Medicare is an important federal program that provides health insurance for individuals aged 65 and over and for certain disabled persons.  In 2008, Medicare covered an estimated 44.6 million persons at a total cost of $459.4 billion. 

Medicaid, a program that provides medical benefits to low-income individuals and families, is a priority that Congress must work to preserve.  In 2005, 873,200 Virginians received Medicaid, compared to 58.9 million individuals nationwide. 

In the U.S. Senate, I have repeatedly supported legislation that would guarantee access to Medicare and Medicaid services, including Senate Joint Resolution 22, which would nullify a decision by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to limit Medicare coverage of certain anti-anemia drugs used to control the effect of chemotherapy; the Preserving Patient Access to Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospitals Act of 2007, which would establish a 60 percent reimbursement threshold for rehabilitation hospitals; and the Medicare Long-Term Care Hospital Patient Safety and Improvement Act of 2007, which would help ensure access to long-term hospital care for Medicare patients. 

I will continue to support efforts to protect Medicare and Medicaid and to ensure both programs remain fiscally sustainable for future generations.

Click here to read a factsheet on how Medicaid is impacted by the Health Care Reform Act.

Click here to read a factsheet on how Medicare is impacted by the Health Care Reform Act.