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Alliance for Retired Americans Friday Alert 5-9-14

Headlines:
Aging Baby Boomers Expected to Almost Double Nation’s Senior Population
Age Divide among Voters is Especially Pronounced in North Carolina
Letter to U.S. Trade Representative Voices Concerns over Trans-Pacific Partnership
Hospital Readmission is more likely if Patient is Unmarried, from High–Poverty Area
Deciding When to Take Social Security Benefits? Attend a NASI Webinar on May 14th
The Alliance Remembers Joyce Hermanstorfer
Victorious Kentucky Derby Trainer, 77, is Oldest Winner Ever

Aging Baby Boomers Expected to Almost Double Nation’s Senior Population
Two newly released reports from the U.S. Census Bureau project that the 65-and-older population in the United States will nearly double by 2050. That segment of the population is expected to jump from 43.1 million in 2012 to 83.7 million in 2050. The majority of the growth is projected to occur between 2012 and 2030, as baby boomers hit retirement age. In addition, the older population is expected to include increasing levels of racial and ethnic diversity: the 65-and-older population expected to be 39% percent minority by 2050, up from 20.7% in 2012. The first of the baby boomers turned 65 in 2011.

According to the Census Bureau, the growing 65-and-older population should lead to continued growth in health care related industries and will have implications for businesses and policy makers as they adjust to the nation’s changing demographics. “These projections highlight the importance of protecting Medicare and expanding Social Security, so all of these new seniors will be able to enjoy a more dignified, secure retirement,” said Barbara J. Easterling, President of the Alliance. To read more about the reports, go to http://1.usa.gov/1niTUZ3.

Age Divide among Voters is Especially Pronounced in North Carolina
With control of the U.S. Senate potentially hanging in the balance, incumbent Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC) has a difficult fight ahead this year to hang on to her seat. North Carolina has one of sharpest divides in the country between older, conservative voters and younger, more liberal voters. While incumbents tend to win in states like North Carolina that are competitive during presidential elections, turnout among older voters tends to far outpace that of younger voters during mid-term elections. As a result, Sen. Hagan’s chances may hinge on broadening her appeal beyond her young base as she faces Thom Tillis, who won the Republican primary this week.

“Since the youth vote tends to drop in midterm elections, it’s particularly important for seniors to turn out this year to support pro-retiree candidates as we work to stop the House-passed Paul Ryan budget in the Senate and expand Social Security,” said Richard Fiesta, Executive Director for the Alliance. Read the full New York Times article about North Carolina at http://nyti.ms/1jF1f1Z.

Letter to U.S. Trade Representative Voices Concerns over Trans-Pacific Partnership
The Alliance joined 10 other organizations in submitting a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman expressing concerns about prescription drug and intellectual property provisions of the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership. The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a massive proposed trade agreement between the U.S., Canada, and 10 other countries in the Asia-Pacific region. Like many trade deals, the TPP was drafted in a process involving little public transparency. The letter argues that proposed provisions of the agreement involving prescription drugs and patent standards would negatively impact Medicare and ultimately hurt consumers in terms of drug affordability and safety. For the full letter, go to http://www.cbpp.org/files/tpp_4_30_14.pdf.

Hospital Readmission is more likely if Patient is Unmarried, from High–Poverty Area
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program has focused attention on ways to reduce thirty-day readmissions as well as factors affecting hospital readmission risk. Using inpatient data from an urban teaching hospital, researchers examined how elements of individual characteristics and neighborhood socioeconomic status influenced the likelihood of readmission. Patients living in high-poverty neighborhoods were 24 percent more likely than others to be readmitted, after adjusting for demographic characteristics and clinical conditions. Married patients were at significantly reduced risk of readmission, which suggests that they had more social support than unmarried patients. To read the full report from the journal Health Affairs, go to http://tinyurl.com/mecl69e.

Deciding When to Take Social Security Benefits? Attend a NASI Webinar on May 14th
This coming Wednesday, May 14th from 1pm to 2pm EDT, the National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI) will be cohosting a free webinar on Social Security and decisions about when to start collecting benefits. The presentation will also include focused information for widowed spouses, African Americans, and Hispanic Americans. NASI is a nonpartisan organization dedicated to providing factual information about social insurance programs including Social Security and Medicare. The webinar will be co-hosted by the National Women’s Law Center, the National Urban League, and the National Council of La Raza. To register, go to http://tinyurl.com/kagg3ej.

The Alliance Remembers Joyce Hermanstorfer
The Alliance fondly remembers Iowa Alliance member Joyce Hermanstorfer, who passed away last Friday at the age of 71. A native of Ottumwa, Iowa, Joyce was an original member of the Iowa Alliance and went on to serve as a regional board member. A kind spirit with a big heart, Joyce was devoted to helping others. In addition to her activism with the Alliance, she was President of CWA Eastern Iowa Retiree Members' Chapter 70901 and worked closely with the Hawkeye Labor Council and the Special Olympics.
Click the link below for a photo of Joyce in action. She is in the center left, wearing a red sweater. https://www.flickr.com/photos/retiredamericans/14135801442.

Victorious Kentucky Derby Trainer, 77, is Oldest Winner Ever
Art Sherman, 77, became the oldest trainer ever to win the Kentucky Derby on Saturday. Sherman promises that he'll be back on the job early next week at his small southern California stable, helping his son groom other prospects before looking ahead to California Chrome's next challenge in two weeks at the Preakness. See his story in USA Today at http://tinyurl.com/mycn3ar.

“Art Sherman’s work with his horse, California Chrome, just goes to show that active seniors can accomplish amazing things,” said Ruben Burks, Secretary-Treasurer of the Alliance.

For a printable version of this document, go to http://tinyurl.com/n3jhn85.

For the Alliance's Spanish language page, which includes last week's Friday Alert in Spanish, go to www.alianzadejubilados.org

ARA Friday Alert November 22, 2013

Richard Fiesta is Named Alliance’s Next Executive Director

Richard Fiesta has been named the Alliance for Retired Americans’ new executive director, succeeding Edward F. Coyle, who has managed and grown the 4 million-member grassroots advocacy organization since its 2001 founding. The Alliance’s Executive Board voted unanimously to appoint Fiesta, effective December 1. The director of the Department of Government and Political Affairs for the Alliance since 2001, Fiesta pledged that the Alliance will aggressively educate retirees, the public and lawmakers on ways to preserve and strengthen Social Security and Medicare, make prescription drugs affordable for future generations and ensure that all retirees can expect a dignified retirement after a lifetime of work.
“It is gratifying to see Ed enjoy his own retirement after improving the retirement circumstances of so many others,” said Barbara J. Easterling, president of the Alliance.  “I know that Rich will continue the Alliance for Retired Americans’ tradition of standing up for seniors.”
“I would not retire if I didn't believe that the Alliance is in good hands,” said Coyle. “Rich Fiesta has made a career of fighting for social and economic justice for retirees and the middle class.”
“I am honored to become the Alliance Executive Director, given our proven track record of advocacy and action,” said Fiesta. “Older Americans face many challenges. I look forward to building on our work to guarantee that the needs of retirees remain at the forefront of the nation’s agenda.” To read the full Alliance press release, including comments by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka and Alliance Secretary-Treasurer Ruben Burks, as well as a summary of Fiesta’s background, go to http://tinyurl.com/kv99lfr.

Seniors Remember JFK on 50th Anniversary of his Assassination
Today is the 50^th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Many seniors remember him for his charisma as well as his leadership through some of the nation’s most dramatic moments, including the Cuban Missile Crisis and the battle for civil rights. Almost everyone remembers where they were when tragedy struck on November 22, 1963.What many may not remember is that the idea for Medicare originated with the 1960 Kennedy campaign for President!

Sen. Elizabeth Warren Makes the Case for Expanding Social SecurityOn Monday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) threw her support behind expanding Social Security benefits, joining Sens. Tom Harkin (D-IA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) in a growing push to calculate benefits through an index called CPI-E, which will increase payments to meet the needs of recipients. She was referring to S.567, the Strengthening Social Security Act. Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA) introduced the House version, HR 3118.

During Sen. Warren’s remarks on Monday, she noted that The Washington Post had run an editorial that day mocking the idea of a looming retirement crisis. “To make sure no one missed the point, they even put the words ‘retirement crisis’ in quotation marks,” she said. On Wednesday, Sen. Warren told MSNBC listeners that increased benefits would help a middle class that has been “hammered for a generation.”

Update on Budget Negotiations: Talks Center on SequestrationThe federal budget deal that was reached in October created a budget conference to iron out the differences between the House and Senate budget resolutions. Because Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security would most likely come into play in a “grand bargain” scenario - which, to many, seems elusive at the moment - a main focus in the negotiations right now is on replacing sequestration cuts. According to the Center for American Progress, there are four factors making next year’s sequestration cuts even more damaging than this year’s. First, the sequester makes larger cuts in 2014 than it did in 2013. Second, many of the cuts that were legally made this year have not actually been implemented yet. More at http://tinyurl.com/ly6m2c4.
“Last month, Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Democrats were united.  They did not give up anything,” said Mr. Burks. “We need to keep the pressure on lawmakers not to cut seniors’ earned benefits, so that dynamic does not change,” he continued. Pledge now to make a call on December 12th to tell your elected leaders to end the sequester, close tax loopholes, and raise the revenues needed for vital services. Click on the Alliance’s pledge, created with several coalition partners including AFSCME and Social Security Works, at http://tinyurl.com/n2rbz7c.

Social Security Administration Releases Facts and Figures for 2014
The Social Security Administration recently released its Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance Program (OASDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) rates and limits for 2014, available at http://tinyurl.com/lqqrpx7. One statistic the site shows is that Americans will pay Social Security taxes on only the first $117,000 they earn next year. “Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance Program” is the official name for Social Security. Supplemental Security Income is a Federal income supplement program funded by general tax revenues (not Social Security taxes). It is designed to help aged, blind, and disabled people, who have little or no income, and it provides cash to meet basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter.

130 House Members Send Letter to Obama Regarding Trans-Pacific Partnership
The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) — a trade agreement that the United States and 11 other Pacific-rim countries are negotiating — could raise the cost of prescription drugs and increase health care spending by governments and private payers. TPP negotiations are largely secret.  Although the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) consults with representatives of the drug and medical device industries, it does not do so with health care experts or the public.  Recently, a group of more than 130 House members urged USTR to adopt a more open negotiating process. Despite the secrecy, some negotiating texts have become public — and the newly leaked intellectual property chapter prompted sharp disagreements over access to generic medicines. To read the House members’ letter to President Obama, go to http://tinyurl.com/mv9p4tc.

AFL-CIO Showcases New Video Link, “Stronger Together”
Check out the AFL-CIO's newest video hit on collective action. The video is part of a new “Stronger Together” web page at http://tinyurl.com/kmtrxyy.