Friday Alerts

Coyle Concerned About Proposed Means-Testing for Medicare

David Blank — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 14:21:07 -0500

President Obama released his FY 2013 budget on Monday. While his administration does not propose changes to Social Security, there are several Medicare proposals which could cause beneficiaries to pay increased out-of-pocket expenses over time. One proposal would increase the number and share of beneficiaries who pay a higher, income-related premium. According to a new report by the Kaiser Family Foundation (http://bit.ly/zd7msE), means-testing could lead higher-income, healthier seniors to drop out of Medicare Part B and self-insure, leaving behind a smaller, less healthy group of seniors who would pay higher premiums. Additionally, Kaiser noted that over time, the income thresholds involved could be frozen, resulting in higher premiums for those who, by today's standards, may not be considered higher-income seniors.

“Means-testing opens the door to changing the unique, historical structure of Medicare as a broad, social-insurance program for retirees. An alternative way to lower Medicare costs would be to end the 2003 corporate loophole that prohibits Medicare from negotiating volume discounts from pharmaceutical companies,” said Edward F. Coyle, Executive Director of the Alliance. “President Obama has been a leader in protecting the well-being of America's seniors. He has stood strong for Social Security, and his Affordable Care Act is helping millions of seniors better afford to see a doctor and fill a prescription. In the coming weeks we will be discussing our concerns on this specific issue with Administration and congressional officials,” Mr. Coyle added.

One positive about the budget: In May of last year, the Leadership Council of Aging Organizations (LCAO) - a coalition that includes the Alliance - had written to Michael Astrue, Commissioner of the Social Security Administration, to express concerns about a decision to suspend the production and mailing of Social Security earnings benefit statements. The President’s budget calls for the full reinstatement of mailing the Social Security statement to workers at least 25-years-old in FY 2013.

Payroll Tax Cut Bill Affects Medicare Reimbursements, Unemployment Benefits

On Friday, the U.S. House and Senate passed H.R. 3630, the Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Continuation Act of 2011, heading off a 27% cut in reimbursements for physicians who treat Medicare patients. The respective House and Senate votes were 293-132 and 60-36. Without action, the reimbursement decrease would have taken effect on March 1. The bill would also continue a 2-percentage-point cut in the 6.2% Social Security payroll tax, which is deducted from workers’ paychecks, through 2012. For a family earning $50,000 a year, the cut saves $1,000 annually. “It is unfortunate that the legislation could not be passed without Republican demands that will hurt both the unemployed and federal employees,” said Mr. Coyle. For more, go to http://wapo.st/xuN8c7.

Romney Flip-Flops on Social Security and Medicare

Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney vowed at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) late last Friday to cut Social Security and Medicare (http://bit.ly/yc8B5x). With that statement, he was saying the exact opposite of what he’d promised in Florida just two weeks earlier, when he claimed, “We will never go after Medicare or Social Security, we will protect those programs” (http://bit.ly/AqWxuf). Romney specified that he would raise the retirement age for Social Security at the CPAC event.

Pivoting to discuss the auto industry on Wednesday this week in Michigan, Romney said, “I’ve taken on union bosses before and I’m happy to take them on again. I sure won’t give in to UAW.”

“Mr. Romney opposed the 2009 automobile industry bailout,” said Ruben Burks, Secretary-Treasurer of the Alliance. “Fortunately, he wasn't in a position to make that decision, or thousands of workers would have lost their jobs while retirees lost their retiree health care benefits and pensions.”

Health Care Reform Helps Deliver Preventive Care to 86 Million Americans

Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announced on Wednesday that the Affordable Care Act provided approximately 54 million Americans with at least one new free preventive service in 2011 through their private health insurance plans. She also announced that an estimated 32.5 million people with Medicare received at least one free preventive benefit in 2011, including the new Annual Wellness Visit, since the health reform law was enacted. Together, this means an estimated 86 million Americans were helped by health reform’s prevention coverage improvements. The HHS report on expanded preventive benefits in Medicare and other ways that the Affordable Care Act strengthens Medicare is available at http://www.cms.gov/newsroom.

To see Rep. Donna Edwards’ (D-MD) one-minute Affordable Care Act speech on the House floor on Tuesday, beside the Alliance's Valentine’s Day poster, click on http://bit.ly/A7xOaQ.

New Database Provides Economic Security Data for Elders and Families

Wider Opportunities for Women (WOW) has unveiled its new Economic Security Database, which provides local information on how much families and older adults need to make ends meet. Specifically, The Basic Economic Security Tables™ (BEST) Index and the Elder Economic Security Standard™ Index (Elder Index) measure the incomes workers and retired adults need to achieve economic security. Both measures are comprehensive definitions of economic security, presented at the state, county and city levels. WOW invites you to use the database in your work and share with your networks. To access the database, go to www.BasicEconomicSecurity.org.

WOW currently works with 17 state partners on the Elder Economic Security Initiative, including the Iowa & North Carolina Alliance for Retired Americans. On Tuesday, the North Carolina Alliance and WOW hosted an event to release the new North Carolina Elder Economic Security Initiative™ Program in Wake Forest. “Dozens of seniors attended, and television and print media gave the event enormous media coverage,” said Barbara J. Easterling, President of the Alliance. “If you are interested in how you can use the data in your state or have any questions, please contact Maggie Flowers at mflowers@wowonline.org or 202.464.1596.”

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White House Twitter Event Answers Seniors' Policy Questions

David Blank — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:22:09 -0500

On Monday, the White House’s Jon Carson, Director of the Office of Public Engagement, held a “Tweet-up” and conference call for seniors with Kathy Greenlee, Assistant Secretary for Aging, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Alliance for Retired Americans members seized the opportunity to get their health care, Medicare, and Social Security policy questions answered using Twitter and social networking. Approximately 90 questions were emailed to the Alliance or sent in via social networks such as Facebook and Twitter in advance of the event, and the participating Administration officials answered several of them. White House staff considered the event one of the most successful Tweet-up events they have hosted, based on the number of questions received, activity in the days leading up to the event, and the level of enthusiasm. “Even many Alliance state chapters who do not yet have a strong presence on Twitter were able to do a great deal to foster participation, especially by encouraging lots of email questions,” said Edward F. Coyle, Executive Director of the Alliance.

Obama Administration, Alliance Members in Several States Take on Voter ID Laws

Officials at the U.S Department of Justice, including Attorney General Eric Holder, and other members of the Obama Administration are fighting voter suppression efforts in states all across the country. The various forms of legislation would hurt seniors’ access to the ballot box in many ways, including: requiring an ID to vote; limiting voters’ rights to be directed to the correct precinct; limiting the time to vote by mail; creating more hurdles for boards of elections to send ballot applications; and blocking the ability for these boards to cover the postage to return a ballot. “The Voter Identification bills and voter suppression efforts vary in different states, but they are all ‘a solution in search of a problem’ - since evidence of widespread voter fraud is non-existent,” said Barbara J. Easterling, President of the Alliance. Alliance chapters in states such as Florida, Iowa, Missouri, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin have taken strong action to block these efforts, including: lobby visits to state legislators; testifying before the state legislature; speaking on talk radio; rallies; placing letters to the editor; online activism; press conferences; and circulating petitions to repeal recently passed voter suppression laws.

On the Web: Presidents’ Day Lobby Week Toolkit, Link to New Rhode Island Site

The Alliance’s Presidents’ Day Lobby Week Toolkit contains talking points, fact sheets, and all the background you might need to protect Social Security and Medicare at lobby visits during the Presidents’ Day Recess Week, February 20-24. The toolkit is available on the Alliance web site at http://www.retiredamericans.org/issues/Retiree_Resources. Also, the new Rhode Island Alliance for Retired Americans web site, www.ri-ara.org, is now up and running. There are links to many organizations of interest to Rhode Island seniors, as well as HealthLink Wellness, Alliance News, RI AFL-CIO News, Upcoming Events, and RI ARA Dental, Eye and Hearing Discount pages.

Doctors – and Seniors - Can’t Afford Medicare Payment Cuts

Policymakers in Washington are still polarized over the payroll tax cut debate, and this deadlock has trickled down into a heated debate over proposed Medicare cuts. If an agreement is not reached by the end of February, doctors will receive a 27% reduction in Medicare payments. There is not much time left to act. According to Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-PA), several doctors have already begun to tell many Medicare recipients that they can no longer accept Medicare, leaving many seniors with fewer options for treatment and services. House Republicans want to avoid cuts in payments to doctors by reducing certain Medicare payments to hospitals, while House Democrats want to offset Medicare costs for doctors using funding from the declining wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The payroll tax legislation would also continue jobless benefits for many of the nation’s unemployed.

Social Security Presents Obama with Opportunity to Win Over Hispanic Voters

According to Politico (http://politi.co/ykr2MP), it’s likely that “Team Obama” will spend a lot of its Spanish advertising budget on a generic Social Security message to older Latinos, a group that is disproportionately dependent on Social Security for retirement income. Three-quarters of Hispanic Social Security recipients derive at least half their income from their monthly check, 10 points higher than the general population. Only 20 percent of Latino retirees have pensions, half the national average. And, Politico adds, the national poverty rate for Hispanics ages 65 and older is 19 percent — “compared with 8 percent of the white elderly.”

Medicare Expected to be a Major Issue in Congressional Races

In various congressional seat races across the country, the issue of Medicare has also become a key election issue. Many Democratic candidates are looking to oust current Republicans who support various cuts to the program, especially those who support House Budget Committee Chair Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) plan to privatize it. According to The New York Times (http://nyti.ms/y6rqcu), Medicare is expected to be a hot-button issue for the next decade. “There is a great deal of misinformation out there about Medicare, and it is important that Alliance members help educate their neighbors on the facts,” said Ruben Burks, Secretary-Treasurer of the Alliance.

Nevada Alliance Celebrates Valentine’s Day with Vets

The reigning Miss University of Nevada, Ashton Sunsiri, and Miss Reno/Sparks, Madeline Burak, are joining members of the Nevada Alliance for Retired Americans (NARA) this morning to distribute valentines at Reno's Ioannis A. Lougaris Veterans Medical Center. “The purpose of the event is to show the compassion, appreciation and respect the more than 17,000 members of NARA have for our veterans on the day our society expresses love," stated NARA coordinator Gail Dietrich. "We thank them for serving our country. We want them to know just how much we value their sacrifices and cherish them as individuals,” Dietrich added.

Regional Meetings to Begin Later This Month in Las Vegas

The Alliance’s Regional Meetings will take place beginning on February 29 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Matthew Rothschild, Editor of The Progressive magazine, will speak at the Midwest Regional Meeting’s March 6 lunch in Milwaukee. He will comment on the political landscape in the Midwest and across the nation. For more information on the regional meeting for your part of the country, please go to http://bit.ly/yiqB8n.

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White House, Alliance for Retired Americans to Host Twitter Q&A on Senior Issues

David Blank — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:41:08 -0500

Do you want to know more about the Affordable Care Act and dispel the myths about it? Want to ask administration officials about strengthening Social Security and Medicare for you, your kids and grandkids? Have other questions for the White House? Now’s your chance to ask and participate! The White House Office of Public Engagement is hosting a Twitter Q&A and conference call with the Alliance for Retired Americans this Monday, February 6th from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time to answer your questions about aging, retirement and politics. The call is a follow-up to President Obama’s recent State of the Union address. Answering your questions during the Q&A:

* Jon Carson (@JonCarson44), the director of the Office of Public Engagement

* Kathy Greenlee (@hhsgov), Assistant Secretary for Aging, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Send your question to us before the Q&A by tweeting it to @activeretirees; posting it to our Facebook page www.facebook.com/retiredamericans; or by emailing it to us here: aracommunications@retiredamericans.org. Follow along with the Q&A through the hashtag #SOTU or #seniorshealth, and keep sending us your questions.

Romney Wins Florida Republican Primary – After a Few Fibs

Mitt Romney scored a decisive victory in Florida's presidential primary on Tuesday, steadying a campaign that was jarred by a loss in South Carolina ten days earlier. Prior to Romney's victory, Edward F. Coyle, Executive Director of the Alliance, commented on remarks Romney had made on Monday. “Last night at a Florida senior center, presidential candidate Mitt Romney once again couldn’t stop himself from telling an audience what they wanted to hear – even if it wasn’t true,” said Mr. Coyle.

“Romney told retirees, ‘We will never go after Medicare or Social Security,’ even though he supports the Ryan budget to give seniors small vouchers to buy coverage from private insurance companies; wants to raise the Social Security retirement age; and wants to let Wall Street gamble away – and profit from – privatized Social Security accounts. For a notoriously inconsistent politician, Mitt Romney has a long, clear record of wanting to privatize Social Security and Medicare,” Coyle continued.

Florida Alliance President Tony Fransetta did three press events in 25 hours in advance of the Tuesday primary: one about Romney wanting to privatize Medicare; one about Romney’s role in Damon Corporation’s multi-million dollar scheme to defraud Medicare (http://politi.co/wdIXT3); and one about voter suppression. A Boston Globe article noted that Florida seniors generally heard little from the candidates themselves on Medicare and Social Security (http://bo.st/yLhwG6).

Health Care Reform Law Saves 3.6 Million Americans $2.1 Billion

Nearly 3.6 million people with Medicare saved $2.1 billion on their prescription drug costs in 2011 due to the Affordable Care Act, according to data issued on Thursday by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In addition, the savings for people with Medicare will increase over time. According to the HHS report (http://1.usa.gov/yFFyex), the average person with Medicare will save nearly $4,200 by 2021 because of the new law. The Affordable Care Act provides a 50 percent discount on brand-name prescription drugs and this year, a 14% discount on generics. In 2011, the 3.6 million Americans who hit the doughnut hole saved an average of $604 on the cost of their prescription drugs. “The data proves that the Affordable Care Act helps seniors,” said Barbara J. Easterling, President of the Alliance. “It decreases prescription drug costs, provides free preventive care, and slows the growth of Medicare premiums for physicians’ services.”

According to USA Today (http://usat.ly/wdjNyF), statistics also show that premiums for Medicare Advantage private insurance plans have dropped an average of 7%, and enrollment has grown by 10%, thanks to the 2010 health care overhaul. “This trend counters opposing predictions of dire consequences to enacting health reform, which included a drop in enrollment and a rise in premiums,” said Ruben Burks, Secretary-Treasurer of the Alliance.

Indiana “Right to Work for Less” Bill Passes State Senate, is Signed into Law

Despite the best efforts of Indiana workers, their friends, and Alliance retirees, a “right-to-work for less” bill became state law in Indiana on Wednesday. The state Senate voted 28-22 to pass the anti-union bill as thousands of protesters packed Statehouse hallways, shouting their disapproval. Thousands more were outside waiting to get in. Governor Mitch Daniels (R) signed the bill shortly thereafter, making Indiana the 23rd state in the nation with such a law. Indiana Alliance retirees had done several press events driving home the fact that Right to Work (RTW) means “Real Trouble and Worries” for everyone in Indiana, because it puts in jeopardy pensions, health care, and other benefits of union retirees and their legal dependents established through collective bargaining.

Alliance Charters Its 31^st State: Virginia

On Tuesday in Richmond, 43 delegates and 8 guests convened to found the Virginia Alliance for Retired Americans. Attendees at the founding convention heard from the following speakers and guests: Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA); NFL Players Association - Former Player Services Senior Director Nolan Harrison III; Ms. Greenlee; Former Virginia Governor Tim Kaine (D); Virginia AFL-CIO President Doris Crouse Mays; Virginia Democratic Party Chairman Brian Moran; Virginia Delegate Luke Torian; and leaders from the national Alliance, including Ms. Easterling.

The founding convention elected as officers: Melvin Carter, President; Roger Wood, Secretary; and Ron Thompson, Treasurer. Mr. Carter said, “We are extremely excited to get to work on issues important to seniors and working families in Virginia.” For photos from Virginia, go to http://bit.ly/yk0bfu (album) or http://bit.ly/zQL5uu (slideshow).

Southern Regional Meeting to Begin on April 30

The Alliance’s Southern Regional meeting will take place beginning on April 30 in Orlando, Florida. For more information, please go to http://bit.ly/yiqB8n.

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President Obama, Mitch Daniels Offer Different Views on Current State of the Union

David Blank — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:34:30 -0500

President Obama delivered his State of the Union address on Tuesday night, and the Alliance issued a press release contrasting his ideas with the Republican response offered by Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels. “While retirees’ working days may be over, we worry about our children and grandchildren, as well as the future of the industries we helped build here at home. We strongly support the President’s goal of tax fairness; call us ‘old school,’ but we still believe that sacrifices should be made fairly," said Edward F. Coyle, Executive Director of the Alliance.

“In contrast, the Republicans showed their true colors by choosing as their spokesperson a governor who believes he can revive his state’s economy by lowering wages and benefits for working families,” Coyle continued. “Mitch Daniels’ vague rhetoric on Social Security and Medicare glossed over the cold reality that his party – from its presidential candidates to its House Speaker – wants seniors to be at the mercy of the big insurance companies; would let Wall Street profit from a privatized Social Security; and would allow states to slash Medicaid, even though it is the only way 70 percent of Americans can afford long-term and nursing home care." To read Coyle's full statement, go to http://bit.ly/xbKBPz.

House Speaker, Republican Presidential Candidates Still Aim to Privatize Medicare

During an appearance on Fox News Sunday, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) confirmed that Republicans won’t be backing away from plans to privatize the Medicare program this year — despite voters’ rejection of the plan. Read more on the web site www.thinkprogress.org at http://bit.ly/w5GYsn. Also this week, House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) reiterated his plan to privatize Medicare through vouchers. All the Republican candidates for President have now supported the plan. To see an AFSCME Independent Expenditure ad noting presidential candidate Mitt Romney's ties to Medicare fraud, go to http://youtu.be/hkGrgxw7sSo. “The ad depicts real Medicare fraud,” said Ruben Burks, Secretary-Treasurer of the Alliance. “But we should also remember that promising seniors vouchers instead of guaranteed benefits is also a form of fraud.”

Florida Alliance Shines Light on Voter Suppression, Romney’s Medicare Policies

On Thursday, Florida Alliance (FLARA) members and their allies called attention to Governor Romney’s appalling attitudes toward Medicare and senior services at a press conference in Fort Myers. Dozens of local seniors voiced their outrage at Romney’s plans for dismantling Medicare and other important programs on which seniors rely.

Today, FLARA members are speaking out in Tampa at a rally against voter suppression. Recent changes in Florida’s election rules will have a dramatic impact on Florida’s seniors; a new law passed in the Florida legislature cuts early voting from 14 to 7 days before the election and hurts seniors who vote early because they are unable to stand in a line or go to the polls on Election Day.

CLASS Act Letter, New Fact Sheets Available on Alliance Web Site

The Alliance defended the health care reform law's endangered CLASS Act on Tuesday, after the House set up a vote to repeal the long-term health care program next week. The Alliance wrote to House lawmakers urging them to keep the voluntary payroll-deduction program alive. To read the Alliance letter, go to http://bit.ly/xXtcdo. Also new on the Alliance web site: What’s at Stake for Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid in 2012 at http://bit.ly/zq16Q7 and MYTH BUSTERS: New Health Law & Other Myths at http://bit.ly/x1U472.

State Round-up: Iowa, Nevada, and Indiana

The Iowa Alliance, through their work at caucus meetings statewide, succeeded in getting the preservation of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid into the state Democratic Party platform. The Nevada Alliance has also been successful in submitting Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and jobs resolutions for consideration for inclusion in the Nevada Democratic Party platform.

Despite polls showing strong public opposition to a “Right to Work” for less (RTW) bill being rammed through the Indiana legislature without debate, Republican House lawmakers passed RTW on Thursday. The bill would lower the wages of working Hoosiers and affect the pensions and health benefits of Indiana retirees and their dependents. The Indiana Alliance held a press conference on Monday to raise awareness. “The Iowa, Nevada, Indiana, and Florida chapters have all done a great job recently!” said Barbara J. Easterling, President of the Alliance. “I am very proud of their hard work and success.”

With a Moving Send-off, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords Resigns from Congress

A year after being severely wounded during a shooting rampage in her Arizona home district, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D) resigned from Congress on Wednesday. She departed amidst a chorus of cheers, hugs, and tributes. “Rep. Gabrielle Giffords has been a great friend to seniors,” said Mr. Coyle. “Many Alliance members in Arizona know the congresswoman personally. We wish her a full recovery and hope to see her back in Congress at a later date!” On September 28, 2010, Rep. Giffords introduced a resolution opposing any increase in the Social Security retirement age, noting that any increase in the age equates to an unfair decrease in benefits.

Coyle Briefs House Democratic Caucus

Mr. Coyle traveled to Cambridge, Maryland on Thursday to make a presentation briefing the House Democratic Caucus on Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid issues.

Regional Meetings Begin on February 29 in Las Vegas

Be sure to register for the Alliance’s 2012 Regional Meetings beginning February 29 in Las Vegas, Nevada; March 5 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; April 29 in Orlando, Florida; and May 14 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Workshops will include Issues for the 2012 Elections; Messaging: We Will Not Be Out-Foxed; and Best Practices in On-line Organizing. For more information, or to register on-line, please visit http://bit.ly/yiqB8n. Questions? Call Event Coordinator Joni Jones at 202/637-5377 or e-mail jjones@retiredamericans.org.

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Wisconsin Governor Recall Effort Advances; Retirees Help Get a Million Signatures

David Blank — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 12:10:47 -0500

A million signatures were turned in on Tuesday to begin the formal process of forcing a recall election for Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker (R). The petitions delivered to the Government Accountability Board arrived on a truck and weighed over 3000 pounds. The signatures collected and submitted exceeded the number required to force a recall by 460,000. In addition to the Governor, Wisconsinites also turned in the required signatures to recall the Lieutenant Governor and three state Senators.

Seniors in Wisconsin, including WI Alliance members, were active in circulating hundreds of petitions to recall the Governor and the Lt. Governor. In addition to circulating petitions, Wisconsin retirees from all walks of life volunteered time for data entry and validating the signed petitions. Wisconsin Alliance leaders spoke to many retiree clubs to organize their membership around the recall efforts. Wisconsin Alliance members also organized and participated in many recall events around the state, including this one at the Milwaukee Airport featured in Sunday’s New York Times: http://nyti.ms/xt3WR8.

“The number of signatures and the amount of support for the recall that culminated by the time of delivery far exceeded many Wisconsinites’ expectations,” said Ruben Burks, Secretary-Treasurer of the Alliance.

Republican Field for President Narrows

With Texas Governor Rick Perry dropping out of the race for the Republican nomination for President on Thursday, the race is now down to four candidates. During the South Carolina GOP debate earlier in the week, on Monday night, former Sen. Rick Santorum (PA) called former Speaker of the U.S. House Newt Gingrich (GA) “irresponsible” in referencing his plan for privatizing Social Security. According to The Hill newspaper, Gingrich is receiving a congressional pension of more than $100,000 per year from his two-decade career in Congress.

To see former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney at the debate, speaking about ending Medicare as we know it in favor of vouchers, go to http://bit.ly/xz5OA9. Romney also attacked the Affordable Care Act, which provides free preventive care for seniors, calling it “the Fourth Entitlement.” Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) is the fourth remaining candidate.

Americans are Raiding Savings to Make Ends Meet, Putting Retirement at Risk

Four years after the initial recession, according to the Huffington Post and Reuters, increased withdrawals from college and retirement funds and boosts in credit card usage are leading policy makers to think more Americans are using these accounts for more day-to-day living. Loans taken from retirement savings accounts leapt anywhere from 20-60%, and 27% of workers are “not at all confident” that they will have enough funds for a comfortable retirement. To see the full article, go to http://huff.to/wH6cBs.

Barbara Easterling Speaks Out About Effect on Seniors of Voter ID Requirements

Also in the Huffington Post, a column by Alliance President Barbara J. Easterling was published on Thursday. In her column, “Don't Take the Vote Away From Seniors,” Ms. Easterling draws attention to the many problems that new Voter Identification laws pose for retirees. To read it, go to http://huff.to/x52997.

Hawaii Alliance for Retired Americans Holds its Convention

The Hawaii Alliance’s (HARA’s) 4th Biennial Convention was held in Honolulu on Saturday, with about seventy delegates and guests attending. Three members of Hawaii’s congressional delegation addressed the convention--U.S. Senator Dan Akaka (D), whom HARA presented with their Shining Light Award for his 35 years of distinguished service in Congress; Rep. Mazie Hirono (D); and Rep. Colleen Hanabusa (D). Conference attendees also heard from Richard Fiesta, Director of the national Alliance’s Department of Government and Political Affairs, and several other well-received speakers. The delegates elected Justin Wong as the new HARA President. The new Vice President is Elmer Yuen; Jackie Foil was reelected Secretary; and Phyllis Hiramatsu was reelected Treasurer. For links to the Hawaii Convention photos, go to http://bit.ly/xe7PiT (set) and http://bit.ly/AjXoHt (slideshow). To see additional Hawaii Alliance photos from the past, go to http://bit.ly/ykpmMk.

“In addition to welcoming Justin Wong, I would like to say a special 'thank-you' to Al Hamai, outgoing President of the Hawaii Alliance,” said Edward F. Coyle, Executive Director of the national Alliance. “All of us at the Alliance want to express our deepest gratitude for all of his work. Al has long embodied what it means to be a good citizen in the retiree movement. Whatever has been asked of him – writing a letter to the editor, making a lobby visit, or traveling great distances to an Alliance meeting – Al has always stepped up to help current and future retirees.”

National Academy of Social Insurance Elects New Members

Both Mr. Fiesta and the Alliance’s Sarah Byrne, Senior Legislative Representative, were elected to the National Academy of Social Insurance. Read more, and see who else was elected as new members, at http://bit.ly/s9yMps.

Washington State Retirees Speak up for Access to Social Security Offices

The Social Security Administration (SSA) plans to close neighborhood offices in Seattle this spring, replacing them with an office in the high-security Jackson Federal Building. Rather than the offices seniors and the disabled go to now, Seattle-area residents will be required to navigate often-intimidating Homeland Security checkpoints in the downtown federal building — and possibly be searched – in order to check in with federal workers about their benefits. Last Friday, the Washington State Alliance and the Puget Sound Alliance co-hosted a public meeting with other groups, including the American Federation of Government Employees, to share stories, hear from public officials, and see how to be involved. For a video about saving access to Seattle's SSA offices, go to http://bit.ly/ynWKrc.

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Mitt Romney Wins New Hampshire; Florida Alliance Members Voice Disapproval

David Blank — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:24:29 -0500

Mitt Romney won the New Hampshire Republican primary Tuesday with 39.3% of the vote, finishing well ahead of runners-up Ron Paul (22.8%) and Jon Huntsman (16.9%).

Two days later, Florida Alliance for Retired Americans members gathered in West Palm Beach to draw a distinction between themselves and “Fat Cat Mitt Romney Supporters,” who were attending a high-end Romney fundraiser at the home of Miami Dolphins owner Steve Ross. Noting that the Romney event, co-hosted by sugar baron Pepe Fanjul, was being held at the $32 million Ross estate, the Florida Alliance hosted a picnic that same day for the middle class. The Alliance event, a “Regular Man’s Picnic,” served Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches, rather than the caviar said to be served at the Romney event across the intra-coastal waterway on the island of Palm Beach. “The seniors at the picnic were in sharp contrast to the Romney donors, who - by virtue of attending their event - were forwarding the interests of the wealthiest 1% of Americans over the middle class,” said Alliance President Barbara J. Easterling.

Rep. Paul (R-TX), incidentally, said recently that Social Security, a lifeline for millions of seniors, is “unconstitutional.” He added that, if elected, he would allow citizens under the age of 25 to opt out of the system in order to save their own money for retirement (http://wapo.st/xZXlmM).

West Palm Beach a Hotbed of Activity This Week

The Palm Beach Post reported that about 100 protesters, including Alliance members, Occupy Wall Street sympathizers, “Raging Grannies,” and others, also gathered in West Palm Beach this week. On Tuesday, the activists in attendance blasted Florida Governor Rick Scott and the Republican-controlled legislature on the opening day of this year's legislative session in Tallahassee. The “Awake the State” rally, held at the former West Palm Beach City Hall and current Occupy West Palm Beach encampment, was one of 19 such events held around the state. “When the legislature goes into session, we know we're not safe. We know they're going to do things that aren't going to be progressive...We know they're going to attack the middle class,” said Tony Fransetta, President of the Florida Alliance.

Indiana Alliance Joins with Partners to take on “Right to Work”

On Tuesday, representatives from the Indiana Alliance, the group “Hoosiers First,” and United Senior Action held a press conference to voice their joint concerns about the “right to work” legislation pending before the Indiana General Assembly. Having reviewed the possible impacts of right to work, or RTW, on retired union members and their dependents, the three organizations concluded that RTW spells trouble for not only the citizens of Indiana, but also the state’s economy.

“Right to Work means Real Trouble and Worries for everyone in Indiana, because it potentially puts in jeopardy pensions, health care, and other benefits of union retirees and their legal dependents that have been established through collective bargaining,” said Elmer Blankenship, President of the Indiana Alliance.

The state Senate RTW bill has been passed in committee (6 to 4) and goes next to the full Senate for a vote. A state House panel sent the measure to the full House on an 8-5 vote. Last Friday, at a joint House and Senate Hearing, Mr. Blankenship and Denny Lanane, President of United Senior Action, testified against the proposed RTW Law, which is supported by several Republican legislators. They testified that passage of RTW would weaken unions, which would be bad for active workers and union retirees as well as many others whose wages and benefits follow negotiated benefits. RTW is also associated with a significant reduction in private-sector pension coverage. The Economic Policy Institute proves the point at http://bit.ly/xjYijP, showing that private pension coverage in Indiana is currently greater than in 21 of 22 RTW states.

Racial Divide Emerges Over Mississippi Voter ID Constitutional Amendment

According to a report cited by the Talking Points memo Website (http://bit.ly/wc3W1x), less than 25% of non-white Mississippi citizens voted in favor of a state constitutional amendment to require voter ID at the polls, compared to about 83% of white voters. An estimated 75% of the state’s minority population rejected “Initiative 27,” a constitutional amendment that requires voters to show photo identification at the polls, while only about 17% of white voters went against the proposal, according to a report by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights (LCCR). Their analysis found that the precincts voting against the measure closely mirrored the precincts with majority non-white populations.

The initiative was passed in November with 62% of the vote, and the legislature is now working to enact a law with the details. The Justice Department (DOJ) has to sign off on the proposal, because Mississippi is covered by Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, which requires states with a history of racial discrimination to have their voting laws “pre-cleared.” Attorneys in DOJ’s Civil Rights Division recently rejected a proposed voter ID measure in South Carolina, finding that the state’s statistics showed that minority voters comprised 30.4% of the state’s registered voters but 34.2% of those registered voters who lacked Department of Motor Vehicle-issued photo identification.

“Our analysis shows that Mississippi’s voter ID law is another example of a law with a racially discriminatory effect being implemented over minority voters’ strong objections,” LCCR Executive Director Barbara Arnwine said in a statement. “Seventy-five percent of minorities in the state said ‘no’ to having to comply with what amounts to a modern day poll tax in order to exercise their fundamental right to vote.”

State Chapter Report: North Carolina

On Tuesday, the North Carolina Alliance chartered an Alliance chapter in the City of Asheville. “Welcome, Asheville!” said Ruben Burks, Secretary-Treasurer of the national Alliance. “We want the newest Alliance group in the country to get the fanfare it deserves, given that North Carolina is such a key state this election year.”

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Former Senator Santorum Loses Republican Caucuses in Iowa by Eight Votes

David Blank — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 11:29:49 -0500

According to the Rasmussen Reports company, former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA), coming off his photo finish with Mitt Romney in the Republican Iowa caucus, is now in second place nationally among Republican voters in the race for the party’s 2012 presidential nomination. Using the uncertified statewide vote totals tabulated as of Friday, Santorum finished second in Iowa on Tuesday night, losing to former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney by only eight votes. “Alarmingly, Sen. Santorum has a lifetime score of just 2% on the Alliance’s Congressional Voting Record,” said Barbara J. Easterling, President of the Alliance. “His finish was exciting for political observers, but also terrifying for seniors.”

Politico reported that Santorum had spoken on the campaign trail last Sunday about the possibility of raising the retirement age, pointing out that allowing people to retire as early as 65 means giving a government entitlement to people who are “generally healthy and able to work.” Santorum went much further than that, however, in his 1994 Senate campaign. A source shared a recording of an October ’94 speech that Santorum gave at LaSalle University, in which he endorsed raising the retirement age to 70 – or higher. “It is ridiculous that we have a retirement age in this country of age 65 today. I’d go even farther if I could – at least age 70,” Santorum said in the recording.

Santorum also believes that public employee unions should just be eliminated altogether. “I do not believe that -- that state, federal or local workers, unions, should be involved in unions. And I would actually support a bill that says that we should not have public employee unions for the purposes of wages and benefits to be negotiated,” Santorum said during a Republican debate in September (http://bit.ly/rdx7cz).

For information on Governor Romney’s support for privatizing Medicare, go to http://bit.ly/xQr07z. In a development for Governor Romney this week, Bloomberg News – quoting the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center - wrote that his tax proposal would add $600 billion to the U.S. budget deficit in 2015.

Medicare a Major Issue in 2012 as More Baby Boomers Begin to Receive Benefits

During a campaign stop in Iowa on Sunday, Santorum said, “You have Medicare driving the entire health care system in this country and it’s crushing it.” According to thinkprogress.org (http://bit.ly/xjzuz5), Santorum is a strong supporter of Republican House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s original Medicare privatization scheme to completely eliminate traditional Medicare as an option for seniors, and he has promised to accelerate its implementation. Medicare, however, has a better track record of controlling health care costs than private insurers and has introduced market innovations and payment reforms that private plans later adopted. Medicare’s smaller administrative spending and its ability to use its size and clout to bargain for cheaper services explain this advantage.

“Medicare privatization is shaping up to be the number one campaign issue of 2012,” said Edward F. Coyle, Executive Director of the Alliance. According to USA Today, 76 million baby boomers will sign up for Medicare over the next couple of decades.

New Voter Identification Laws Take Effect in Several States This Year

According to The Wall Street Journal, millions more Americans will be required to show photo identification when they head to the polls in four states in 2012, headlining the flurry of new laws across the nation that took effect with the turn of the year. Kansas, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Texas will require voters to prove their identities at the ballot box, bringing the total number of states that require some form of voter identification to 30, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, a bipartisan group that provides research and data to state governments. Some of the adverse, often-unintended consequences of voter identification laws for seniors are described at http://wdhne.ws/tcoSzE.

Government Dollars are going to Private Insurance Companies by the Billions

According to CNN, although 2011 was a volatile year for the stock market, one sector has been consistently earning a windfall for investors: health insurers that provide private Medicare plans to seniors. Among the top-performing Fortune 500 stocks of 2011, three - WellCare Health Plans, Humana, and Centene - had a high proportion of Medicare Advantage enrollees. WellCare's share price has nearly doubled, while Humana and Centene are up about 50%. UnitedHealth Group and Aetna, each with significant shares of Medicare Advantage patients, also posted gains of more than 35% in 2011. Health care stocks broadly outperformed the market overall in 2011. The iShares Dow Jones US Health Care Providers Index Fund (IHF), an exchange fund that includes most of the major insurers, was up more than 8%.

The Washington Post stated yesterday that despite the sluggish economy, the nation’s major health insurers have prospered largely by expanding their role in government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, according to a study released Thursday. A report by Bloomberg Government, a research division of Bloomberg LP, suggests that insurers will further increase their reliance on federal dollars with full implementation of the health-care law in 2014 - when Medicaid will expand to cover an eventual 16 million additional low-income Americans and the federal government will begin subsidizing private-insurance policies for an estimated 19 million more. The share of large insurers’ revenues contributed by their Medicare and Medicaid business has jumped from 36 to 42 percent over the past three years.

The Affordable Care Act, the health care reform signed into law by President Obama in 2010, will reduce federal payments to Medicare Advantage plans by $136 billion. Nonetheless, the Bloomberg Government study’s author, Peter Gosselin, theorizes that insurers still expect the plans to prove profitable, because the current national focus on debt reduction will give them political cover to manage beneficiaries’ care tightly. The bill for Medicare Advantage, where private insurers serve as health care administrators for seniors, currently costs taxpayers 10% more than traditional Medicare, where the government serves as the middleman, according to the Congressional Budget Office. “Once again, we see that Medicare Advantage is a great deal for private insurers, but a terrible deal for taxpayers,” said Ruben Burks, Secretary-Treasurer of the Alliance.

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Capitol Hill Tax Stalemate Hurts Medicare

Laura Markwardt — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 11:37:06 -0500

The congressional deadlock over extending payroll tax cuts – sparked by a revolt of House Tea Party Republicans – will hurt seniors on Medicare unless a resolution is reached quickly. Seniors with incomes below $15,000 per year are at risk of losing access to critical medical services through the Qualified Individual (QI) program. The program, which is set to expire on December 31, pays for Medicare Part B premiums that cover physician and other outpatient services, as well as the low income subsidy for Part D prescription drug coverage. The QI benefit represents an average savings of $5,199 per year for these low-income seniors. Without an extension of the program by Congress, states would have the right to terminate benefits on January 1.

Also caught in the crossfire are reimbursements to nearly 650,000 doctors who care for Medicare patients. According to the Associated Press, Medicare sent an alert to doctors to say that they will hold up paying claims for the first 10 business days of the new year, but without congressional action it would then be forced to implement a 27.4 percent cut in reimbursement rates, which may prompt physicians to refuse to see Medicare patients.

Romney Stumbles on Medicaid, Iowa Alliance Members Protest GOP Plans for Seniors
Discussing Medicaid at a recent campaign event in Iowa, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said he was not familiar with the program before he entered government at age 55, adding parenthetically, “by the way, I’m concerned about the poor.” Speaking on a conference call with reporters, Alliance Executive Director Edward F. Coyle said, “Today’s comments show how badly out of touch Mitt Romney is with seniors. For a majority of seniors, Medicaid is the only way to afford nursing home and long-term care. It may not mean much to someone like Mitt Romney, but for seniors, it is literally a matter of life and death.”

Iowa Alliance members joined with local labor activists outside the final candidate debate before the January 3 caucuses, protesting the forum participants’ stances on Social Security. These include raising the retirement age, cutting benefits, and giving Wall Street firms a prominent role in a privatized Social Security system. The protest was covered by local media. For the latest on where the GOP candidates stand on Social Security, click here for a new fact sheet prepared by the Strengthen Social Security campaign, a coalition in which the Alliance plays a leading role.

Commenting on what the elections mean for retirees, Alliance President Barbara J. Easterling wrote in this week’s Huffington Post that, “the current field of GOP presidential candidates offers little solace to seniors who are worried that their Medicare and Social Security, or that of their kids and grandkids, will be sacrificed to pay for even more tax breaks for those least in need.” Please share the column, “When the Going Gets Tough, Seniors Must Get Voting.”

Walmart’s Health Insurance Changes Bad for Older Workers
Responding to published reports that Walmart will be significantly increasing the burden of health care costs it places on associates, Ms. Easterling recently wrote to the company’s CEO, Mike Duke. “I am particularly concerned about older workers who have yet to reach the Medicare eligibility age. People in this age group are often beginning to see medical problems develop or worsen. I worry that these increased health care costs will keep many from seeing a doctor, and make these health problems more serious and costlier. Just think how our nation’s health care costs would go down if those in this age group were to have more affordable, preventive medical care during this critical period of their lives,” she said in her letter. The Alliance encouraged Walmart to meet with OUR Walmart http://forrespect.org/, an employee organization, to hear their concerns and respond to their proposed solutions for improving working conditions at the nation’s largest private sector employer.

84 year-old Loses Right to Vote, Sues to Block New Voter ID Law
Under a new law pushed by Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, 84 year-old Ruthelle Frank of Brokaw, WI (pop. 107) has lost the right to vote. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Frank does not have a driver’s license, and lacks a birth certificate needed to get a state identification card. She does however have Social Security and Medicare cards, as well as a baptism certificate. Even if she were to pay $20 to get a birth certificate, her maiden name was misspelled by the attending physician at her home birth. To rectify this, she would need to petition the courts and pay a $200 fee. Frank, an elected member of her Village Board since 1996, recently became a plaintiff in a lawsuit to block the new law, which is similar to proposals in other states. “Our generation, and those who came before us, fought and died for the right to vote. We cannot let politicians take this away,” said Ruben J. Burks, Alliance Secretary-Treasurer. For the latest developments on voting rights, visit http://www.lawyerscommittee.org/projects/voting_rights.

Happy Holidays from the Alliance
In our final edition of Friday Alert until January 6, we would like to extend our warmest wishes for the holiday season and thank you for your outstanding activism in 2011.

In 2011 we once again faced strong threats to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. But thanks to the powerful voice of activists across the country, seniors were spared from terribly unjust and painful cuts to these programs by the deficit reduction “Super Committee” on Capitol Hill. Please see our website for photos and videos of all you did this year.

As we head into the 2012 elections and a new session of Congress, we will need to be as educated and active as we can to protect and strengthen all that we have helped to achieve. Thank you for all you do to help your fellow retirees. We look forward to working with you in 2012.

Barbara J. Easterling Ruben J. Burks Edward F. Coyle
President Secretary Treasurer Executive Director

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Wyden-Ryan Medicare Plan Would Raise Premiums for Seniors

David Blank — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 12:56:44 -0500

House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI), a leader in the fight to privatize Medicare, unveiled a new approach on Thursday in order to save money on the federal health program. According to Politico, the proposal has some key differences from the Ryan blueprint that Republicans had rallied around earlier this year — and which Democrats have criticized as the beginning of the end of Medicare. Working with Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden (Ore.), Ryan is developing a framework that would allow seniors to choose between staying in traditional Medicare or opting into new, private plan alternatives. Wyden is the first Democrat on Capitol Hill to so strongly embrace a modification of Ryan’s approach. Seniors would receive a set amount of money from the government to buy private insurance - vouchers - as they would under the Medicare proposal Ryan included in the budget blueprint that passed the House last year. The new proposal still installs a cap on total Medicare spending; under the Ryan-Wyden approach, seniors would have to pay the difference between the sticker price for care and the premium support or subsidy, although low-income people would get more help.

Ryan and Wyden said they would not draft legislation, since Ryan does not expect action on major issues such as Medicare until a new Congress is seated in 2013. However, they said that by forcing private insurers to bid to provide Medicare coverage and encouraging beneficiaries to choose the plan with the lowest costs, the measure could drive down costs. To see the full Politico article on the proposal, go to http://bit.ly/vebSnm. “We’ve been to this rodeo before. Once again, guaranteed benefits would be replaced with vouchers,” said Barbara J. Easterling, President of the Alliance. “It’s like handing every senior one single dollar and saying, ‘spend it however you like’ – then bragging about how much money the government is saving.”

Payroll Tax Cut and Doc Fix Update

The focus on the payroll tax cut is shifting to the Senate, now that the House has ignored a White House veto threat and approved a payroll tax cut bill that opens the door for an oil pipeline and spending cuts that Democrats oppose. The House approved the Republican bill Tuesday by 234-193. For a tally of the vote, go to http://1.usa.gov/ssvp1A. If the House and Senate don’t agree on a plan to approve the payroll tax cut extension by Dec. 31, workers would pay a 6.2 percent Social Security tax on the first $110,100 of wages, up from 4.2 percent this year. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says the legislation passed by the House cannot pass in his Democratic-run chamber. Reid and Republican leaders are about $90 billion apart on a deal to extend the payroll tax holiday, the centerpiece of President Obama’s jobs agenda, according to a senior Senate aide. In case they are unable to reach a bigger deal, Reid and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) are also working on a two-month backstop to save average middle-class families from a $1,000 tax increase and keep unemployment benefits from running out. According to The Hill, the fail-safe measure would also protect doctors from scheduled cuts in Medicare reimbursements.

Early Retiree Health Care Program’s Funding to End This Month

The Early Retiree Reinsurance Program (ERRP) is a program run by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) which provides reimbursement to eligible sponsors of employment-based plans for a portion of the costs of providing health coverage to early retirees (and eligible spouses, surviving spouses, and dependents of such retirees). However, CMS has decided that, based on the remaining available funds, ERRP reimbursement requests that include claims incurred after Dec. 31, 2011 will be denied in their entirety. The CMS decision is based on the actual availability of remaining appropriated ERRP funds and the rate at which reimbursements have been disbursed, as opposed to the projected amounts of ERRP reimbursements that applicants listed in their ERRP applications. $5 billion had been available under the program, and that fund has been exhausted.

Fair Pay for Home Care Workers May Be Coming Soon

The 18th initiative in President Obama's “We Can't Wait” campaign against Congress has the Department of Labor proposing a rule that will allow nearly 2 million home care workers to qualify for federal wage and overtime protections. “Home care workers are essential in providing at-home care for our nation’s elderly and disabled citizens; their job has evolved to include health care services, such as managing medications and monitoring vital signs,” said Ruben Burks, Secretary-Treasurer of the Alliance. Yet, the average home care worker earns $17,000 to $20,000 a year - more than the $7.25-per-hour minimum wage, but low enough to put many beneath the poverty line and enable them to qualify for public assistance. This new rule would ensure that home health care workers receive the same minimum wage and overtime protections as virtually all other working people. The nation's over-65 population is projected to grow from 40 million to 72 million by 2030; the government estimates that 27 million Americans will need home care by 2050. By allowing fair pay and overtime, the home care industry will be able to attract new workers while reducing turnover among existing employees.

Voter Suppression Continues to Rear its Ugly Head in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania

A federal lawsuit was filed Tuesday in Milwaukee alleging that Wisconsin's new voter ID law is unconstitutional and will deprive people of the right to vote. The suit, filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin and the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty, claims top state officials, including Gov. Scott Walker, have created a poll tax and other obstacles that present a “severe and undue burden on the fundamental right to vote.” In October, the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin Education Network had filed suit.

For video footage of Pennsylvania Alliance President Jean Friday speaking out against voter suppression efforts in her state, go to http://bit.ly/tx5wJv.

New Hampshire Alliance Chapter Works to Protect Funding for Seniors

Santa's seniors are making a special holiday delivery to Rep. Charlie Bass (R) in New Hampshire today. The New Hampshire Alliance is bringing Rep. Bass post cards, petitions and personal stories that ask him to protect Social Security and Medicare. Volunteers are sitting down with him in order to hold him accountable for being on the wrong side of important senior issues.

Editor’s Note: The next Friday Alert will be published on Thursday, December 22. Happy Holidays!

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Payroll Tax Cut, “Doc Fix” Likely to be Rolled into One Catch-All Package

Laura Markwardt — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 13:07:17 -0500

Elected officials are discussing several competing plans to cut the payroll tax that is used to fund the Social Security Trust Fund. The employee share of the tax is scheduled to go back to 6.2% on January 1, from a current rate of 4.2%, if no legislation is passed, and President Obama wants to lower the tax to 3.1% next year. A Democratic-written bill in the Senate would lower the rate to that 3.1% level. It is financed chiefly by a 1.9% surtax on income over $1 million, a proposal that is almost universally opposed by Republicans, and GOP senators are expected to defeat the measure.

A House bill would drop next year’s payroll tax to 4.2% - this year’s level. It would be financed by extending the current pay freeze on federal workers through 2015 and many other, smaller savings, including charging higher Medicare premiums to higher-earning seniors.

Bipartisan concerns that extending the payroll-tax cut would weaken Social Security are complicating the effort to allow the tax break for workers. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I - Vt.), a leading liberal voice, last week voted against a Democratic bill to extend the tax cut. That put him on the same side as Sens. Jon Kyl of Arizona, the No. 2 Senate Republican, and Jerry Moran (R - Kan.), a member of the tea-party caucus. “If you do it for two years, you know what it's probably going to be harder to break that habit in the third year,” Sen. Sanders said, adding, “in which case you've got a permanent process by which you've cut the payroll tax and diverted huge sums of money.”

Republican and Democratic aides predicted in Roll Call that the payroll tax cut will be extended by Congress in an end-of-the-year catch-all package that is likely to include extensions of unemployment benefits and increased Medicare payments to doctors. If no action is taken on the Medicare reimbursement rate for doctors, it would fall by a whopping 27% on January 1.

Mitt Romney Elaborates on Medicare
Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney clarified his plan to partially privatize the Medicare program during an interview with the Washington Examiner’s editorial board Wednesday morning, suggesting that he would allow Congress to vote on the amount of “premium support” credits (or vouchers) seniors receive to buy health care coverage every year. Like House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI), Romney, the former Governor of Massachusetts, seeks to gradually privatize the Medicare program for future enrollees by shifting seniors into private coverage and issuing everyone a “voucher” with which to purchase insurance. The plan also preserves the traditional Medicare option — known as fee-for-service — and seniors would be given a choice between using their vouchers towards the existing Medicare program or private insurance.

According to the web site www.thinkprogress.org [see actual article at http://bit.ly/usamBO], “the government’s vouchers won’t keep up with premium increases, and as a result, seniors who cannot afford to pay anything above the government contribution may be stuck in cheaper and perhaps lower quality health plans that contract with lower quality providers or cover fewer expensive tests and procedures.” During the interview, Romney reiterated that the voucher would not grow with health care spending and hinted that Congress would be responsible for approving voucher increases annually.

“Governor Romney is proposing to let the impulses of Congress, which the vast majority of the country sees as a dysfunctional body, create great uncertainty for America’s seniors,” said Edward F. Coyle, Executive Director of the Alliance.

“In addition, Romney wants to partially privatize Medicare and turn it into a voucher system that shifts costs to retirees,” said Barbara J. Easterling, President of the Alliance. “He has even proposed changing Medicare from a guaranteed program and turning it into one that Congress would have to vote annually to fund. That means the value of the vouchers that seniors would depend on to buy private insurance could vary each year based on the mood of Congress, leading to more gridlock.”

Health Care Law Has Saved the Average Senior $569 on Prescriptions in 10 Months
More than 2.65 million Medicare beneficiaries have saved more than $1.5 billion on their prescriptions this year, a $569-per-person average, while premiums have remained stable, the federal government announced on Tuesday. That's because of the provision of the health care law that put a 50% discount on name-brand prescription drugs in the “doughnut hole,” the coverage gap that exists before catastrophic coverage begins. Before the health care law took effect, Medicare patients had to pay full price for their prescriptions once they reached that gap. Drug companies now must provide the 50% discount in order to participate in the prescription plan. The prescription data are through the end of October. As of the end of November, more than 24 million people, or about half of those with traditional Medicare, have gone in for a free annual physical or other screening exam since the rules changed, allowing those benefits to be offered at no cost to patients.

Something on Your Mind? Write Letter, Win Pen!
Have an opinion about the 2012 elections? Is there something you want other seniors in your community to know about? Take a moment to write a letter to the editor, and if it is published, the Alliance will send you a free, union-made “Retirees with the Write Stuff” pen. “Letters to the editor are free and are often widely read by one’s neighbors,” said Alliance Secretary-Treasurer Ruben Burks. “Given the wealthy, corporate interests of Wall Street that we face, it’s nice to have an option that doesn’t cost money.”

In the last few months, Mel Aaronson, Lou Albano, Sam Burnett, Leon Burzynski, Tony Fransetta, Dave Friesner, David Jones, Lewis Neuman, Jr., John Pernorio, Donald Singer, Margot Smith, Dennis Tracey, Norm Wernet and Charlie Williams have contributed to their local papers. If you had a letter published recently, please email aracommunications@retiredamericans.org.

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