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Friday Alert
Friday, May 9, 2008
(Alliance for Retired Americans)
State
Regulators Seek Greater Authority to Oversee
Medicare Advantage Plans
The New York
Times reported on Monday that state
officials will soon ask Congress for more power
to regulate the marketing of private Medicare
insurance plans to seniors. The changes
are being requested because state officials are
still receiving complaints of high-pressure
sales tactics that have led some beneficiaries
to sign up for unsuitable policies. In
the draft of a report prepared by the National
Association of Insurance Commissioners, state
officials say they have received large numbers
of complaints but often cannot provide direct
assistance to beneficiaries or hold insurers
accountable because they have not been given
the authority. States can regulate the
activities of insurance agents and brokers who
sell Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, but they
generally cannot regulate the insurance
companies that offer such plans. The
officials propose setting common standards for
marketing the private plans, which could then
be enforced by states that adopt them.
State insurance regulators and consumer groups
feel very strongly that offering sales agents
bonuses and commissions has resulted in
significant misconduct, ranging from
inappropriate sales to outright fraud.
Recommendations made in the draft report
include that insurers should avoid the use of
confusing product names like “gold,” “silver”
and “value,” which have no standard definition,
and that when beneficiaries ask for information
on a drug plan, they should not be pressed to
buy a comprehensive MA plan. “Medicare
Advantage plans already cost 13% more than
traditional Medicare, and that’s legal,” said
Ruben
Burks, Secretary-Treasurer of the
Alliance. “When you add fraud, the money
being wasted is astounding.”
Older Voters Turning
Out in Twice the Numbers as Those Under 30
While organizers and the media have
made much of record turnout among young voters
in recent months, the San Francisco Chronicle reports
that older Americans remain the most reliable
and consistent group of voters. According
to exit polls, at least one-third of all voters
in most of the 2008 Presidential primaries have
been over age 60, with the number rising to
over 40% in states like Massachusetts, Ohio and
California. Senior voters have generally
turned out in twice the numbers as people under
30. Candidates recognize the importance
of the “grey vote” and are expected to campaign
hard for this demographic in part because young
people have not yet established voting as a
habit. Those under 30 are also more
likely to face problems with residency
requirements when they do go to fill out a
ballot – they move much more frequently than
seniors and may not have properly updated
registration information, and college students
must frequently vote by mail when they attend
universities out of state. “These exit
polls show just how important our votes will be
come November,” said Edward Coyle,
Executive Director of the
Alliance.
Alliance Member Josephine Powe Speaks at
U.S. Capitol to Fight High Gas
Prices
Josephine Powe, 87, an Alliance
member from Suitland, Maryland, spoke of her
struggle with the high cost of fuel, along with
the sacrifices she has had to make to offset
rising prices at the pump, at a press
conference on Thursday at the U.S.
Capitol. Ms. Powe, joining Senators Carl Levin
(D-MI), Jack
Reed (D-RI), and Amy Klobuchar
(D-MN), thanked Senate leaders for
introducing the Consumer-First Energy Act of
2008 to address the root causes of high energy
prices. The bill would lower prices
by placing a 25% windfall profit tax on any
energy company that does not invest in new
energy sources, and ending $17 billion in tax
breaks for corporations. In addition, it
would prevent the Department of Energy from
adding to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve until
the price of crude oil averaged under $75 for
90 days, and allow the U.S. Attorney General to
bring enforcement action against any country or
company colluding to set oil prices. “I
am extremely proud of Josephine for sharing her
experience with our leaders in Congress and
with the world,” said George J. Kourpias, President of
the Alliance for Retired Americans.
“Unfortunately, Jo represents millions of
seniors around the country who are on a tight
budget, and who have been straining even more
than usual lately to make ends meet due to the
high cost of energy.”
Voter Identification
Law Prevents Nuns from Voting in
Indiana
According to The Detroit
News, about 12 Indiana nuns were turned
away on Tuesday from a polling place by a
fellow sister because they did not have state
or federal identification bearing a
photograph. Sister Julie McGuire said she
was forced to turn away her fellow members of
Saint Mary's Convent in South Bend, across the
street from the University of Notre Dame,
because they had been told earlier that they
would need such an ID to vote. The nuns,
all in their 80s or 90s, did not get one but
came to the precinct anyway. One was
98. Some showed up with outdated
passports, and they do not drive, so they did
not have drivers’ licenses. They were not
given provisional ballots because it would be
impossible to get them to a motor vehicle
branch and back within the 10 days allotted by
the law. The convent plans to make a
"very concerted effort" to get proper
identification for the nuns in time for the
general election. Many elections experts
had voiced their fears that the U.S. Supreme
Court's recent refusal to strike down Indiana's
controversial photo ID law would keep legal
voters from exercising their right to cast a
ballot.
Maine Event Educates Voters Before June
10 Congressional Primary
The Maine
Council of Senior Citizens/Alliance for Retired
Americans invited all eight candidates vying to
represent Maine’s 1st Congressional District in
Congress to a forum in Augusta this past
Tuesday. All attended, and the six
Democratic and two Republican candidates spoke
to around 30 people about such topics as
retiree issues, health care, and the
economy.
Southern Regional Meeting is Next
Month
The Alliance will hold its
fourth and final regional meeting, the Southern
Regional Meeting, on June 4-5, 2008 in Orlando,
Florida. The conference will provide a
forum for activists to work together and
prepare for November’s Presidential
election. Attendees will learn how to get
seniors and other retirees registered and
voting, increase grassroots advocacy, and
educate federal, state and local legislators on
issues such as Medicare, Social Security,
prescription drugs, and retirement
security. For copies of the official
registration form, call 1-888-373-6497, email
Joni Jones at
jjones@retiredamericans.org, or visit our
website at www.retiredamericans.org.
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