The Road We've Traveled

Alliance for Retired Americans Friday Alert March 16, 2012 edition

Health Care Reform Marks its Two-Year Anniversary
Next week – March 23 - marks two years since President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act (ACA) into law and made health care reform a reality. The Alliance is planning almost 30 events across the country to commemorate the anniversary - and the benefits for seniors that come with it. The events are planned for Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas,

Washington and Wisconsin and range from educational forums with experts from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to protests at the offices of Members of Congress who opposed this law. While the whole week will celebrate the anniversary, Monday, March 19 is a day for all seniors to celebrate the ways that the ACA is improving their own lives.

If you would like to participate in an anniversary event, please use the contact information at: http://bit.ly/FO8HSE. “When we hear people bad-mouth the new health law by derisively calling it ‘Obamacare,’ say, ‘Damn right! Obama cares for seniors – that is why his new law is closing the doughnut hole, lowering the cost of prescription drug costs, and helping seniors better afford their doctor visits and medical tests,’” said Edward F. Coyle, Executive Director of the Alliance.

On March 26th through March 28th, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on the constitutionality of the minimum coverage provision and other components of the Affordable Care Act. “Congress knew what it was doing when it wrote the law. Several lower-court judges, including many conservatives, have found health care reform to be constitutional,” said Mr. Coyle.

Washington Post Finds Conservative Seniors Group “60 Plus” Less Than Honest
The 60 Plus Association, a conservative seniors group, is spending $3.5 million on television advertisements accusing five Democratic senators of voting to ration Medicare services. The ads feature musician Pat Boone. Historically, many critics have referred to “60 Plus” as a front group for the pharmaceutical industry. The group’s targets are potentially vulnerable Democrats in states with large populations of senior citizens: Sens. Bill Nelson (Fla.), Jon Tester (Mont.), Claire McCaskill (Mo.), Debbie Stabenow (Mich.) and Sherrod Brown (Ohio). “The Washington Post refers to the ads as, ‘More “Mediscare” Hooey, GOP Version,’ and I agree wholeheartedly,” said Barbara J. Easterling, President of the Alliance.

Rep. Paul Ryan’s Plan to Cut Spending Faces a Logic Test – and Fails
The Center for American Progress writes that Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) is targeting seniors as he purports to help lower-income households; his proposals include slashing $771 billion from Medicaid over ten years. To see how Ryan, Chairman of the House Budget Committee, plans to take from seniors , poor children, and people with disabilities to give to the wealthy, go to http://bit.ly/wCa0bx.

Romney: No Medicare for Me
Mitt Romney, a leading candidate to secure the Republican nomination for President, turned 65 on Monday, making him eligible for Medicare. But his campaign said that he will not enroll in it, choosing instead to keep his private insurance. “Mitt Romney can afford private insurance, but for millions of seniors, Medicare is the only way they can afford to see a doctor and fill a prescription,” said Ruben Burks, Secretary-Treasurer of the Alliance. “He can do what he wants with his own health care, but he shouldn’t try to take Medicare away from those whose lives depend on it.”

Voter ID Laws Face Legal, Public Relations Hurdles in Texas, Wisc., and Penn.
The Obama administration on Monday blocked a new law in Texas requiring voters to show photo identification before they can cast a ballot, citing a concern that it could harm Hispanic voters who lack such documents. The Justice Department said that the requirements for potential voters in Texas could lead to them paying high fees for copies of legal documents such as birth certificates. Additionally, nearly one-third of the counties in the state do not have offices where potential voters can obtain a driver's license or state identification card, and some residents live more than 100 miles away from such locations, the Justice Department said.

A Dane County, Wisconsin judge also struck down that state's new voter ID law on Monday - the second judge in Wisconsin in a week to block the requirement that voters show photo identification at the polls. The latest ruling goes further than the one issued last week, because it permanently invalidates the law for violating the state constitution.

In addition, a new voter ID law in Pennsylvania is drawing flak because it wouldn't allow disabled veterans to use a photo ID issued by the Veterans Administration if it is not stamped with an expiration date (http://bit.ly/w52kkS). Governor Tom Corbett (R) signed the bill into law on Wednesday; a legal challenge looms.

Alliance Acts to Improve Transportation and Housing
Smiling transit workers and retirees greeted commuters on Tuesday morning as they emerged from Metro stations in downtown Washington, D.C., drawing attention to potential problems related to proposed cuts in transportation spending. A horse and buggy clip-clopped down the city streets nearby, symbolizing a past the transit workers warn may become the future if cuts in funding for mass transit across the country take effect. The cuts range from fare increases in metro D.C. to reduced routes, 25 percent fare increases and layoffs in Detroit. To see photos from the event, including Maryland/DC Alliance President Frank Stella, go to http://tbd.ly/wndOcS. The Amalgamated Transit Union organized the event.

Mr. Coyle and Ms. Easterling were in Lake Buena Vista, Florida on Saturday for the Board of Directors Meeting of the Elderly Housing Development & Operations Corporation.

Alliance Members in the South, Northeast Can Still Register for Regional Meetings
While the Alliance’s regional meetings in the West and Midwest have already taken place, it is not too late to register for the Southern Regional Meeting in Orlando that begins on April 30, or the Northeast Regional Meeting, which begins in Philadelphia on May 14. For more information, or to register, go to http://www.retiredamericans.org/state-by-state/2012_Regional_Meetings.


Download a printable version of this document http://bit.ly/zyfMQE.

Stinking Basketball

Elaine, it's supper time.
Elaine, it's time for dinner.
Elaine!
Elaine!!
Stinking basketball!

Health Care Reform At-A-Glance

Strengthen Medicare by slowing growth in spending

• Adds 7 years of solvency of the Medicare Trust Fund, from current 2017 to about 2024.
• Saves about $450 billion in the first decade, mostly through agreed upon reductions in payment rates for inpatient hospitals, long-term care hospitals, home health services, skilled nursing facilities, and other providers, as well as reduced subsidies to private Medicare Advantage plans.
 • Slows Medicare growth by about 2 percent per capita, annually. Medicare will still be growing faster than the overall economy.
• The Medicare Part B premium for 2012 rose significantly less than projected to $99.90 per month. In addition, the Part B annual deductible decreased by $22 from $162 to $140.

Closes the donut hole in the Part D prescription drug program

• Provided a $250 rebate in 2010 for any senior who fell into the hole, regardless of their income — even those who entered the coverage gap by as little as one dollar received a check for the full $250.
• Provides a 50 percent discount for brand name drugs beginning in 2011 for seniors in the donut hole, regardless of income.
• Phases in additional discounts for both brand name and generic drugs until seniors’ copayments are reduced to 25 percent by 2020, regardless of income.
• Saves the typical senior who hits the donut hole $250 in 2010, over $600 in 2011, and over $3,000 by 2020.
• Counts both the seniors’ out-of-pocket spending and the drug company discount as “True Outof- Pocket Costs”, helping seniors reach the catastrophic threshold more quickly.
Slows the increase in the dollar amount where catastrophic coverage of drug costs begins.
Improves prescription drug coverage for low-income seniors

• Expands access to plans with zero premiums for low-income seniors.
• Reduces the number of seniors required to change plans each year to maintain their zero premiums.
• Allows widows and widowers to more easily retain their low-income eligibility.
• Improves outreach and information for low-income seniors and other Part D enrollees.
• Eliminates co-payments for seniors in home- and community-based settings that are eligible for both Medicaid and Medicare.

Improves the Part D program for all seniors

• Improves seniors’ access to important classes of drugs.
• Creates new penalties for false or misleading marketing or enrollment of individuals in Part D plans.

Improves preventive health care services for seniors

• Eliminates cost-sharing for proven preventive services.
Provides a comprehensive annual wellness visit and personalized prevention plan.

Improves overall health care services for seniors

• Improves seniors’ access to primary care by providing bonus payments to primary care providers.
• Establishes initiatives to encourage the development of a more efficient health care delivery, especially for seniors with multiple chronic conditions.
• Provides transition services to high-risk Medicare beneficiaries when they are discharged from the hospital.
• Encourages hospitals to reduce avoidable readmissions and hospital-acquired infections.
• Increases funds for Community Health Centers (especially critical to minorities) to allow for nearly a doubling of the number of patients seen over the next 5 years.
• Establishes a new Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation to test new ways of reducing costs while improving the quality of health care.
Helps seniors living in rural areas by making sure their physicians are adequately paid.

Makes necessary changes to Medicare Advantage plans

• Phases down subsidies for Medicare Advantage plans over time so that, on average, plans will ultimately receive payments comparable to what it would cost traditional Medicare to cover the same seniors.
 • Applies savings to improve Medicare for all seniors.
• Reduces Part B premiums for all beneficiaries.
• Provides bonus payments to Medicare Advantage plans providing high-quality care.
• Prohibits Medicare Advantage plans from charging seniors more than traditional Medicare for services such as chemotherapy administration, skilled nursing home care, and other specialized services.
• Requires all Medicare Advantage plans to spend at least 85 percent of revenue on senior care rather than profits or overhead, beginning in 2014.

Expands protections for vulnerable seniors

• Requires disclosure of information about nursing facilities ownership, accountability requirements and expenditures.
• Requires publishing standardized information on a website so Medicare enrollees can compare facilities.
• Provides for background checks of employees with direct access to patients of long-term care facilities or providers.
• Enacts the Elder Justice Act to help prevent and eliminate elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

Cracks down on Medicare fraud

• Includes new resources and tools to protect taxpayer dollars by preventing fraud in Medicare and Medicaid.
• Allows the Department of Health and Human Services to share IRS data to help screen and identify fraudulent providers.
Strengthens oversight of Durable Medical Equipment providers.
• Increases overall funding for the Health Care Fraud & Abuse Control Fund to $700 million over the next decade.

Creates Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB)

• Establishes IPAB and requires the Board to propose recommendations for reducing Medicare spending, while maintaining quality and access, if Medicare per capita growth rates exceed targets, beginning in January 2014.
• Requires IPAB to submit an advisory report for years it does not submit a proposal.
• Requires proposals to be automatically implemented unless Congress enacts alternative proposals that achieve the same savings, or unless the Secretary implemented recommendations in the prior year.
• Prohibits IPAB from recommending changes that would ration care or modify benefits, eligibility, premiums, or taxes.
• Exempts certain providers, such as hospitals, from recommendations prior to 2019.
• Requires IPAB to submit recommendations every two years on slowing the growth in national health expenditures, beginning 2015.
• Requires the Board to submit an annual report on system-wide health care costs, access, utilization, and quality of care, beginning July 1, 2014.

Improves health coverage for those ages 50 - 64

• Creates a temporary reinsurance pool (until the State Exchanges are available in 2014) to help offset the costs of expensive health claims for employers providing health benefits for retirees aged 55-64.
 • Postpones elimination of deduction for employers receiving a subsidy for maintaining a prescription drug plan for their Medicare Part D eligible retirees until 2013.
• Limits age rating of premiums to no more than 3:1.
• Provides higher thresholds for the excise tax applying to high cost employer provided plans for retirees (e.g. limits of $10,200 for single coverage and $27,500 for family coverage before tax applies are increased to $11,850 and $30,950 respectively for retirees.) The dollar thresholds are indexed with inflation, and employers with higher costs due to the age demographics of their employees may use national data to value their coverage

Expands benefits for Long-Term Care

• Creates a new, voluntary self-funded long-term care insurance program, provided through the workplace, to help people with severe disabilities remain in their homes and communities (CLASS Act). Implementation of this program is on hold.

Provides incentives to expand the health care workforce

• Invests in training programs to increase the number of primary care doctors, nurses, and public health professionals.
• Expands funding for scholarships, loan repayments, and tax incentives for primary care practitioners working in underserved areas.

Expands income-related provisions in Medicare

• Freezes the threshold for “means tested” (i.e. based on income) Medicare Part B premiums through 2019; the threshold will no longer move up with inflation.

• Requires higher Medicare Part D premiums for beneficiaries with incomes above $85,000 for individuals and $170,000 for couples, similar to Part B.

Increases Medicare taxes for high-income individuals

• Increases the Medicare payroll tax by 0.9 percent for individuals earning over $200,000 ($250,000 for those who are married and file a joint return) beginning in 2013. The law also applies the Medicare tax to  some investment income for the first time. (Income from retirement plans, such as pensions, 401(K), and IRAs, is not included.) The money raised by the additional tax on wages will be credited to the Medicare Part A Trust Fund that pays hospital costs.

Miscellaneous

• Allows individuals over age 65 to continue claiming the itemized deduction for medical expenses at 7.5 percent of adjusted gross income through 2016. The floor then rises to 10 percent thereafter (floor rises to 10 percent for those under age 65 beginning in 2013).

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Please share this important benefit information with a friend.
For additional copies of our handouts, please call 1-800-966-1935, or go online to
www.patientsaware.org to forward this to a friend electronically.

Health Care Reform Timeline

2010
• $250 to every senior entering the donut hole (2010 only)
• Temporary high-risk insurance pool for early retirees
• Background checks on long-term care employees
• Nursing homes required to disclose ownership information
• Student loan programs to boost primary care workforce
Initiatives to root out waste, fraud, and abuse

2011
• Part D prescription drug discounts for seniors in donut hole (50 percent for brand-name drugs and 7 percent for generics)
• Free annual wellness visits and personalized prevention plans
• Preventive care deductibles and copayments eliminated
• Medicare Advantage plan reimbursements frozen
• Medicare Advantage plans prohibited from charging enrollees more than traditional Medicare for chemotherapy administration, skilled nursing home care, and other specialized services
• Creation of new Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center
• Means-tested Part D premiums begin; Part B means-tested income thresholds frozen for 10 years
• 10% bonus payments to Medicare primary care practitioners
• New, voluntary long-term care insurance program (CLASS ACT). Implementation of this program is on hold.

2012
• Phase-down of Medicare Advantage plan subsidies
• Bonus payments to high-quality Medicare Advantage plans
• Incentives for hospitals to reduce preventable readmissions
• Data collection and reporting improvements to CMS’ Nursing Home Compare (NHC) Website

Elder Justice Coordinating Council required to make recommendations to the Secretary of Health and Human Services on the coordination of federal, state, local and private agencies’/entities’ activities relating to elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation

2013
• Pilot program to test bundled payments for a single episode of care
• Double-deduction for employer Part D subsidies eliminated
• Additional hospital insurance tax for high-income workers
• Nursing homes required to have effective compliance and ethics programs

2014 and beyond
• Part D donut hole phases down to complete closure by 2020
• Medicare Advantage plans must limit profits and expenses to 15 percent of Medicare payments
• Independent Payment Advisory Board established

                                                                Get the Word Out

Please share this important benefit information with a friend.

For additional copies of our handouts, please call 1-800-966-1935, or go online to www.patientsaware.org to forward this to a friend electronically.

Health Care Improvements for 50-64 Year Olds

The new health care reform law includes provisions that will help older Americans who are not yet eligible for Medicare have access to affordable health insurance coverage. In addition, it includes provisions to help employers with the costs of providing coverage to early-retirees and older workers.

Limiting Aging Rating of Health Insurance Premiums

The health care reform law establishes a 3:1 ratio for setting health insurance premiums based on age. Currently, older Americans buying health insurance in the individual or small group markets are likely to be charged much more than three times the cost for a younger person.

Reforming Private Insurance for All

The health care reform law includes many reforms to private health insurance that are benefiting Americans of all ages, including older Americans. These reforms include prohibiting coverage denials for preexisting conditions, banning caps on lifetime coverage, ending annual limits on coverage, and prohibiting insurers from dropping coverage when someone is sick. In addition, the law requires that parents be allowed to keep their unmarried adult children on their family health insurance plan until age 26.

Providing Immediate Assistance through a High-Risk Pool

The law establishes a temporary national high-risk pool to provide health coverage to individuals with pre-existing medical conditions who have been uninsured for at least six months. Premiums are subsidized and cost-sharing is limited.

Providing Affordable Private Insurance Choices through Exchanges

A major provision of the health care reform law is to create state-based American Health Benefit Exchanges through which individuals can purchase coverage beginning in 2014. Subsidies will be available to help individuals and families with income between 133- 400 percent of the federal poverty level afford insurance. U.S. citizens and legal residents will be required to have qualifying health care coverage individually or through an employer.

Creating a Program to Help Employers Cover Retirees Age 55-64

The health care reform law creates a temporary $5 billion reinsurance program for employers providing health insurance coverage to retirees over age 55 who are not eligible for Medicare. The program, which is designed to encourage former employers to maintain retiree health care coverage, reimburses employers or insurers for 80 percent of retiree claims between $15,000 and $90,000. Payments from the reinsurance program are used to lower the costs for enrollees in the employer plan.

Increasing the Thresholds for the Excise Tax Based on Age

The health care reform law imposes an excise tax on high-cost insurance plans beginning in 2018. However, the threshold amounts for imposing the tax will be increased for retired individuals age 55 and older who are not eligible for Medicare, and they will also be increased for employers who may have higher health care costs because of the age or gender of their workers. This will make it less expensive for employers with an older workforce to continue providing health insurance.

                                                                  Get the Word Out

Please share this important benefit information with a friend.

For additional copies of our handouts, please call 1-800-966-1935, or go online to www.patientsaware.org to forward this to a friend electronically.

Alliance for Retired Americans Friday Alert March 9, 2012 edition

Romney Wins Six States on Super Tuesday, but Questions Remain

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney won six of the ten states that voted on Tuesday in the race to become the Republican nominee for President. Romney won Ohio, Virginia, Alaska, Massachusetts, Vermont and Idaho, but political analysts focused sharply on his slim margin of victory, 38% - 37%, over the second-place finisher in Ohio, former Sen. Rick Santorum (PA). Santorum won Tennessee, Oklahoma, and North Dakota, while former House Speaker Newt Gingrich won his home state of Georgia. Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) did not win in any of the states.

Romney still faces heat over his health care stance during a campaign stop in Ohio on Monday. Supporters and critics alike slam Romney for his muddy explanations on the differences between his 2006 state-mandated health care reform as governor of Massachusetts and President Obama’s 2010 health care overhaul. A resurfacing of his 2009 op-ed article in USA Today highlighted many key benefits of his state plan that would benefit citizens at the federal level. To access the 2009 op-ed, go to http://bit.ly/wVPS5d.

According to Reuters (http://reut.rs/zk0Xr6), labor concerns in Ohio have created a hostile political climate in a state that could lead to a small advantage for President Obama and the Democrats going into the 2012 campaign season. After voters overturned Republican Gov. John Kasich’s law attempting to limit collective bargaining rights for unions, Ohio Democrats have seen increased support from party supporters as well as from some Republicans who disagree with some of the proposed social and economic policies, similar to the “Reagan Democrats” of the 1980s.

Midwest RegionalMeeting FocusesonThreat to Voting, Collective Bargaining Rights

Threats to voting rights, collective bargaining rights and retiree benefits in Wisconsin and across the Midwest were a major topic of a 3-day training session for 150 Alliance members in Milwaukee this week. Guest speakers and workshops educated retirees on the latest developments - as well as media relations and organizing - needed for success in the 2012 elections that are now eight months away.

The AFL-CIO’s Julie Greene gave everyone state-specific fact sheets on voter changes. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said that Wisconsin's collective bargaining law and voter law changes are bad for democracy, which he said should be “the ultimate participatory sport.”

Wisconsin AFL-CIO President Phil Neuenfeldt gave a fiery report of Wisconsin protests and the upcoming recall elections of Governor Scott Walker and four Republican state senators. He praised retirees for standing side-by-side with workers and students. Matt Rothschild, editor & publisher of Progressive magazine, said Walker badly misjudged the power and popularity of labor in Wisconsin, as well as the state's long progressive tradition. Bruce Colburn, Director of the Health Care Reform Campaign at SEIU, said that labor has been succeeding in making the statewide debate about the future of the middle class. Other speakers, including Barbara J. Easterling, President of the Alliance; Ruben Burks, Secretary-Treasurer; and Richard Fiesta, Director of the Department of Government and Political Affairs, who gave an overview of the 2012 Congressional races in the Midwest, were also well-received. “I want to thank Wisconsin Alliance President Leon Burzynski for being such a gracious host for this week,” said Ms. Easterling.

Elected to the Regional Board from the Midwest were: Sam Burnett of Ohio; Larry Malone of Missouri; Tim Foley of Michigan; and Don Brown of Iowa. Photos from the Midwestern conference are available at http://bit.ly/ACmBQX.

Photos of the Western Regional conference are available at http://bit.ly/zfPxVh. Also, last week’s Friday Alert inadvertently listed Mark Goodman of Colorado as having been elected to the Western Regional board. It was Mack Goodman of Colorado who was elected.

Affordable Senior Health Insurance to Supplement Medicare

Affordable insurance supplemental to Medicare is available through the Retiree Health Plan endorsed by the Alliance for union retirees. The Open Enrollment period is currently in effect through April 30, 2012! During this period, these Medicare-eligible retirees and their spouses are guaranteed acceptance with no waiting periods, regardless of preexisting health conditions. If you have questions or would like to enroll in the program, please call 1-866-298-9117. You can also visit www.araretireehealth.com to get more information.

State Chapter Report: California and Pennsylvania

California Alliance members held an informational picket and rally in Oakland on Tuesday to challenge the proposals that Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson were presenting later that evening regarding the country’s deficit and their plans to address it. Bowles and Simpson were the two co-chairs of the President’s Deficit Commission, which was unable to get the votes they needed to send their recommendations to Congress at the end of 2010. Now they are conducting a national speaking tour to promote their proposals and encourage their adoption by Congress – proposals that include deep changes to Social Security, such as raising the retirement age, taxing benefits, and privatizing the program. They are also proposing massive cuts to Medicare and Medicaid.

In Harrisburg on Monday, Pennsylvania Alliance members attended their third “Protect Our Vote Coalition” press conference to stop severe Voter Identification rules from becoming law in the state. Such changes would affect seniors and the disabled disproportionately, by making it more difficult to cast a ballot.

White House Details How Health Care Reform Helps Every State

The White House has released data detailing how the Affordable Care Act – health care reform - helps residents of every state. To see how your state benefits, go to http://1.usa.gov/yuI1gu.

Rep. Donald Payne Dies; Was a Strong Advocate for Seniors

Rep. Donald Payne (D-NJ) has died following a months-long fight with colon cancer, his family announced on Tuesday. The first African-American to represent New Jersey in Congress, he was 77. “Rep. Payne will be missed in Congress for both his leadership and his pro-retiree voting record,” said Mr. Burks. Rep. Payne had a 99% lifetime voting record with the Alliance.


Download a printable version of this document http://bit.ly/zS7NRW.

The Medicare Advantage Makeover

The new health care law includes important provisions to reduce wasteful Medicare spending. This will strengthen the solvency of the Medicare program and reduce the rate of increase in Part B premiums for all Medicare beneficiaries. The law also seeks to improve the care provided to Medicare Advantage enrollees and to limit their out-of- pocket costs.

Private Medicare Advantage (MA) plans were being paid on average 13 percent more per enrollee than it cost to provide comparable care in traditional Medicare. These subsidies —which cost over $11 billion in 2009 — are paid for by taxpayers and by all beneficiaries, whether or not they are enrolled in a private plan.

Prior to the enactment of the Affordable Care Act, it is estimated that every couple receiving Medicare, including the 75 percent in traditional Medicare, was paying about $90 in additional Part B premiums this year to subsidize those in the private MA plans.

The health care reform law phases down subsidies for MA plans over time so that on average plans will ultimately receive payments comparable to what it would cost traditional Medicare to cover the same seniors. These savings will be used to improve Medicare for everyone by improving prescription drug coverage — i.e., closing the donut hole — and covering preventive services with no out-of-pocket costs for beneficiaries.

Limiting Out-of-Pocket Costs for Medicare Advantage Enrollees

Health care reform does not eliminate Medicare Advantage plans or reduce the extra benefits they provide.

It is up to each private insurer to decide what extra benefits to offer; they are required to offer all benefits covered by traditional Medicare.

The health care reform law prohibits Medicare Advantage plans from charging seniors more than traditional Medicare for services such as chemotherapy administration, skilled nursing home care, and other specialized services.

Often beneficiaries do not realize what their costs will be for these services until they need them.

Care vs. Profits

Health care reform requires Medicare Advantage plans to spend at least 85 percent of their revenue on senior care rather than profits or overhead, beginning in 2014.

Plans that do not spend at least 85 percent of their revenue on patient care will be required to return money to the government and could be suspended or terminated from the program if their spending on patient care remains below 85 percent for two or more years.

Bonus Payments for
Improving Care

Health care reform creates an incentive system to increase payments by at least five percent to plans that provide high quality care.

Get the Word Out

Please share this important benefit information with a friend.

For additional copies of our handouts, please call 1-800-966-1935, or go
online to www.patientsaware.org to forward this to a friend electronically.

USW Endorses Barack Obama for Re-election as President

(Pittsburgh, Pa.) – The United Steelworkers (USW) International Executive Board today voted unanimously to support President Barack Obama for re-election in November.

“This is the right time to do the right thing for a man who has proved he is right for the job,” said USW International President Leo W. Gerard. “The President has turned around an economy he inherited that was nose-diving towards a depression by focusing on jobs, manufacturing and enforcing U.S. trade laws.

“All of his accomplishments come despite obstructionist right-wingers in Congress beholden to the one percent at the expense of everybody else.”

Beyond fulfilling his commitments to manufacturing and job creation, President Obama succeeded in regulating Wall Street and passing health care reform, Gerard pointed out, noting: “Because of the Affordable Care Act, insurance companies no longer can deny care to those with pre-existing conditions, no longer can drop people when they get sick, and no longer can place lifetime limits on care.”

The USW plans to support the President’s re-election efforts on the ground by mobilizing its members. “We plan to talk directly to our membership about the President’s policies that benefit working American families,” said USW International Secretary-Treasurer Stan Johnson.  “USW activists will also work hard in the fight against right-wing voter suppression campaigns as well as continue to advocate that all workers have a voice in their workplace and the right to bargain collectively,” added Johnson.

President Obama’s achievements in his first term have benefitted USW members who work in a wide range of industries including, steel, aluminum, glass and paper making; auto parts and wind turbine manufacturing; copper mining, tire building, and oil refining. As a result, the leaders of USW local unions across the country have expressed strong support for the President’s re-election.

For example, Rod Nelson, president of USW Local 207L at Cooper Tire in Findlay, Ohio, said he was eager to help the re-election efforts because he strongly believed  President  Obama’s enforcement of  laws against unfair trade has been key in getting many Americans back to work. “The President halted the illegal flood of tire imports from China that was decimating American jobs and American production,” said Nelson. “Our members work hard and play by the rules and with the President leading the way, we have a government willing to stand up to unfair trade practices by foreign countries.”

Similarly, Kevin Jaskie, president of Local 1343 at the Caterpillar plant in South Milwaukee, Wis., said he particularly appreciated the President’s efforts to create an economy built to last. “President Obama is listening to American workers and has defined a vision for an economy that creates jobs and prosperity for the majority, not the 1 percent who have looted the economy,” Brown said. “Strengthening American manufacturing by working to maintain good jobs and creating sustainable, clean-energy jobs for the future is something we all can endorse.”

Rick Galiano, president of USW Local 9305 in Beaver Falls, Pa., agreed with Brown and Nelson that the President’s policies from the stimulus to the auto industry rescue have preserved and created good-paying American jobs. Galiano said of particular note was the Obama administration’s pursuit of a case all the way to the World Trade Organization to end China’s illegal export restrictions on nine raw materials widely used in the steel, aluminum and chemical industries. “To protect its domestic producers while handicapping American manufacturers, the government of China unfairly limited export of these key materials. The Obama administration aggressively pursued a case to stop that. And Obama won.” Galiano said.

Gerard noted that Steelworkers, feeling a debt of gratitude to the President for his policies supporting workers and American manufacturing, will return the favor by helping him secure another four years in office. “He worked for us,” Gerard said, “now we will work to re-elect him.”

The USW represents 850,000 working men and women in the United States and Canada who work mostly in manufacturing, but also in the public sector and in health care and pharmaceuticals. For more, go to: www.usw.org

Q&A on Health Care Reform

Q My out-of-pocket costs are expensive enough as it is. Why should I support cutting Medicare as a part of health care reform?

A Despite the rumors you may have heard, health care reform does not cut Medicare’s traditional, guaranteed benefits. Quite the opposite: the new law explicitly prohibits such benefit cuts. There are significant Medicare savings in the bill, but the money does not go to pay for covering the uninsured — it just looks that way because of our government’s budget and accounting rules.

In fact, the Medicare savings stay in the Medicare program — which is why the Part A Trust Fund will stay solvent at least seven years beyond what we expected before health care reform, and premiums and other out-of-pocket costs will grow more slowly in the future. Most of the savings were voluntarily agreed to by hospitals and other affected provider groups because they believe the additional insured patients and efficiencies included in the law will save them money. They contributed part of these savings back to the Medicare program by agreeing to slower rates of growth in future payments. It also phases down subsidies for private Medicare Advantage plans over time so that, on average, plans will receive payments comparable to what it would cost traditional Medicare to cover the same seniors.

Q Is there anything good for seniors in the law? What’s in it for me?

A Over time, the overwhelming majority of seniors in the United States will have lower out- of-pocket costs and better coverage as a result of the enactment of health care reform. The Medicare Part B premium for 2012 rose significantly less than projected to $99.90 per month. In addition, the Part B annual deductible decreased by $22 from $162 to $140.

The biggest immediate improvement for Medicare is in its drug coverage. The law phases out the donut hole in the Part D prescription drug program. The donut hole is the gap in coverage where seniors continue to pay full premiums, but also pay the cost of their drugs — a gap that does not exist in other health insurance programs. As a first step to help seniors struggling with the high cost of prescription drugs today, anyone who fell into the donut hole in 2010 received a $250 payment from the government. Currently, deep discounts in drug prices are being phased in to close the gap for seniors.

The Affordable Care Act also includes significant benefit improvements to keep seniors healthy by eliminating copayments and deductibles for preventive care and providing coverage for an annual wellness visit and personalized plan.

Finally, many of the payment reforms that will save money for Medicare are also designed to provide better quality health care for seniors. For example, hospitals will be encouraged to implement programs that prevent hospital-acquired infections and unnecessary readmissions, while doctors will receive bonus payments to improve access for seniors. In future years, the entire health care system will be redirected away from a model that pays based on the number of procedures and tests that are ordered and focuses more on rewarding providers based on the quality of the health care they provide.

Q I still don’t understand how you can cut Medicare by over $400 billion and not hurt seniors. Where does the money come from?

A Most of the savings come from reducing the annual increase in Medicare payments to hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and home health agencies. They will continue to get larger payments every year; those payments will simply get smaller inflation increases in the future. Hospitals will also see gradual reductions in the payments they receive to help cover the cost of uncompensated care because they will have fewer uninsured patients to treat.

Additional savings come from bringing Medicare Advantage payments in line with traditional Medicare. Medicare Advantage is the privatized portion of Medicare. In order to entice private insurers to cover seniors, Congress has been subsidizing these plans — at a cost of $11 billion in 2009 alone. This raises the government’s costs and shortens the solvency of the Part A Trust Fund. Seniors are also subsidizing these plans through higher Part B premiums whether they are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan or not.

The new law does not cut the benefits Medicare Advantage plans offer — it slowly reduces reimbursements to the private insurance plans over time so they are closer to the amounts traditional Medicare would pay to cover the same seniors. The new law also includes significant new protections for those enrolled in the plans.

Finally, the new law strengthens efforts to reduce waste and fraud in the Medicare program, and puts in place the building blocks for significant new cost savings in the future through changes in our health care delivery system.

While the dollar value of these savings is a lot of money, it’s important to remember it represents just a small percentage of Medicare spending. The government is projected to spend about $6 trillion on Medicare during the next decade. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has estimated the savings in the new law will trim the growth of Medicare spending by about 2 percent a year.

Q So how does all this get paid for? I don’t want to leave the bill to my grandchildren.

A The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that the combination of Medicare savings and increased revenues in the bill reduces the deficit, both over the first ten years as well as over the longer term. And this estimate uses extremely conservative cost estimates, as CBO economists refused to “score” as savings any part of the bill that could not be verified through their economic models. Many of the savings health experts expect from changes such as payment reforms and coordination of care models were not counted because CBO considered them “too speculative.” For this reason, many experts believe much greater savings will result from enactment of health care reform than is currently estimated.
Source: patientsaware.org

Closing the Donut Hole

The health care overhaul has added important improvements to Medicare prescription drug coverage for seniors. In 2010, the new health care reform law helped cover expenses for seniors falling into the donut hole coverage gap, and the hole in coverage is eliminated altogether by 2020. The law also provides for additional assistance for low-income beneficiaries.

The Donut Hole: Immediate relief for seniors now, completely gone by 2020

Currently, the standard Part D drug benefit contains a donut hole, a gap in coverage where beneficiaries must cover the cost of their medications even while they continue to pay premiums. Before health care reform was implemented, using 2010 as an example, this occurred when the total costs of a beneficiary’s prescription drugs reached $2,830 — requiring the beneficiary to cover the next $3,610 in drug costs.

The new law provides assistance to help seniors bridge this donut hole until it is closed entirely in 2020.

2010 $250 rebate to every senior who fell into the donut hole.
2011 A 50% rebate was applied at the pharmacy for brand name medications, saving the typical senior $600. Part D copayments for generic drugs were reduced by 7% each year until the coverage gap is eliminated for these drugs as well. For brand-name drugs, manufacturers will increase their discounts each year to erase the coverage gap. Medicare beneficiaries in the donut hole will receive a 50 percent discount on brand-name drugs and a 14 percent discount on generics.
2014 The dollar amount of the catastrophic threshold, where seniors’ copayments are dropped to 5% of drug costs, will be more slowly increased from year to year at this point.
2020 Co-payments required for brand-name and generic drugs will be phased down to the standard 25% by 2020, thus entirely eliminating the donut hole and saving the typical senior over $3,000.

Assistance for Low-Income Seniors

Eligibility and coverage for low-income Medicare beneficiaries is also improved:
•Co-payments are eliminated for many beneficiaries receiving home and community-based services who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid.
• The number of low-income beneficiaries required to change plans each year to maintain zero premiums is reduced.
• Widows and widowers can more easily retain their low-income eligibility.
• Outreach programs are enhanced to ensure more beneficiaries who are eligible for the Low-Income Subsidy know about the benefit and sign up for it.

Senior Co-pays
                                Deductible       Basic Benefit         Donut Hole           Catastrophic
Pre-reform copays       100%                  25%                     100%                       5%

Post-reform copays     100%                  25%                       25%                       5%
(fully phased-in)

Get the Word Out
Please share this important benefit information with a friend.
For additional copies of our handouts, please call 1-800-966-1935, or go online to www.patientsaware.org to forward this to a friend electronically.

Alliance for Retired Americans Friday Alert March 2, 2012 edition

Citing Polarization, Sen. Olympia Snowe Announces Her Retirement

Senator Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) announced on Tuesday that she will not seek re-election and will instead retire after over 30 years in Congress. The announcement came as a surprise to many, especially since she was heavily favored to win re-election. She cited unproductivity and polarization in Washington as the main reasons for her sudden retirement. In a poll released last week by the National Journal, she and her Maine colleague, Sen. Susan Collins, were considered the two most liberal Republicans in the Senate, voting with the Democrats more often than other GOP senators. Snowe’s retirement opens the door for a Democrat to pick up a seat in an expected hotly-contested fall contest. “The retirement of Senator Snowe is yet another reminder of the extreme direction in which the Republican Party is heading,” said Edward F. Coyle, Executive Director of the Alliance. “Senator Snowe has been an increasingly rare voice of moderation and openness,” he continued. “While retirees and workers did not agree with Senator Snowe on every issue, her door was always open to listen and engage in meaningful discussion. She regularly met with Alliance members when they visited Washington and spoke at our Maine Alliance meetings.”

“Perhaps Senator Snowe's experience was shaped when her party's leader, Senator Mitch McConnell, announced that his top priority would be to defeat President Obama,” Coyle added. “Senator Snowe, like Arlen Specter, Jim Jeffords and others before her, was a throw-back to a day when legislators of both parties sought to forge common ground. Retirees want to be able to pay their bills and stay healthy. That should not be a Republican goal or a Democratic goal, but something that all Americans want.”

Alliance’s Western Regional Meeting Features Training Sessions, Guest Speakers

The first of four Regional Alliance meetings winds down today in Las Vegas. After Nevada Alliance President Scott Watts welcomed the attendees on Wednesday, Danny Thompson, Executive Secretary Treasurer of the Nevada State AFL-CIO, told the more-than-250 attendees that the Alliance is a group that politicians fear. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Rep. Shelley Berkley sent videotaped greetings. Herb Schultz, Regional Director of the Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs with the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, spoke of how the Affordable Care Act helps seniors and answered questions from members. Richard Fiesta, Director of the Department of Government and Political Affairs for the Alliance, gave an overview of the 2012 Congressional races in the West.

On Thursday, Steve Sebelius, Political columnist with the Las Vegas Review-Journal, spoke about the importance of Nevada politically in 2012. Julie Greene, Assistant Political Director for the AFL-CIO, said that the AFL-CIO is taking a leadership role in voter protection. Hector Sanchez, Executive Director of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, spoke about Latinos and the 2012 elections, recommending the web site Latinos for a Secure Retirement web site at http://bit.ly/zmaScJ. Democratic National Committee Deputy Political Director Steve Walker, Alliance President Barbara J. Easterling, Mr. Coyle, and other speakers were also well-received. Workshops included: Messaging; a panel discussion on how states use on-line organizing; 2012 Election Facts and Myth-Busting; Grassroots Organizing; and Fundraising. Elected to the Regional Board at the conference were: Luis Duran (California), Jo Etta Brown (Nevada), Mark Goodman (Colorado), and John O'Brien (Washington State).

Mitt Romney Wins GOP Primaries in Arizona, Michigan with Help from the Wealthy

Mitt Romney won two GOP primaries on Tuesday in his quest for the Republican nomination to take on President Obama in November. One of the wins was in Arizona, 47%-27% over Rick Santorum. The other win, a 41%-38% nail-biter over Santorum in Michigan, netted him only the same number of delegates as Santorum. According to ABC News, in Michigan, Romney won among senior citizens, but split voters under age 65 with Santorum. He won among Republican voters making an annual salary of $100,000 or more, but no other income group. His best performance was among GOP voters making $200,000 or more annually.

The results of a new Bank of America Corp. poll at http://bit.ly/ySCAQM show that many affluent Americans think the age for collecting Social Security benefits should be higher. “Considering that the average 30-year-old man today makes $3,000 less (inflation adjusted) than his father made in 1973, raising the retirement age would make retirement security even more difficult to reach for today’s middle class workers,” said Ruben Burks, Secretary-Treasurer of the Alliance. “Since Mitt Romney wants to do just that, many affluent voters have apparently found their candidate for 2012.”

New on the Web

Go to http://bit.ly/w7rSmy to see the Alliance’s new web page about the 2012 Presidential Election. The page includes the stances of Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Santorum, and Romney on Social Security and Medicare, as well as information on voter protection and key debate and party convention dates.  Click on http://bit.ly/vALaql to get to www.workconnectsusall.org, a site that celebrates the work we all do and how we are all inter-connected. Also, the AFL-CIO website has been re-designed to include extra features that will make it easier for working families to take action and build a vibrant online community. It is available at www.aflcio.org.

Dozens of Meetings Held during Alliance’s Lobby Week

Alliance members held over 75 meetings with Members of Congress during the lobby week that took place during the Presidents’ Day recess. “Thank you to everyone who participated in the lobby meetings,” said Ms. Easterling. “Because of you, we were able to stress our key messages: that Social Security is sound; that we don’t want Medicare privatization or vouchers; and that we do want to keep our new Medicare benefits.”

Robert Kortkamp Honored in St. Louis

On Tuesday in St. Louis, the Missouri Alliance hosted a luncheon to celebrate the life and legacy of Robert Kortkamp. Kortkamp, former President of the Missouri Alliance, had a long history of leading workers in their struggle for justice and continued his activism into retirement. Besides celebrating his life, the Missouri Alliance also announced the new Kortkamp Humanitarian Award.


Download a printable version of this document http://bit.ly/xoWWU9.

Retirees Lament Departure of Senator Snowe

ALLIANCE FOR RETIRED AMERICANS   
815 16th Street, NW, 4th Floor ¨ Washington, D.C. 20006 ¨ (202) 637-5399 ¨ www.retiredamericans.org

 For Immediate Release                                                                                                                         Contact: David Blank (202) 637-5275 or dblank@retiredamericans.org
February 29, 2012

“An increasingly rare voice of moderation”

The following statement was issued today by Edward F. Coyle, Executive Director of the Alliance for Retired Americans.

“The retirement of Senator Snowe is yet another reminder of the extreme direction in which the Republican Party is heading.  Senator Snowe has been an increasingly rare voice of moderation and openness.

“While retirees and workers did not agree with Senator Snowe on every issue, her door was always open to listen and engage in meaningful discussion.  She regularly met with Alliance members when they visited Washington and spoke at our Maine Alliance meetings.

“Perhaps Senator Snowe's experience was shaped when her party's leader, Senator Mitch McConnell, announced that his top priority would be to defeat President Obama.  Senator Snowe, like Arlen Specter, Jim Jeffords and others before her, was a throw-back to a day when legislators of both parties sought to forge common ground.

“Retirees want to be able to pay their bills and stay healthy.  That should not be a Republican goal or a Democratic goal, but something that all Americans want.

“The Alliance for Retired Americans congratulates Senator Olympia Snowe on a lifetime of dedication to public service.”
 
The Alliance for Retired Americans is a national organization that advocates for the rights and well being of over 4 million retirees and their families.

What is SOAR

SOAR
The Steelworkers Organization of Active Retirees (SOAR) was established in 1985 to provide retirees with an organization to enable them to continue to act collectively on issues of concern to working families, both active and retired, and as a means to continue to interact socially with co-workers.
SOAR currently has a membership of approximately 70,000 in the U.S. and Canada. This membership is made up of retired members and their spouses.

The Steelworkers Organization of Active Retirees (SOAR) is dedicated to providing a vehicle for retirees and their spouses to remain active and involved in the union and in their communities; through community groups, and labor bodies as well as their own Chapter activities.

SOAR serves as a source for activists to participate in legislative and political activities related to issues of concern to retired workers, as well as active workers. Some of their activities include rallies in support of striking workers, rallies in D.C. and at state capitals, and working on campaigns for labor friendly candidates.

The organization is not affiliated with any political party, but works to support candidates based on the issues that they support.

Structure
Executive Board. SOAR has an Executive Board made up of a President, C.L. “Connie” Entrekin; a Vice-President, Harry Hynd; a Vice-President (West) Albert Becco; a Secretary-Treasurer, Charlie Averill; and an elected representative from each of the USW’s 13 districts in North America.
Jack Munro, former President of the IWA, has been appointed to the Board to help build SOAR within the former IWA membership. Bill Gibbons has been appointed to the Board to help build SOAR within the former PACE membership.

Coordinators. Each District also has Coordinators who are appointed by the District Directors.

Chapters. Dues paying members belong to SOAR Chapters. These Chapters can be made up of members exclusively from one local union or may be made up of all USW retirees in the geographic area. These Chapters are autonomous and elect their own leadership.

Director. Jim Centner is currently the Director of SOAR, appointed by the International President.

Dues
Dues to belong to a SOAR Chapter are $12.00 peryear for retired members, $3.00 per year for surviving spouses and widowers. The dues are split between the Chapter (30%), a District Fund (30%) which is used to finance conventions, bus trips, etc., and SOAR International (40%) to fund the staffing and materials of the office.

Help Grow SOAR
Since 2009, SOAR has recruited more than 8,000 new members. Local union involvement and support has been crucial to this increase in members.

Here is a link to SOAR informational materials and enrollment information. Contact the International SOAR office at 866 208-4420 for information on how to start a SOAR Chapter.

Email Ettiquette

I'm Hooked on Social Security and Medicare--Thank you President Obama

Nutty Indiana Chamber President

The Kokomo Tribune has a comment by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Kevin Brinegar in which he states that Representatives and Senators that voted for the so called Right to Work bill were simply doing the "right thing to do for Indiana". Now that has got to be the nuttiest statement I've ever heard.

My guess is that since he thinks that way, he would be one that would be a freeloader that would expect other workers to pay for his bargained contract and pay for his defense if he were ever to be disciplined unjustly.

Nutty.......and just plain cheap.

Alliance for Retired Americans Friday Alert February 24, 2012 edition

New Rule Would Provide Home Health Workers with Minimum Wage
The Alliance’s friends at American Rights at Work remind us that even in 2012, millions of workers are without minimum wage protections.  More shocking is that 2.5 million of these unprotected workers are those who provide critical care to seniors and the disabled in their homes. “Without minimum wage and overtime protections, the home care workforce suffers from low-wages, high turnover, stress and exhaustion,” the organization’s blog states (http://bit.ly/z7XXVJ). Despite the industry's rapid growth, fueled in part by the rising number of Baby Boomers reaching retirement age, many workers also lack health insurance, allowances for travel time or paid time off.

In order to improve both these jobs and the quality of care provided, the Obama Administration has proposed a rule that would extend minimum wage and overtime protections to home care workers, long considered exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The rule would overturn an exception first granted in 1974 that was aimed at allowing friends and family members to care for elderly relatives.

In addition to being exempt from FLSA protections, the majority of home care workers are without the legally-protected right to form unions.  This is due to either having no identifiable employer or else being misclassified by their employers as independent contractors. Without the right to unionize, many of the workers are left at the mercy of whatever employment laws may be on the books.  Currently, 21 states and the District of Columbia provide some minimum wage and overtime coverage for these workers, but many are left unprotected.  The proposed rule is essential to improving the lives of millions of home care workers as well as their patients.  “The Obama Administration rule would lead to a more skilled workforce, ensuring a higher quality of care for seniors and the disabled,” said Barbara J. Easterling, President of the Alliance.

Home health care companies are leading the fight against the Obama administration’s proposal, despite data showing that the industry was one of the few nationally to maintain profits during the worst of the recession. USA Today reports that one of the industry's leading companies, Home Instead Senior Care, spent at least $362,000 in 2011 fighting the proposal.

GOP Senators Want Seniors to Move to Private Insurance Faster
Senators Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) and Richard Burr (R-NC) last week unveiled a plan that will accelerate the transition for many seniors to private insurance plans. The proposed legislation will also increase the age of Medicare eligibility for seniors to 67 years old, and increase premiums for retirees in the upper- and middle-class. The transition to the private insurance plans would take place by 2016 instead of waiting a decade, as Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) had proposed.

“This plan is too vague for seniors to hold any confidence in it," said Ruben Burks, Secretary-Treasurer of the Alliance. “Relying on competition isn’t a guarantee that premiums will remain low enough for seniors to receive the adequate care that they need.” For more on problems with the Coburn-Burr plan, go to http://huff.to/wWlHH6.

Florida Alliance Leads “Mack Attack” to Hold Rep. Connie Mack’s Feet to the Fire
Members of the Florida Alliance, along with their coalition partners, hosted a sign-waving and information-sharing event in front of Rep. Connie Mack’s (R) 14th Congressional District Cape Coral office this morning. Earlier, group representatives had met with Rep. Mack’s Congressional staff. Mack is running to take on Sen. Bill Nelson (D) statewide.  “Since 2009, the poverty rate in all three counties encompassed in the 14th CD has risen by 2% on average, yet Rep. Mack continues to vote against safety net programs that could benefit district working class and poor citizens,” said Florida Alliance President Tony Fransetta. The theme of the event was, Rep. Mack has not stood in our corner—it’s time we stood on his corner!

Arizona Alliance Gets out its Message at the GOP Debate
Arizona Alliance retirees joined with hundreds of protestors outside the GOP debate in Mesa on Wednesday. The retirees were there to send a clear message to all four presidential hopefuls: Arizona seniors do not support privatizing Medicare, raising the retirement age, or other damaging changes to Social Security.

Myth Busters on the Alliance Web Site – and in-Person in Illinois
A Social Security myth-busters fact sheet is now available at http://bit.ly/xaTH9c. The two-pager explains what to say when people make claims such as, “Social Security is going broke!” Another myth-busting fact sheet, Myths and Facts about the Affordable Care Act, had been posted previously at http://bit.ly/x1U472. The continuing Alliance effort to stop lies from being spread about seniors’ programs also includes educational forums. In Peoria, Illinois on Wednesday, the Illinois Alliance hosted a workshop to debunk myths and provide useful information about current legislation affecting federal and state retirement security programs.

Affordable Senior Health Insurance Available to Supplement Medicare
Affordable insurance supplemental to Medicare is available through the Retiree Health Plan endorsed by the Alliance for union retirees.  The Open Enrollment period is currently in effect through April 30, 2012!  During this period, these Medicare-eligible retirees and their spouses are guaranteed acceptance with no waiting periods, regardless of preexisting health conditions.  If you have questions or would like to enroll in the program, please call 1-866-298-9117.  You can also visit www.araretireehealth.com to get more information.

Regional Meetings Start Next Week in Las Vegas
The Alliance’s 2012 Regional Meetings begin on the following dates: February 29 in Las Vegas; March 5 in Milwaukee; April 30 in Orlando; and May 14 in Philadelphia. Workshops will include: 2012 Elections: Do Not Be Out-Foxed; 2012 Elections: Facts are Stubborn Things!; and Online Organizing: Best Practices. For more information, or to register on-line, please click on http://bit.ly/yiqB8n. Questions? Call Event Coordinator Joni Jones at 202/637-5377, or e-mail jjones@retiredamericans.org.

                    
Download a printable version of this document http://bit.ly/wVqPUl.

Kate Smith Introduces God Bless America

Have You Noticed?

By Jim Centner

Many state legislatures have spent the last year making it harder for minorities and other groups that support Democrats to vote, obstructing health care reform, weakening environmental regulations and attacking public and private sector unions. You may be surprised to find out that all of these efforts are being backed by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a conservative organization financed by millions of corporate dollars.

ALEC has been around since1973. It gets a great deal of its funding from Exxon Mobil, the Olin and Scaife families and foundations tied to the infamous Koch Industries, that has been linked to the upheaval in Wisconsin over public sector bargaining rights. ALEC board members consist of representatives from some of our country’s largest corporations.

ALEC has written model legislation on a host of subjects dear to corporate and conservative interests, and supporting lawmakers have introduced these bills in dozens of states.  A recent study of the group’s impact in Virginia showed that more than 50 of its bills were introduced there, many practically word for word. The study, by the liberal group ProgressVA, found that ALEC had been involved in writing bills that would:

• Prohibit penalizing residents for failing to obtain health insurance, undermining the individual mandate in the reform law. The bill, which ALEC says has been introduced in 38 states, was signed into law and became the basis for Virginia’s legal challenge to health care reform.

• Require voters to show a form of identification. Versions of this bill passed both chambers this month.

• Encourage school districts to contract with private virtual-education companies. (One such company was the corporate co-chair of ALEC’s education committee.) The bill was signed into law.

• Call for a federal constitutional amendment to permit the repeal of any federal law on a two-thirds vote of state legislatures. The bill failed.

• Legalize use of deadly force in defending one’s home. Bills to this effect, which recently passed both houses, have been backed by the National Rifle Association, a longtime member of ALEC.

ALEC’s influence in the Virginia statehouse is inescapable, the study showed. The House of Delegates speaker, William Howell, has been on the board since 2003 and was national chairman in 2009. He has sponsored or pushed many of the group’s bills, including several benefiting specific companies that support ALEC financially, like one that would reduce a single company’s asbestos liability. At least 115 other state legislators have ties to the group, including paying membership dues, attending meetings and sponsoring bills. The state has spent more than $230,000 sending lawmakers to ALEC conferences since 2001.

Similar efforts have gone on in many other states. The group has been particularly active in weakening environmental regulations and fighting the Environmental Protection Agency. There is nothing illegal or unethical about ALEC’s work, except that it further demonstrates the pervasive influence of corporate money and right-wing groups on the state legislative process.

I thought you should know!


Jim Centner is the Director of the Steelworkers Organization of Active Retirees (SOAR)


Background information for this article was taken from an article published in the New Your Times, February 12, 2012


Something is Missing

by Connie Entrekin

I hope all of you have been watching the roller-coaster event commonly referred to as the Republican Presidential primary. Every week a new front runner, but slowly the field is starting to work its way to its eventual conclusion and a candidate will emerge. One thing I must say, it’s been entertaining as each candidate fights for the nomination of their party. 

One thing I noticed is the lack of meaningful conversation about what our presidential candidates have planned for Social Security and Medicare. Even in Florida, a state with a large retiree population, details about the candidates' Social Security and Medicare proposals were largely missing as the candidates travel across the state to garner support. Even in the primary debates the silence has been deafening. Why?

I believe plans to privatize or cut Social Security and Medicare under the guise of deficit reduction represent a larger political disconnect between politicians and the average American voter than any other single issue facing candidates in this presidential campaign. These candidates know it and that is why they are avoiding it.

In poll after poll it’s clear voters of all ages and political persuasions don't support cutting benefits to middle-class Americans who depend on Social Security and Medicare (now or in the future) to repair our ailing economy. Yet, cutting middle-class benefits remains at the heart of every deficit discussion.

Over the years, some politicians have promised Americans they'll “preserve” and “strengthen” these vital programs ― while actually proposing benefit cuts, Social Security private accounts or vouchers for seniors in Medicare. Recently, candidates like Mitt Romney promised Florida seniors he'd “never go after Medicare.”  However, Mr. Romney supports proposals like House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan's plan, which turns Medicare into a voucher program, destroying traditional Medicare as we know it and sending the bill to seniors.

Americans deserve economic security in their retirement years. They know Social Security and Medicare are vital parts of that security. We expect more than the double-speak offered by political candidates who say “reform” when they mean “cut” and “preserve” when they mean “privatize.”

Connie Entrekin is the President of the Steelworkers Organization of Active Retirees

Beware of The Republican Plans

By Bill Gibbons

Beware of the deception by the Republican leadership to cover up their plans to destroy Medicare and Social Security as we know it and divide the Country along generational lines.

We have observed the Republicans’ attack on workers and their unions and the gradual decline of the middle class. When the obvious decline of the middle class is mentioned, as compared to transfer of wealth to those at the economic top, we are accused of engaging in class warfare.

But now we have the policy makers of the Republican Party and Presidential candidates suggesting or proposing plans to dismantle Medicare and creating generational division. For example, Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) who has prepared a plan to privatize Medicare as part of the GOP budget to be introduced in March provides that; seniors over age 55, when they become Medicare eligible, can get a voucher to cover medical care up to a maximum or keep the current system. Those under 55 will not be eligible for Medicare as we know it.

What’s wrong with this approach is that it would undermine and underfund the current system. Eventually destroying Medicare as we know it. In addition, it is estimated to cost seniors an additional $6,000 per year. Plus it will divide those who are not age 55 from those over 55, thus denying them the benefit that we now have. I don’t know about you but I am not in favor of taking Medicare away from those under 55 when they would otherwise become eligible for Medicare.

These same Republicans would like to privatize all or part of Social Security and make other drastic changes to the Social Security system.

In my opinion this would be nothing less than another effort to destroy great social programs that have and are working and create further division among the American people.  

The 2012 election is going to be the most important in our lifetime. We must be engaged, informed and involved to protect that which we have earned and the future for our children and grandchildren.

Bill Gibbons is the PACE Representative for the Steelworkers Organization of Active Retirees

Could Richard John "Rick" Santorum Become our next Saint?

Richard Santorum who is wanting to be the next president of the United States seems to be at the same time wanting to be what? The next Roman Catholic Cardinal? Pope?
This guy is just way too much.
I get a kick out people who question a fellow Christian's Christianity.
Such an ego this guy has.
I'll tell you another thing....this guy blinks way too much when he tries to explain his snafus.
Watch for those blinks.

Alliance for Retired Americans Friday Alert February 17, 2012 edition

Coyle Concerned About Proposed Means-Testing for Medicare
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.”

                     
Download a printable version of this document http://bit.ly/yYvqHA.

The Case For Social Security

Income of Willard Romney

Mitt Romney Earns More by 6:00 a.m. Than Many Seniors Do in a Year

by Barbara J. Easterling

In 2010 Mitt Romney made $21.7 million, while that same year the average senior citizen received $14,000 in Social Security benefits.

Put another way, Mitt Romney made more by 6:00 a.m. on January 1 than many retirees did the entire year.  His daily income was over four times greater than many seniors’ annual income.

Why does this matter?  Shouldn’t his finances be none of our business?  To me, it matters because of how sharply it contrasts with his plans to increase the Social Security retirement age, lower benefits for some seniors, and let Wall Street gamble away – and profit from – a privatized Social Security system.  It reflects a cold indifference to those less fortunate.

Seniors – along with younger generations who worry if they will ever be able to retire – need to keep a close eye on politicians this year.  For example, Romney’s stance on Social Security does not match his telling a group of seniors on the eve of the Florida primary, "We will never go after Medicare or Social Security."

Social Security is not just another pension fund for the Bain Capitals of the world to raid.  Social Security is how each day – while Mitt Romney earns another $59,360 – millions of retirees are able to pay their bills and put food on the table.

Barbara J. Easterling is president of the Alliance for Retired Americans.  She was previously the secretary-treasurer of the Communications Workers of America.  For more information, visit www.retiredamericans.org or call 1-800-333-7212.

Ketty Lester - Love Letters

NiSource, Get Your Act Together

Alliance for Retired Americans Friday Alert February 10, 2012 edition

White House Twitter Event Answers Seniors’ Policy Questions
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.

                      Download a printable version of this document http://bit.ly/yLVb1E.