http://www.retiredamericans.org Alliance for Retired Americans Wed, 17 Mar 2010 21:36:46 CDT en-us http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/15425 http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/15425 Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:12:09 CST In Week of Health Care Developments, Thousands Gather to Rally Against Insurers Tens of thousands of activists, seniors, union members, and religious leaders protested against insurance company abuses on Tuesday in front of the Ritz-Carlton in Washington, D.C., where America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) leaders were meeting. http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/15347 http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/15347 Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:30:39 CST $250 Payment to Social Security Recipients Voted Down By Senate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) lost a bid on Wednesday to boost the income of millions of Social Security recipients and offset the elimination of the Social Security Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for 2010. http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/15295 http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/15295 Fri, 26 Feb 2010 10:30:59 CST Response to President's Health Care Plan and Summit: Three Things You Can Do In order to bridge the differences between the U.S. House and Senate-passed health care bills - and continue to move reform forward - President Obama unveiled his Administration's own health plan on Monday. http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/1514 http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/1514 Wed, 27 Apr 2005 11:42:59 CDT • What You Need to Know to be a Part of the Social Security DebateEnglish • Frequently Asked Questions: Social Security and PrivatizationEnglishSpanish• Myths about Social Security PrivatizationEnglishSpanish• Private Social Security Accounts Are All WrongEnglishSpanish• Talking to Your Grandchildren about Social Security and PrivatizationEnglishSpanish• 10 Reasons Why Privatizing Social Security Is the Wrong AnswerEnglishSpanish• Take Action!EnglishSpanish http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/15235 http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/15235 Fri, 19 Feb 2010 10:56:47 CST President Establishes Debt Commission to Look at Social Security and Medicare Yesterday, President Barack Obama signed an Executive Order establishing a commission to tackle the federal debt. http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/15178 http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/15178 Fri, 12 Feb 2010 14:21:45 CST Insurance Premium Increase of 39% in California Adds to Health Reform Urgency The health care problem remains on the center stage now that Anthem Blue Cross of California has unveiled rate increases of up to 39 percent for its 800,000 individual policyholders. http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/15134 http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/15134 Fri, 05 Feb 2010 10:19:34 CST President's Budget Includes $250 Stimulus Payment for Social Security Recipients President Obama's Fiscal Year 2011 budget proposes a $250 payment to Social Security recipients. http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/15100 http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/15100 Fri, 29 Jan 2010 13:16:53 CST President Obama Delivers State of the Union Address During his State of the Union address on Wednesday, President Obama vocalized the critical need for a reduction in the federal deficit. http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/15056 http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/15056 Fri, 22 Jan 2010 14:38:57 CST Massachusetts' Election of Scott Brown to U.S. Senate Threatens Health Reform The election in Massachusetts of Republican Scott Brown to the U.S. Senate on Tuesday ended the Senate Democrats' supermajority in the chamber, and the first casualty of his victory could be the Democrats' health care overhaul. http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/15007 http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/15007 Fri, 15 Jan 2010 15:45:31 CST Health Bill Moves Forward with Excise Tax Compromise Yesterday, White House officials, leaders in Congress and labor unions reached agreement on a proposal to limit the excise tax on higher-cost health insurance plans - a sticking point that had been a major obstacle to merging the House and Senate health care reform bills. http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14941 http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14941 Fri, 08 Jan 2010 12:28:01 CST Senate and House Iron Out The Differences in Their Health Reform Bills Senate passage of its version of health reform legislation on Christmas Eve completed a historic year in Congress and in the nation's domestic policy debate. http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14864 http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14864 Fri, 18 Dec 2009 13:14:26 CST Health Reform Will Not Include Medicare Buy-in for Those 55-64 A week ago, a compromise Senate deal on health reform nixed a public insurance option and replaced it with provisions letting those 55 or older buy into Medicare and allowing nationwide nonprofit private plans overseen by the federal Office of Personnel Management. http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14830 http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14830 Fri, 11 Dec 2009 12:20:00 CST Senate May Vote to Offer Medicare to Those 55 - 64 President Obama hailed a tentative health care agreement announced in the Senate on Tuesday night, saying that he would support it, and majority leader Harry Reid (D-NV) sent the proposal to the Congressional Budget Office for cost analysis the next day. http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14799 http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14799 Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:05:17 CST Senate Takes Center Stage in Health Care Reform Effort The U.S. Senate moved forward on landmark health care legislation this week. http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14700 http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14700 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:09:01 CST Reid Presents Health Care Bill That Cuts $130 Billion from the Federal DeficitSenate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) presented an $848 billion health-care overhaul package on Wednesday that would help Americans of all ages better afford to see a doctor and get a prescription filled. http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14654 http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14654 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:08:32 CST House Passes Historic Health Care Reform Bill On Saturday, the U.S House voted to pass H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, a bill that will help retirees and all Americans with their access to quality health care. http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14596 http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14596 Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:41:00 CST Alliance Formally Endorses House Health Care Bill On Tuesday, the Alliance sent a letter supporting the Affordable Health Care for America Act, H.R. 3962, to all members of the U.S. House. http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14520 http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14520 Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:28:13 CDT Speaker Pelosi Unveils House Health Care Bill The U.S. House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), unveiled an $894 billion health care package on Thursday that would provide insurance to up to 36 million people by offering subsidies to moderate-income Americans to buy insurance. http://ara.typepad.com http://ara.typepad.com Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:03:21 CDT Alliance for Retired Americans The Alliance has a new blog. It is frequently updated with news from the state Alliances and on national politics. Many videos and photos can also be found here: http://ara.typepad.com http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14463 http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14463 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:44:56 CDT Bill to Keep Doctors' Pay from Being Dramatically Slashed Fails The Senate voted 47-53 against invoking cloture on a Medicare doctors' reimbursement bill on Wednesday, falling 13 votes short of stopping a filibuster. http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14413 http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14413 Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:41:26 CDT As Insurance Industry Continues Its Campaign of Lies... Obama administration officials and Congressional Democrats fired back on Monday at a misleading insurance industry report that said premiums would climb sharply with the passage of comprehensive health legislation. http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14373 http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14373 Fri, 09 Oct 2009 10:30:30 CDT CBO Says Senate Finance Committee Health Care Bill Would Reduce Deficit Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said on Thursday that the Finance Committee will vote this Tuesday on a 10-year, $829-billion proposal that would expand health coverage to 94% of eligible Americans while reducing the federal deficit. http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14337 http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14337 Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:11:12 CDT Senate Panel Rejects "Public Option" on Health Bill Members of the Senate Finance Committee this week defeated two efforts to add a "public option" to the health care bill drafted by committee chair Max Baucus (D-MT). http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14339 http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14339 Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:28:56 CDT Action in Wake of Humana "Scare Tactics" The following statement was issued by Cal Bunnell, President of the Connecticut Alliance for Retired Americans, in response to today's action by state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14272 http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14272 Fri, 25 Sep 2009 11:45:42 CDT Senate Finance Committee Debates Baucus' Health Care Reform Bill As they consider chairman Max Baucus' (D-MT) health proposal this week, Senate Finance Committee Republicans and Democrats are debating costs, subsidies and the future of Medicare. http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14240 http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14240 Wed, 23 Sep 2009 12:40:42 CDT Members of the Senate Finance Committee are meeting now to vote on health insurance reform legislation. Senators Bill Nelson and Jay Rockefeller will offer an amendment that will close the doughnut hole once and for all! http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14176 http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14176 Fri, 18 Sep 2009 10:22:32 CDT Baucus' Health Care Reform Bill Criticized by Senior AdvocatesOn Wednesday, Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), Chairman of the Finance Committee, brought out the committee's version of national health care reform - an $856 billion, 10-year measure that starts a bumpy journey through the Senate without any Republican support. http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14124 http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14124 Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:20:29 CDT Obama Health Care Speech Clears the Air of Myths and Falsehoods In a rare speech to a joint session of Congress Wednesday night, President Obama made an impassioned plea to provide health insurance for those currently without it. http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14093 http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14093 Fri, 04 Sep 2009 12:54:44 CDT Obama to Address Joint Session of Congress on Health Care President Obama plans to address a joint session of Congress this Wednesday night in an effort to rally support for health care legislation. http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14048 http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14048 Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:40:19 CDT Retirees Mourn the Loss of Senator Ted Kennedy In a rare joint statement, Alliance President Barbara J. Easterling, Secretary-Treasurer Ruben Burks, and Executive Director Edward F. Coyle commented Wednesday on the death of Senator Edward M. Kennedy. http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13980 http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13980 Fri, 21 Aug 2009 11:25:32 CDT Florida Alliance's Delray Beach Health Care Forum Draws Worldwide Attention Fourteen hundred activists, most of them in favor of health reform, gathered on Thursday in suburban Delray Beach, Florida for a health care forum with Democratic U.S. Reps. Robert Wexler (D-FL) and Alcee Hastings (D-FL). http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13909 http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13909 Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:26:22 CDT Alliance Members Refute Lies and Myths at Town Halls Although town hall meetings are intended for constituents of congressional members' districts, many attendees seem to have come from farther away. http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13871 http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13871 Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:37:59 CDT Alliance for Retired Americans Older Americans in 2009 face challenges on several fronts. Health care costs continue to rise dramatically and outpace general inflation. Seniors increasingly use more of their income for out of pocket health care costs. In addition, the economic downturn, which began in 2008, threatens seniors' financial security. http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13840 http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13840 Fri, 07 Aug 2009 13:53:18 CDT Alliance Calls for Civility at Town Halls When Discussing Health Insurance Reform Members of the Alliance are calling for civil discourse during town hall meetings with Members of Congress this month, amidst stories of town halls across the country erupting into chaos during the health care debate. http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13777 http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13777 Fri, 31 Jul 2009 13:33:22 CDT Alliance Commemorates Medicare's 44th Birthday with Events Across the Country Forty-four years ago yesterday, President Lyndon Johnson signed Medicare into law. To mark the birthday, members of the Alliance held more than 30 grassroots events around the country on Thursday, honoring Medicare's success and outlining a positive agenda for health care reform. http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13543 http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13543 Fri, 24 Jul 2009 13:15:42 CDT Alliance Plans Week of Action To Commemorate Medicare's 44th Birthday The Alliance is planning a week of action on health care beginning on Monday, July 27 to commemorate the upcoming 44th birthday of Medicare on July 30. http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13499 http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13499 Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:58:30 CDT Retirees Praise Health Care Bills from U.S. House, Senate HELP Panel Both the U.S. House and the Senate's Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee released health care reform bills this week. http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13418 http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13418 Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:22:37 CDT U.S. House is Close to Unveiling Its Health Care Plan The U.S. House is expected to release its health care reform plan on Monday. http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13350 http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13350 Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:54:31 CDT Senate Panel Questions Private Insurers' Credibility, Shows Need for a Public Plan As the public health plan option, adamantly opposed by insurers, is considered in the Senate, the Senate Commerce Committee released a report last week exposing greedy and dishonest acts by insurance companies. http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13208 http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13208 Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:28:54 CDT President Obama Says He is "Flexible" on Offering a Public Health Plan... A New York Times poll released on Sunday showed that a remarkable 72% of Americans support a public health care plan. http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13109 http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13109 Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:13:11 CDT Retirees Lobby Congress on Health Care Reform Nearly 550 retirees attended the Alliance's annual legislative conference last week. http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13058 http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13058 Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:17:22 CDT Senate HELP Committee Releases Health Care Bill Containing a Public Plan Democrats from the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) filed a 651-page health care reform bill on Tuesday. http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13012 http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13012 Fri, 05 Jun 2009 13:16:24 CDT Senators Baucus, Kennedy Offer Different Visions for Health Care Reform The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and the Senate Finance Committee have adopted different views on health care reform. http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/12945 http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/12945 Fri, 29 May 2009 13:07:21 CDT Be Careful When the Insurance Industry Says It Would Like to Help! According to the AFL-CIO blog, profits at ten of the country's largest publicly traded health insurance companies rose 428 percent from 2000 to 2007, while consumers paid more for less coverage. http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/12899 http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/12899 Fri, 22 May 2009 09:44:43 CDT Senate Finance Committee Offers Options During Older Americans Month May is Older Americans Month, and all month long Alliance members are focusing on the theme of "Retirees' Stake in Health Care Reform."