Obama pitches healthcare reform to older voters

WHEATON, Maryland (Reuters) - President Barack Obama assured older voters on Tuesday his healthcare reforms will protect their benefits as he launched a new push to counter opposition to the plan after weeks focused on the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

With Obama preoccupied much of the time with the Gulf spill, administration officials have done little publicly to counteract opposition to his healthcare law. Many Republicans, meanwhile, have been focusing on healthcare in campaigning ahead of November elections that could change the balance of power in Congress.

Obama's Tuesday speech at a senior citizens' center in the Washington suburb of Wheaton, Maryland, was one of many events around the country to tout the overhaul's advantages for older Americans. They are considered an essential voting bloc because they show up reliably at the polls on Election Day.

"Your guaranteed benefits will not change. Eligibility will not change," Obama told the crowd of about 200 retirees before taking questions at the event and by telephone.

In March Obama and his fellow Democrats in Congress pushed through healthcare reform, his White House's biggest legislative success, over the bitter and united opposition of Republicans.

Obama took aim at the opposition, who he said have spread "a lot of nasty rumors" and misinformation to mislead older Americans.

"You remember the death panels, don't you?" he asked, referring to rumors during his push to pass the healthcare law that the program would include panels to determine whether the sick and elderly should receive care or be left to die.

"You have an entire party out there that is running on a platform of repeal. They want to roll back all these reform efforts," Obama said.

The event was timed to come before the first mailing on Thursday of $250 rebate checks to help the elderly pay for medications, one of the most popular provisions of the new plan, which Obama signed into law in March.

At least 20 of the 50 U.S. states have joined a lawsuit seeking to overturn the sweeping reform of the $2.5 trillion U.S. healthcare system. The overhaul was pushed through by Democrats in Congress after months of bitter partisan wrangling.

The states behind the suit, most with Republican attorneys general, claim the Democratic president's healthcare plan violates state government rights in the U.S. Constitution and will force massive new spending on hard-pressed state governments.

An array of outside groups, including one led by Obama's former communications director, are orchestrating campaigns to echo the White House message and hoping to raise millions of dollars to fund the effort.

Opponents of the healthcare law say the plan is too expensive and an unwarranted government intrusion into a private industry.

Obama told the audience that his plan would cut costs and included provisions to cut wasteful spending.

In another appeal targeted especially to appeal to older Americans, he also announced new programs to fight fraud in the Medicare program of government insurance for older Americans.

(Editing by Bill Trott)