverage for seniors but the feds aren’t doing their job when so many seniors are left behind. We are lucky there is a quick and easy fix to this needless problem and I am going to fight tooth and nail to make sure that premiums come back down.”“To go from Exit 48 to 49 on the Long Island Expressway, you only need to travel a half a mile,” said Congressman Israel. “But the difference between Medicare premiums paid by seniors living near each stop is much greater. Only in Washington could we design a system in which one senior could live less than a mile from another and pay twice as much in monthly medical fees. It’s time to plow through the bureaucratic roadblocks and fix this disparity once and for all for Long Island seniors. That’s why I’m proud to stand with my colleagues today as we plan for a permanent solution to this problem and true parity for Suffolk County seniors.”
“Suffolk County seniors are not asking for more than they deserve, but they will not settle for less,” Congressman Bishop said. “Medicare’s unequal treatment of Suffolk County seniors cannot continue. This is a simple problem with a simple solution. I will go back to Washington with my colleagues and we will fight as hard as we can to ensure that all seniors are treated fairly by the federal government.”
“We are truly thankful to Senator Schumer for advocating on behalf of Suffolk County Seniors,” said Supervisor Bellone. “With the rising costs of living on Long Island, it is imperative that Suffolk County seniors are treated equitably concerning healthcare premiums.”
