Warnings about HB-3200: Medicare at 76-Fiction!
Summary of eRumor:
A viral email claims that the Affordable Care or Obamacare makes changes to Medicare at 76 that will end coverage of cancer treatments.
The Truth:
Rumors about changes to Medicare at 76 are false.
These rumors have been circulating since 2009 in an email with the subject line “Medicare changes at 76 years of age – The Care Bill HB3200.”
But the legislation cited in the email — H.R. 3200, the America’s Affordable Health Choices Act — is different than the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare).
H.R. 3200 was introduced in July 2009, and it has since died.
Besides that, nowhere in text of the bill does it say that cancer treatment coverage would be denied for Medicare beneficiaries older than 76. The section of the bill cited in the email outlines a study on whether cancer care costs more at certain classes of hospitals than others.
Given that the email cites the wrong bill and makes false claims about that bill, we’re calling this one fiction.
Posted 4/2/2013
Updated 5/24/16