ORLANDO, Fla. — Rep. Maxwell Frost is pushing a new bill that he says will help seniors during storms.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
Frost unveiled the “Survival Aid for Emergencies through Medicare” bill in Orlando on Thursday.
The bill will allow those on Medicare to pay for backup power equipment through the federal health insurance program.
Watch: Orange County leaders hosts hurricane prep workshop for residents
This would include items like solar batteries, generators and external battery systems.
The congressman said this will prevent seniors from losing power to their medical equipment during a storm.
Read: Hurricane season: Are you ready? Survey says many Floridians are not
“Most of the folks who passed away during the past Hurricane Ian were people who were 65 plus,” Frost said. “And when you look at the data of how these seniors passed away during those storms. It’s a tragedy. It’s disheartening.”
The congressman will be presenting his bill to the House of Representatives alongside a similar bill in the U.S. Senate.
Watch: Search and rescue task force spotlights importance of disaster preparation
Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2023 Cox Media Group
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/BNFJWY7KSJHWJDTQ67DZYV5FGY.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/POUP6PICARG6VAHN44FO7OWGKE.PNG)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/VJUHROMDQVHPDA34Z2O3S2UGJU.jpeg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/N7ZXKD5CWZF65KPHRLROJH3WDM.PNG)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/PKLHYIKJTZBVDHNSOF2J6MRJXM.jpeg)