A new report shows the health reform law has helped to extend the life of the Medicare trust fund, in addition to improving Medicare overall.

“The Affordable Care Act is not only saving millions of dollars for seniors and people on Medicare who are paying less for prescription drugs and receiving preventative care without additional co-pays, it’s also extending the life of the Medicare Trust Fund until 2030 – four years longer than projected last year,” said U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, who represents the Tampa Bay area in the U.S. Congress. “The Affordable Care Act’s smart new benefits and popular consumer reforms have proven to vital to our older neighbors who rely on Medicare, despite significant pushback from Republicans in Congress to roll  back reforms.”

Medicare was created nearly 50 years ago to keep older Americans out of poverty. The Affordable Care Act has strengthened Medicare by adding new benefits, fighting fraud, cutting costs and improving care for patients. Yesterday’s report by the Medicare Board of Trustees attributed Medicare’s improved outlook to these actions along with less-than-expected spending on hospital care.

Since enactment of the Affordable Care Act, 8.2 million Medicare beneficiaries have saved $11.5 billion on prescription drugs since 2010 as a result of discounts in the donut hole and rebates in 2010, for an average of $1,407, the U.S. Health & Human Services Department reported today. In Florida, the total discount to beneficiaries has been $757 million, according to today’s same report. In addition, in 2013, 1.8 million Medicare beneficiaries in Florida used all the free services offered through the ACA and 337,133 beneficiaries used their annual wellness visits, according to a March HHS report.

See full report.

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