Forum teaches area seniors about Affordable Care Act

The Wisconsin Alliance for Retired Americans and Know Your Care Wisconsin held a forum Feb. 23 at the Oneida County Department on Aging to promote the benefits for seniors available under the Affordable Care Act.

The event was part of a statewide tour by the two groups to ensure that seniors know about the preventive care services they are entitled to under the ACA. Statistics show that seven in 10 American deaths and 75 percent of U.S. health care spending is the result of chronic diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, and Type 2 diabetes, that are often preventable.

"Preventive care isn't just for the young guns," said Billy Feitlinger, executive director of the Wisconsin Alliance for Retired Americans. "Free preventive care means staying healthy and crossing the century mark with a smile. It's great to see the Affordable Care Act providing such important services to so many seniors across the country."

In Oneida County, 9,458 people are Medicare enrollees. This is more than 26 percent of the population, or about one in four people. Under ACA, all Medicare recipients already qualify for a yearly wellness exam and many preventive care services for free. The preventive services for seniors under Medicare and ACA include:

• Annual wellness exam

• Bone mass measurement

• Cervical cancer screening, including Pap smear tests and pelvic exams

• Cholesterol and other cardiovascular screenings

• Colorectal cancer screening

• Diabetes screening

• Flu shot, pneumonia shot, and the hepatitis B shot

• Mammograms

"Under the Affordable Care Act, seniors have access to a wide array of free preventive care services-and we want to make sure that they know about these services and take full advantage of them," said Doug Hill, director of Know Your Care Wisconsin. "Preventive care can't work or reduce health care costs if folks don't know they have access to it."

In addition to the preventive care benefits, seniors who hit the prescription drug "donut hole" coverage gap are entitled to 50 percent discounts on brand name drugs under the law. According to statistics compiled by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 432 seniors in Oneida County saved $254,694 due to this provision in 2011.

For more information, visit healthcare.gov/news/factsheets/2011/08/seniors.html.