WASHINGTON? As health reform reaches a critical juncture in Congress, AARP and AMA are joining forces to cut through the noise and focus on the benefits of health reform for older Americans who depend on Medicare and the physicians who care for them.  Today, AARP and AMA are launching a national television ad that separates fact from fiction and highlights how health reform will improve Medicare by lowering prescription drug costs and making certain that neither government nor insurance bureaucrats come between Medicare patients and their doctors when making important health decisions.

"We know opponents of health care reform won't rest," said AARP Executive Vice President Nancy LeaMond.  "We'll continue to fight for older Americans and to protect and strengthen Medicare, not only for today, but for generations to come."

"Together, AMA and AARP are working to put the scare tactics to bed once and for all and inform patients about the benefits of health reform," said AMA President J. James Rohack, M.D.  "Preserving the patient-physician relationship, improving the private insurance market so that coverage can't be denied if you get sick or lose your job, and finally fixing the Medicare physician payment formula that puts seniors' access to care at risk are some of the key goals we're working for this year."

As debate continues in the halls of Congress and across America, so do the myths and scare tactics designed to mislead seniors about what health care reform will mean for their Medicare.  Special interests have pumped millions of dollars into distorting reform proposals and confusing seniors.

"AARP is fighting to protect and improve the sacred promise of Medicare made to the millions of older Americans who depend upon it," said AARP Executive Vice President Nancy LeaMond.  "Now, special interests are using myths and misinformation to distort the truth and wrongly suggesting that Medicare will be harmed.  After a lifetime of hard work, don't seniors deserve better?"

The new TV ad features a physician and a "spin doctor" each sharing their perspective on health reform, with the physician correcting misinformation about health reform.

This ad is just one part of a multi-faceted education campaign AARP and AMA have undertaken and will continue as they educate their members and others about the truth behind health care reform.  In 2009 alone, AARP has sponsored or has been featured in 649 town hall meetings, tele-town hall meetings, forums and roundtables, and has reached over 50 million readers and viewers through its publications and television, radio and print ads.  AMA has reached millions through grassroots patient and physician outreach, news conferences, satellite media tours, media appearances, social media, direct mail, and TV, radio and print advertising.

The ad can be found at http://www.aarp.org/getthefacts.

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole.  AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to either political campaigns or candidates.  We produce AARP The Magazine, the definitive voice for 50+ Americans and the world's largest-circulation magazine with over 35.5 million readers; AARP Bulletin, the go-to news source for AARP's nearly 40 million members and Americans 50+; AARP Segunda Juventud, the only bilingual U.S. publication dedicated exclusively to the 50+ Hispanic community; and our website, AARP.org.  AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors.  We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

About the American Medical Association

The American Medical Association helps doctors help patients by uniting physicians nationwide to work on the most important professional and public health issues. Working together, the AMA's quarter of a million physician and medical student members are playing an active role in shaping the future of medicine. For more information on the AMA, please visit www.ama-assn.org.