Alliance for Retired Americans Blog

2011 State of the Union Watch Parties

Post by Asiah Gayfield, student at Butler University Indianapolis, IN

 Social Security was on the minds of Alliance Members all over the country as they tuned to President Obama’s State of the Union address on January 25, 2011. Members gathered in living rooms, community centers, and restaurants to hear what the President would say about the state of the country, the growing national deficit, and if Social Security would play a part in helping to pay down that deficit (which Social Security does not and cannot by law contribute to).

Seniors citizens were no doubt relieved, and some where even moved to cheer, when the President declared “To put us on solid ground, we should also find a bipartisan solution to strengthen Social Security for future generations.  We must do it…without slashing benefits for future generations; and without subjecting Americans’ guaranteed retirement  income to the whims of the stock market.”

The watch parties were not only a way for members to socialize as they watched the important event, but were also incubators of great discussions. One group of energized seniors in Gig Harbor, Washington spent three hours at their State of the Union gathering both watching and discussing the President’s speech, including their ideas about Social Security and health care reform. A group of senior activists in Toledo, Ohio made up their own criteria to grade the President on before his speech and stayed after to discuss what grade the President should receive. And another group in Tucson, Arizona were so inspired by the Presidents speech they decided  they were going to follow up with their Member of Congress.   

When asked about their opinions of the State of the Union address, party participants had great things to say. A retiree from Arizona exclaimed, “It was really positive – he’s on our side!” Another retiree from Washington summed up the whole speech by saying, “Obama hit that out of the park!” Many retirees even ventured out on a limb and tried their hand at new technologies by using the popular websites Youtube and Twitter to share their feelings about the State of the Union and the Republican responses. The Arizona Alliance, for example, tweeted on their Twitter account http://twitter.com/azretiredams while the Florida Alliance hosted a member teleconference call throughout the State of the Union Address and a press conference call afterwards. FLARA then posted video responses from members and part of the press conference call on YouTube here.

The success of the State of the Union watch parties underscores the value of holding such events because they are a mobilization tool to help organize seniors to discuss current events and respond to them as they happen, in real time.

Response from Doug Hart, Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans President

Slideshow (watch parties & events across the country featuring AZ, CA, CT, IA, IN, NH, OH, TX & WA)

Photos: above at right ~ top to bottom: Connecticut, New Hampsire and Indiana Alliance parties

Happy Birthday Medicare! 45 and Going Strong

Today is the 45th birthday of Medicare, and Alliance members are holding dozens of events from New Hampshire to Arizona commemorating the occasion! From cake in Indianapolis to lobbying visits in Missouri, the events used a wide array of treats and techniques to drive home the point that Medicare has literally been a lifesaver for millions of seniors.

Alliance President Barbara Easterling said, “This year is an especially happy birthday for Medicare because the new health reform law makes it easier for seniors to afford to see a doctor, fill a prescription, and receive free preventive screenings and tests for serious diseases.”  To read her entire column on Huffington Post, click here.  

A new ad featuring Andy Griffith describes important improvements to Medicare made by the Affordable Care Act in advance of Medicare Open Enrollment. Watch here. 

The Leadership Council of Aging Organizations, a coalition of 64 non-profits - including the Alliance - advocating for seniors, sent a statement commemorating Medicare’s birthday to the entire U.S. House of Representatives.  The statement declares that in 1965, Medicare and Medicaid were established, “vastly improving the quality of life for older adults. Before these programs were enacted, one-half of America’s seniors were uninsured. The health care coverage provided by Medicare and Medicaid has meant better health, longer lives, and less financial strain for older people.” And in 2010, “Medicare is the largest source of health coverage in the nation, covering 47 million older adults and people with disabilities.”

Download LCAO Medicare Medicaid Anniversary Statement (July 30, 2010)

Congress Delivers President Obama a 'Doc Fix' Bill

 After realizing that combining the 'Doc Fix' provision with a jobs creation package was not politically feasible, House Democrats promptly passed a six-month solution to the ongoing cuts in Medicare reimbursement rates to physicians. 

 

The temporary fix passed the House late Thursday night by a vote of 415-1 The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services had already started to process Medicare claims at the 21%-lower rate, causing severe financial damage to medical practices nationally.  All prior claims will be resubmitted and paid at the new reimbursement rates.  Additionally, the bill allows for a 2.2% raise for physician reimbursement rates, a critical measure that will prevent Medicare beneficiaries from losing their doctors. 

 

Despite this small-scale victory, there were no celebrations on Capitol Hill, as the same problem is on the verge of occurring yet again.  In December, Medicare physicians are scheduled to face a 23% cut in reimbursement rates, increasing up to 30% by January.  Policy experts, Medicare beneficiaries, and doctors alike are grateful for the fix, but believe that a permanent solution must be implemented. 

 

"The Alliance is pleased that Congress has put politics aside in order to protect the quality of care that seniors receive," said Edward F. Coyle, Executive Director of the Alliance.  "We hope that during the next six-months, Congress will be able pass a permanent solution to this recurring problem, and we still hope for a jobs and economic relief package.” 

 

Congressional leadership has not yet indicated when or if they plan to take up a permanent fix to the Medicare payment issue, but they are likely to do so soon given the intense level of criticism that they recently experienced.  For more information on this matter please see the following article: http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/PHY-253019/House-Okays-Doc-Fix-Bill-Sent-to-White-House-for-Signature. 

 

Alliance Continues Efforts to Explain Health Law to Seniors

Yesterday, the Alliance for Retired Americans co-sponsored a call for seniors with a variety of organizations including the DNC Seniors Coordinating Council.  The call was part of the Obama administration’s national campaign to clarify to seniors what specific benefits they can gain from the new health law. 

Tim Kaine, DNC Chairman and Steve Regenstreif, head of the DNC Seniors Coordinating Council, hosted the call. In his opening remarks, Chairman Kaine emphasized that President Obama is very committed to ensuring that seniors fully understand the health law.  Kaine cited the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services brochure detailing what the health reform will mean for seniors as one of the many efforts that the Obama administration has done in order to fulfill their pledge to educate seniors. 

Polls in the past couple of weeks have indicated that Americans want to give the new health care law a chance, suggesting that the administration’s health reform clarification campaign is working.

Despite the aggressive effort to explain the influx of benefits that seniors will receive from the health law, Regenstreif reminded listeners that the battle to keep the reforms in place wages on do to the Republican’s repeal strategy.  Both of the hosts said the best way to combat the Republican repeal effort is to inform people about the law, especially groups like seniors who stand to receive significant tangible benefits such as the $250 rebate checks.  Chairman Kaine expressed his gratitude to seniors for their unprecedented levels of activism in states like Florida, Nevada, and Pennsylvania, where Republican candidates have expressed their beliefs in privatizing Social Security.

The majority of the call time was devoted to listeners with questions about the new health law.  A former Connecticut public employee asked about a rumor floating around that the new health law will force public service retirees off their state and city funded pension plans.  Immediately after the question was asked, Kaine assured all the listeners that there is nothing in the enacted health law that will either alter and/or jeopardize state or city retirement plans.  [It is important to note that many state and local governments are in the midst of a budget crisis and therefore may be cutting back on pension packages, but that is irrelevant to the health reform law, as it does not pertain to such problems.]

Once of the final questions came from a woman wondering what effect the cuts in subsidies to Medicare Advantage plans will have on seniors.  The question allowed Chairman Kaine to address the reoccurring theme of these informational forums; the health reform law will improve the overall quality of care that seniors and all Americans receive.  Under the current system, insurance companies that offer Medicare advantage plans receive outrageously high subsidies that go to profits and executive salaries, not to medical care. 

Kaine noted that the savings generated from scaling back the subsidies will fund initiatives to close the donut hole, make preventative care cheaper, and prevent fraud/abuse. Upon receiving the answer to their respective questions, a tone of reassurance echoed amongst the participants, hinting that the national consensus is forming in favor of the health law.

Alliance Joins Three Senators in Announcing Doughnut Hole Rebate Checks

Alliance President Barbara J. Easterling and Stella Johnson, an Alliance member and retired Washington, D.C. school teacher, joined Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus (MT), Sen. Jeff Bingaman (NM), and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (RI), at a Capitol Hill press conference on Thursday to discuss how America’s seniors will benefit from health care reform.  The event purposely coincided with the day the first wave of rebate checks to help close the Medicare Part D doughnut hole today were being mailed. Almost 3.8 million American seniors are affected by the doughnut hole every year. 

Also on Thursday, Colorado State Democratic Party Chair Pat Waak met with Colorado Alliance members in Denver to promote the mailing of the $250 rebate checks. Colorado Alliance President Vivian Stovall spoke about Alliance initiatives and United Steel Workers (USW) activist Deb Kolp shared her father's doughnut hole story.

Colorado Dems promote Medicare rebates - Denver Post

Seniors first to benefit from new health law with $250 rebate checks - SC Prog Blog

Health Reform and the Economy by the Numbers - Center for American Progress

Conference Call With Alliance Director Helps Clarify Health Law To The Press

This past Thursday (June 10th), Edward Coyle, Executive Director of the Alliance for Retired Americans, Tim Kaine, Chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), and Steve Regenstreif, DNC Seniors Council Chair & AFSCME Director of Retiree Programs, participated in a conference call with national and regional press in order to explain the benefits that seniors will receive under the new health care law.  One of the major benefits that Chairman Kaine emphasized was that seniors who fall into the Medicare Part D donut hole coverage gap are currently in the midst of receiving a $250 rebate check to help them afford their perspiration drugs. By the end of the year, some three million seniors are expected to have received a rebate check. 

By 2020, Kaine assured, the coverage gap, or “Donut Hole,” will be eradicated, and seniors will no longer have to worry about paying for the entirety of their prescription drug costs.  In order to help phase in the elimination of the donut hole, seniors get the rebate checks this year and a 50 percent discount on brand name drugs next year. The new health law also eliminates co-pays for preventive care, guarantees seniors a free check up under Medicare, offers better coordination to prevent readmission to hospitals, and protects seniors against fraud and abuse.
 
Unfortunately, despite many benefits, Republicans have launched an effort to repeal and replace portions of the enacted law.  Regenstreif reminded listeners that, though the health care reform bill has passed Congress, the fight to keep the reforms in place is far from being over.  In fact, as Coyle pointed out, the very essence of the call was ironic since many have spent the last couple of years combating the misinformation that the Republicans have been telling seniors about the law and now seniors are the first to receive the tangible benefits of the bill.  Regenstreif mentioned that the Republican alternative plan offers no relief to seniors who fall into the donut hole, provides no free check ups to Medicare beneficiaries, and it advocates for a voucher program that will not provide seniors with the quality of care that they deserve. 

Despite the concerns over the Republican opposition, Coyle assured the listeners that as seniors continue to pay more attention to the implementation process and continue to receive their benefits, many will start becoming supportive of the bill.  Coyle also noted that the repeal strategy is counterintuitive since most polls suggest that Americans want to give the new health care law a chance.  While concluding however, Chairman Kaine stated that the DNC is taking the Republican’s repeal effort very seriously and will do all that it can to prevent it in order to protect the critical benefits that the reform bill offers to seniors and all Americans.

You're Invited to Ask the President Health Care Questions on Tuesday!

At a special event on Tuesday, June 8, Alliance members are invited to ask the President health care questions by telephone!

A few members of the Alliance will be attending the event - which will include information on benefits for seniors under the new health care law - live, in Wheaton, Maryland. Other members are invited to ask the President questions by phone.

This one-time, national "tele-town hall" can also be seen and heard on television by watching C-SPAN, or on-line via web streaming at www.healthreform.gov.

If you live in one of the following communities and would like to join a local watch party, please contact us at:

ARAORGANIZING@retiredamericans.org

Iowa - Dubuque, Des Moines, Waterloo
Missouri - St. Louis
New Hampshire - Nashua, Manchester
New Mexico - Albuquerque
North Carolina - Raleigh
Ohio - Ashtabula
South Carolina - Columbia

In addition, several of our allied unions are sponsoring events. Currently, we are aware of an
AFT-sponsored event in Latham, NY and an event in Las Vegas sponsored by IUPAT. A number of other unions will be sponsoring events, and a more complete list will be available later today.

The live event is scheduled to begin at 11:15 AM on Tuesday and will last one hour.

The President will also be joined by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius. Topics to be covered will include the $250 checks for seniors caught in the Medicare prescription drug "doughnut hole" coverage gap, and efforts to combat scams associated with those checks.

The Hill: Obama holding healthcare town hall next week

New York Times, The Caucus blog: Obama Will Tout Medicare Rebates

Putting in the time to make health reform a success for seniors

Watch this video/slideshow highlighting Alliance members from DC, CT, FL, IA, MD, MO, NC, NH, NM, & TX who worked hard to pass a health reform bill that would close the donut hole; cover preventive services; cover early retirees and more. Thanks to them for reaching out and fighting to get the job done.

 

Health Care Reform: What’s in it for Seniors

The Senate-passed health care reform bill dramatically cleared the House on a 219-212 vote last Sunday evening, and President Obama signed it into law on Tuesday.  More details on the vote here. 

The reform phases out the doughnut hole gap in prescription drug coverage, providing a $250 rebate in 2010 for seniors who fall into the hole.  Beginning in 2011, seniors will receive a 50% discount on their prescription drugs when they fall into the doughnut hole, and by 2020 the doughnut hole will be completely eliminated.  Many seniors like Priscilla King of New Hampshire, Stella Johnson of Washington D.C. and Bob Meeks of Florida are relieved that their work to close the doughnut hole finally paid off.

In summary, the bill does the following:
· Covers preventive services; in 2011, seniors in Medicare will receive free annual check-ups with no co-payments for mammograms, colonoscopies and other preventive screenings;
· Supports early retiree coverage, providing financial assistance to employer health plans that cover early retirees;
· Encourages doctors to coordinate care and improve quality, creating incentives for providers to work together and reduce wasteful care like repeated tests;
· Removes obstacles to changing Part D prescription drug plans, allowing Part D enrollees to make a mid-year change in their enrollment if their plan makes an unexpected change;
· Expands the Medicare Part D low-income subsidy, which will significantly help struggling seniors afford their health care costs;
· Enacts the CLASS Act, creating a new, voluntary long term care insurance plan;
· Enacts the Elder Justice Act, authorizing new criminal background checks on long-term care workers who have access to residents or patients; and
· Eliminates wasteful overpayments to Medicare Advantage plans while creating incentives for coordinated, high quality care across the health care spectrum, extending the solvency of the Medicare Trust Fund by 9 years and improving Medicare for generations to come. 

In the next six months, the following measures go into effect:
· Provides a $5 billion reinsurance fund to help employers who provide health benefits to early retirees ages 55 to 64 (goes into effect in 90 days);
· Eliminates pre-existing conditions for non-dependent children up to age 26;
· Prohibits insurers from placing lifetime limits on coverage;
· Restricts new plans’ annual limits on coverage;
· Provides $5 billion to states to create a high risk insurance pool for those denied insurance due to pre-existing conditions and who have been without insurance for 6 months;
· Prohibits rescission, or dropping coverage, when individuals become sick;
· Creates a public health and wellness fund and requires new private insurance plans to offer preventive services without co-payments;
· Provides up to 35 % tax credits to small business that offer health care coverage; and
· Creates a new and independent health insurance appeals process for consumers

In addition to misinformation about seniors & health reform, misinformation also spread on how the health care reform will affect veterans’ care.  The health care bill provides protections for veterans and the health care they have earned through their service.  President Obama has strongly supported a 16% budget increase in 2010 for the Department of Veterans Affairs, the largest in over 30 years.  TRICARE, the U.S. Department of Defense’s military health care program, will continue to be available for all eligible servicemen and women, and their families.

Materials explaining how seniors benefit from the new health reform bill

Please download these useful fact sheets & share with others!

Download Fact Sheet Health Care and Seniors March 2010

Download Fact Sheet Health Care Provisions Effective Dates