President Obama will hold the first in a series of “tele-town hall” meetings today with seniors across the country.  The president, joined by Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, focus on the upcoming $250 rebates for seniors on Medicare who fall into the so-called prescription drug “donut hole.”

Due to a flawed formula, many who use the Medicare Part D prescription drug program do not receive the needed level of benefits leaving them on the hook for much of hte cost of prescription drugs.  The health care reform bill included rebates to beneficiaries affected by this and hopes to offset some of the cost.

The president will also take questions from seniors across the country as well as discuss efforts to combat senior scams and fraud in advance of the first mailing of the rebate checks.  An estimated four million seniors nationwide will receive rebate checks.

The event will be broadcast on C-SPAN and can be seen from the following locations in Iowa:

National Council on Aging
Iowa City Johnson County Senior Center
28 South Linn Street
Iowa City

Alliance for Retired Americans
Machinists Hall
2000 Walker
Des Moines

Alliance for Retired Americans
Black Hawk Labor Temple
1695 Burton Ave
Waterloo

Alliance for Retired Americans
IBEW 405
1211 Wiley Blvd. SW
Cedar Rapids

Cedar Falls Senior Center
528 Main Street
Cedar Falls

Buchanan County Senior Center
400-5th Avenue
Independence

Marshall County Senior Center
20 ½ E. State Street
Marshalltown

Kimball Ridge Senior Center
2101 Kimball Avenue
Waterloo