Affordable Health Care Act debate heats up in Palm Beach County

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The debate over successes and pitfalls of the Affordable Health Care Act continued in Palm Beach County as a federal spokesperson met with community members.

Inside the Aging Resource Center, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius participated in a panel discussion. She touted benefits of the bill, saying her father had helped to write the original Medicare bill, which was being improved upon by the new Affordable Care Act.

Sebelius said preventive services without copay, lower prescription costs and tougher penalties for fraud are improvements, insisting Medicare plans will not be discontinued.

"Floridians have more choices now than they did two years ago. And they have lower prices in Medicare advantage plan. All good news for seniors," she said.

Outside the building and across the street, a group gathered to show their disapproval.

Florida seniors carrying signs said the Affordable Care Act is raiding Medicare. They called Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan America's "comeback team."

Joining them was Palm Beach County Commissioner Steve Abrams.  

"The Obama administration has not addressed the problem, and yet we know, that in 12 short years, the program is going to be insolvent," he said.