Throughout his service in Congress, Rep. Markey has fought to strengthen Medicare and Medicaid benefits for the most vulnerable in society: seniors, low-income families, and the disabled. As part of the federal health reform law, Rep. Markey created Independence at Home, a program that provides seniors the option of receiving primary care services in the comfort of their own home. Each patient has a team of health care providers that is responsible for coordinating their care, helping seniors avoid trips to the emergency room, avoidable hospitalizations, and fragmented or confusing treatment. The Independence at Home program begins in 2012 and will be available to thousands of seniors nationwide.
Rep. Markey has also fought to protect Medicaid – known as MassHealth in Massachusetts – from budget cuts, arguing that Medicaid is already an extremely lean and efficient program. As he argued in a 2011 letter to Congressional leaders, many states have already been forced to pare back Medicaid benefits for low-income families in the face of ongoing budget crises.