By John C. O'Connell
The rally was hosted by county officials to bring attention to the plight of seniors who rely on Medicare HMO plans for their health-insurance coverage.
The federal government reimburses HMOs for the cost of covering seniors, but in suburban areas such as Nassau County, the reimbursement formula used does not take the high cost of providing health-care services into account, and HMOs charge seniors the difference between the reimbursement amount and the cost of those services.
Sen. Charles Schumer, Reps. Carolyn McCarthy and Steve Israel, County Executive Thomas Suozzi, 7th District Legislator Jeffery Toback (D-Oceanside) and other elected leaders spoke at the rally, assuring the seniors that they would fight for their rights to Medicare HMO services without having to pay premiums or co-pays.
"Last year we passed an amendment in the House that would have ended the financial discrimination against Long Island seniors, a bill that unfortunately did not get through the Senate," said Israel, who represents Huntington and Plainview in Congress. "This rally is meant to create momentum so that we can let everyone know that we will not stand for this discrimination."
Israel said he would reintroduce the legislation to equalize the federal Medicare HMO rates, and he hopes the Senate will pass the same bill.
"Let's get past the blame about whose fault this is and equalize the reimbursement formula," Israel said, "so that if you're a senior citizen in Baldwin you should be treated the same as if you live on the Upper West Side."
"Seniors in Nassau County are being forced to pay co-payments and forced to live with fewer choices," Toback said. "We all must let Senator Schumer's and Representatives McCarthy's and Israel's colleagues know how we feel."
"Medical advances have been great in this country. We live longer, we are healthier longer. ... But we face a real problem: We have great health care only if you can afford it," Schumer said.
Schumer said he has introduced legislation in the Senate that would solve the unequal reimbursement problem with the Medicare Plus Choice program. "What we must have for seniors is a lot of options, which means competition, and plans with a lot of doctors and no premiums just like the residents of New York City have no premiums," Schumer told the crowd of about 150 seniors.
Schumer said it is the federal government's fault that Nassau and Suffolk and other suburban areas are paying what urban areas aren't. "We have to get them to acknowledge that it costs more for health care in suburbia, and we must get them to change the reimbursement formula and make sure our suburban counties are treated the same as your urban counties," he said.
McCarthy insisted that the federal government has an obligation to help its seniors, saying, "There is no reason in the world why seniors shouldn't have access to heath care. Our senior citizens, our veterans, everyone should be able to take their prescription drugs without a co-pay. We pledge to you that we will fight for every one of you."
Officials said that seniors who want to voice their support for changing the federal reimbursement formula should contact the Nassau County Department of Senior Citizen Affairs at (516) 571-5814 and ask to sign a petition.
"It seems like every time we turn around, they're cutting the very issues that are the basis for our strong nation," said Christine Ghent, a senior who came to the rally from Glen Cove. "I have very little hope they will be effective [on changing this], but we must act when we can. Nothing will improve if you don't keep at it."
