AARP Hawaii, the local arm of the national group for older people, said AARP has endorsed the U.S. House version of health care reform bills, which will benefit the 186,000 people in the state who rely on Medicare.

It said the bill would protect traditional Medicare benefits for these people, while making the system more financially sound and preventing major cuts in payments to physicians.
AARP Hawaii said the bill is also beneficial to those older Hawaiçi residents who face higher costs because they fall into the Medicare Part D “doughnut hole” where they have to pay the entire cost of their medications.
It said the bill reduces costs for people in the doughnut hole and takes steps to eliminate it by 2019.