"Raising the retirement age would inflict further hardship among a group of workers who are likely to face health and economic problems in their 60s." –Doug Hart, President, Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans
"Of all the lies and confusion that still surround the Affordable Care Act, perhaps the greatest is that it is bad for seniors." - Dave Meinell, President, Missouri Alliance for Retired Americans
"My father died when I was three. Because of Social Security (survivors) benefits, my Mom, my younger sister and I survived." – Diane Fleming, DC Alliance Member
"We fear that Congress will balance the budget on the backs of the 98 percent, which is working Montanans and retired Montanans. We simply cannot afford these devastating cuts to vital services such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid," –John Forkan, President, Montana Alliance for Retired Americans
"Along with national parks and Social Security, Medicare is one of the best ideas we Americans have ever devised." -Tim Cunningham, New Mexico Alliance Member
"Seniors have earned and deserve their Social Security checks, and they shouldn't have to go to Congress every 10 years and beg for the program to be renewed." –James Parent, Alliance for Retired Americans Regional Board Member
"Today's retirees paid Medicare and Social Security taxes in every paycheck we ever earned. Now that we are retired, these programs help us to be able to stay healthy and pay our bills. They are the promise we make to people who worked hard all their lives, and we need to keep that promise for today’s workers." –Tony Fransetta, President, Florida Alliance for Retired Americans
"Today's seniors want to lower the budget deficit. We do not want a large debt to be the legacy we leave to future generations, but we should not punish people who have paid Social Security taxes all their lives." –Jim Moore, President, North Carolina Alliance for Retired Americans
"Social Security should remain what it has been for 77 years – a solid, reliable way that generations of workers have been able to retire with dignity, economic security, and peace of mind." –Barbara J. Easterling, President, Alliance for Retired Americans
"The fight for Social Security and Medicare is part of a larger fight for justice and fairness"—Barbara J. Easterling, President, Alliance for Retired Americans
"The health insurance reform helps not just seniors, but also middle-class families and young Americans, who are just starting to see the benefits. Don’t let Republicans take all that away." –Don Rowen, President Emeritus, Iowa Alliance for Retired Americans
"Honoring the promise of Social Security and Medicare should not be a partisan issue. Honoring the contributions that we make throughout our working years so that we may feed and clothe ourselves, keep a roof over our heads and those of our family, there is no reason for that to be a hotly contested partisan issue." –Edward Coyle, Executive Director, Alliance for Retired Americans
"We need to make sure that people who need Social Security to make ends meet will have it, and not fall victim to ill-informed and unnecessary cuts to these vital programs."
–Barbara J. Easterling, President, Alliance for Retired Americans
Press Releases
Retirees Hold Grassroots Events to Mark Health Law Anniversary
March 19, 2012
Spotlight New Medicare Benefits, Target Opponents of Improved Medicare for Seniors
For Immediate Release
March 19, 2012
WASHINGTON - The Alliance for Retired Americans, a four-million member grassroots advocacy organization, is marking this week’s two-year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act by holding 26 community events around the country to spotlight new Medicare benefits and to educate seniors on where elected officials and candidates stand on health reform.
“The Affordable Care Act is helping seniors across the nation better afford to see a doctor and fill a prescription. The 3.6 million seniors with the highest drug costs have already saved an average of $600 on their prescriptions. 32 million seniors have received free, life-saving tests for chronic diseases. The law is closing the ‘doughnut hole’ coverage gap in Medicare Part D, an egregious example of pharmaceutical company profits being placed ahead of the health care needs of our seniors,” said Barbara J. Easterling, the Alliance’s President.
According to Easterling, “Two years later, seniors continue to be the target of all sorts of scare tactics, lies and misinformation about health reform. This shameless campaign has been bankrolled by the big health insurance companies and other corporations who, for too long, made outrageous profits by charging us more and giving us less. One per cent of this country got wealthier whenever the other 99 per cent of us got sick, so of course these companies have always opposed health reform.”
Easterling said she is concerned that, “because of all the fear, misinformation, and name-calling in today’s political climate, not enough seniors know how this law actually helps them. We cannot allow these important gains for seniors to fall victim to fear and ignorance. To protect the health of current and future retirees, we must help our friends and neighbors separate fact from fiction in this new law.”
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Contact: David Blank (202) 637-5275 or dblank@retiredamericans.org
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