http://pennretiredamericans.org Pennsylvania Alliance for Retired Americans Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:49:46 CDT en-us http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/16500 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/16500 Fri, 25 Jun 2010 13:39:52 CDT Congress Delivers President Obama a 'Doc Fix' Bill After realizing that combining the 'Doc Fix' provision with a jobs creation package was not politically feasible, House Democrats promptly passed a six-month solution to the ongoing cuts in Medicare reimbursement rates to physicians. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/16448 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/16448 Fri, 18 Jun 2010 15:36:10 CDT Senior Issues take Center Stage in Nevada Senate Race Nevada Alliance members rushed to Republican/tea party Senate candidate Sharron Angle's office last Friday to protest her position on privatizing Social Security. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/16386 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/16386 Fri, 11 Jun 2010 14:12:12 CDT Obama Talks to Seniors, including the Illinois Alliance President, at Tele-Town Hall The Alliance continues its involvement in the implementation process of the health care reform that President Obama signed into law in March. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/16334 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/16334 Fri, 04 Jun 2010 16:46:53 CDT Alliance Members Get the Chance to Ask President Obama Questions At a special event on Tuesday, June 8, Alliance members are invited to ask the President health care questions by telephone. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/16276 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/16276 Fri, 28 May 2010 14:12:37 CDT House Passes "Doc Fix" for Seniors The U.S. House passed a watered-down version of H.R. 4213, "The American Jobs, Closing Tax Loopholes, and Preventing Outsourcing Act," on Friday. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/16217 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/16217 Fri, 21 May 2010 11:21:46 CDT Alliance Celebrates Victory of Mark Critz in Pennsylvania On Tuesday, Democrat Mark Critz defeated Tim Burns (R), 53% - 45%, in Pennsylvania's 12th Congressional District, winning a special election and a seat in Congress. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/16166 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/16166 Fri, 14 May 2010 13:34:30 CDT Incumbents Lose in WV, Utah as Voters Head to the Polls in Four More States Rep. Alan Mollohan (D-WV) lost his bid for a 15th term Tuesday in a primary defeat. He is the first House member to lose a reelection bid in the 2010 campaign, and his defeat comes just days after Sen. Robert Bennett (R-UT) was knocked off the November ballot in Utah's convention process. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/16081 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/16081 Fri, 07 May 2010 11:36:05 CDT New Alliance Voting Record Focuses on Health Care, Medicare, and Economics On Tuesday, the Alliance marked Older Americans Month by releasing its latest voting record, a new report detailing the 2009 votes of every U.S. Senator and Representative on key issues affecting current and future retirees. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/16019 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/16019 Fri, 30 Apr 2010 16:12:49 CDT Alliance Members Protest Across the Country as Fiscal Commission Meets in DC On Tuesday in Washington, DC, the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform met for the first time. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/15931 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/15931 Fri, 23 Apr 2010 14:14:01 CDT Alliance Seeks Open Government as Fiscal Commission Holds Its First MeetingTwo important summit meetings will be held in Washington next week to discuss ways of reducing the federal deficit. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/15768 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/15768 Fri, 16 Apr 2010 10:32:02 CDT New Health Reform Law Extends Election Period to Change Part D Plan The new health reform law changes and extends the annual enrollment period for Medicare Part D plans. Anyone interested in switching plans should keep in mind the new enrollment period is now October 15 - December 7. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/15705 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/15705 Fri, 09 Apr 2010 15:59:44 CDT Barbara Easterling, Ruben Burks Re-elected as Leaders of the Alliance The Alliance's 2010 national convention took place in Las Vegas, Nevada on Monday through Thursday of this week. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/15678 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/15678 Thu, 01 Apr 2010 12:18:56 CDT President Obama Signs Health Care Reform into Law One More TimeOn Tuesday, President Obama put his final signature on the health reform bill that has been front and center in the news this year and last. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/15622 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/15622 Fri, 26 Mar 2010 13:50:48 CDT Health Care Reform: What's in it for Seniors The Senate-passed health care reform bill dramatically cleared the House on a 219-212 vote Sunday night, and President Obama signed it into law on Tuesday. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/15558 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/15558 Tue, 23 Mar 2010 14:46:50 CDT House Passes Historic Health Care Bill, Obama Signs It Into Law House Democrats passed their landmark health care reform on a party-line 219-212 vote late Sunday night, marking an achievement that has been compared to the enactment of Social Security and Medicare. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/15501 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/15501 Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:17:16 CDT Historic House Health Care Vote is Expected on SundayHouse Democrats are "pushing to the brink of passage a landmark, $940 billion health care overhaul bill that would simultaneously deliver on President Barack Obama's promise to expand coverage while slashing the deficit," according to the Associated Press. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/15425 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/15425 Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:12:09 CST In Week of Health Care Developments, Thousands Gather to Rally Against Insurers Tens of thousands of activists, seniors, union members, and religious leaders protested against insurance company abuses on Tuesday in front of the Ritz-Carlton in Washington, D.C., where America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) leaders were meeting. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/15347 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/15347 Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:30:39 CST $250 Payment to Social Security Recipients Voted Down By Senate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) lost a bid on Wednesday to boost the income of millions of Social Security recipients and offset the elimination of the Social Security Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for 2010. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/15295 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/15295 Fri, 26 Feb 2010 10:30:59 CST Response to President's Health Care Plan and Summit: Three Things You Can Do In order to bridge the differences between the U.S. House and Senate-passed health care bills - and continue to move reform forward - President Obama unveiled his Administration's own health plan on Monday. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/15235 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/15235 Fri, 19 Feb 2010 10:56:47 CST President Establishes Debt Commission to Look at Social Security and Medicare Yesterday, President Barack Obama signed an Executive Order establishing a commission to tackle the federal debt. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/15178 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/15178 Fri, 12 Feb 2010 14:21:45 CST Insurance Premium Increase of 39% in California Adds to Health Reform Urgency The health care problem remains on the center stage now that Anthem Blue Cross of California has unveiled rate increases of up to 39 percent for its 800,000 individual policyholders. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/15134 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/15134 Fri, 05 Feb 2010 10:19:34 CST President's Budget Includes $250 Stimulus Payment for Social Security Recipients President Obama's Fiscal Year 2011 budget proposes a $250 payment to Social Security recipients. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/15100 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/15100 Fri, 29 Jan 2010 13:16:53 CST President Obama Delivers State of the Union Address During his State of the Union address on Wednesday, President Obama vocalized the critical need for a reduction in the federal deficit. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/15056 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/15056 Fri, 22 Jan 2010 14:38:57 CST Massachusetts' Election of Scott Brown to U.S. Senate Threatens Health Reform The election in Massachusetts of Republican Scott Brown to the U.S. Senate on Tuesday ended the Senate Democrats' supermajority in the chamber, and the first casualty of his victory could be the Democrats' health care overhaul. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/15007 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/15007 Fri, 15 Jan 2010 15:45:31 CST Health Bill Moves Forward with Excise Tax Compromise Yesterday, White House officials, leaders in Congress and labor unions reached agreement on a proposal to limit the excise tax on higher-cost health insurance plans - a sticking point that had been a major obstacle to merging the House and Senate health care reform bills. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14941 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14941 Fri, 08 Jan 2010 12:28:01 CST Senate and House Iron Out The Differences in Their Health Reform Bills Senate passage of its version of health reform legislation on Christmas Eve completed a historic year in Congress and in the nation's domestic policy debate. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14864 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14864 Fri, 18 Dec 2009 13:14:26 CST Health Reform Will Not Include Medicare Buy-in for Those 55-64 A week ago, a compromise Senate deal on health reform nixed a public insurance option and replaced it with provisions letting those 55 or older buy into Medicare and allowing nationwide nonprofit private plans overseen by the federal Office of Personnel Management. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14830 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14830 Fri, 11 Dec 2009 12:20:00 CST Senate May Vote to Offer Medicare to Those 55 - 64 President Obama hailed a tentative health care agreement announced in the Senate on Tuesday night, saying that he would support it, and majority leader Harry Reid (D-NV) sent the proposal to the Congressional Budget Office for cost analysis the next day. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14799 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14799 Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:05:17 CST Senate Takes Center Stage in Health Care Reform Effort The U.S. Senate moved forward on landmark health care legislation this week. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14700 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14700 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:09:01 CST Reid Presents Health Care Bill That Cuts $130 Billion from the Federal DeficitSenate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) presented an $848 billion health-care overhaul package on Wednesday that would help Americans of all ages better afford to see a doctor and get a prescription filled. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14654 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14654 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:08:32 CST House Passes Historic Health Care Reform Bill On Saturday, the U.S House voted to pass H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, a bill that will help retirees and all Americans with their access to quality health care. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14596 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14596 Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:41:00 CST Alliance Formally Endorses House Health Care Bill On Tuesday, the Alliance sent a letter supporting the Affordable Health Care for America Act, H.R. 3962, to all members of the U.S. House. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14520 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14520 Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:28:13 CDT Speaker Pelosi Unveils House Health Care Bill The U.S. House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), unveiled an $894 billion health care package on Thursday that would provide insurance to up to 36 million people by offering subsidies to moderate-income Americans to buy insurance. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14463 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14463 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:44:56 CDT Bill to Keep Doctors' Pay from Being Dramatically Slashed Fails The Senate voted 47-53 against invoking cloture on a Medicare doctors' reimbursement bill on Wednesday, falling 13 votes short of stopping a filibuster. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14413 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14413 Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:41:26 CDT As Insurance Industry Continues Its Campaign of Lies... Obama administration officials and Congressional Democrats fired back on Monday at a misleading insurance industry report that said premiums would climb sharply with the passage of comprehensive health legislation. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14373 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14373 Fri, 09 Oct 2009 10:30:30 CDT CBO Says Senate Finance Committee Health Care Bill Would Reduce Deficit Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said on Thursday that the Finance Committee will vote this Tuesday on a 10-year, $829-billion proposal that would expand health coverage to 94% of eligible Americans while reducing the federal deficit. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14337 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14337 Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:11:12 CDT Senate Panel Rejects "Public Option" on Health Bill Members of the Senate Finance Committee this week defeated two efforts to add a "public option" to the health care bill drafted by committee chair Max Baucus (D-MT). http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14272 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14272 Fri, 25 Sep 2009 11:45:42 CDT Senate Finance Committee Debates Baucus' Health Care Reform Bill As they consider chairman Max Baucus' (D-MT) health proposal this week, Senate Finance Committee Republicans and Democrats are debating costs, subsidies and the future of Medicare. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14176 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14176 Fri, 18 Sep 2009 10:22:32 CDT Baucus' Health Care Reform Bill Criticized by Senior AdvocatesOn Wednesday, Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), Chairman of the Finance Committee, brought out the committee's version of national health care reform - an $856 billion, 10-year measure that starts a bumpy journey through the Senate without any Republican support. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14124 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14124 Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:20:29 CDT Obama Health Care Speech Clears the Air of Myths and Falsehoods In a rare speech to a joint session of Congress Wednesday night, President Obama made an impassioned plea to provide health insurance for those currently without it. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14093 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14093 Fri, 04 Sep 2009 12:54:44 CDT Obama to Address Joint Session of Congress on Health Care President Obama plans to address a joint session of Congress this Wednesday night in an effort to rally support for health care legislation. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14048 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/14048 Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:40:19 CDT Retirees Mourn the Loss of Senator Ted Kennedy In a rare joint statement, Alliance President Barbara J. Easterling, Secretary-Treasurer Ruben Burks, and Executive Director Edward F. Coyle commented Wednesday on the death of Senator Edward M. Kennedy. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13980 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13980 Fri, 21 Aug 2009 11:25:32 CDT Florida Alliance's Delray Beach Health Care Forum Draws Worldwide Attention Fourteen hundred activists, most of them in favor of health reform, gathered on Thursday in suburban Delray Beach, Florida for a health care forum with Democratic U.S. Reps. Robert Wexler (D-FL) and Alcee Hastings (D-FL). http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13909 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13909 Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:26:22 CDT Alliance Members Refute Lies and Myths at Town Halls Although town hall meetings are intended for constituents of congressional members' districts, many attendees seem to have come from farther away. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13840 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13840 Fri, 07 Aug 2009 13:53:18 CDT Alliance Calls for Civility at Town Halls When Discussing Health Insurance Reform Members of the Alliance are calling for civil discourse during town hall meetings with Members of Congress this month, amidst stories of town halls across the country erupting into chaos during the health care debate. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13777 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13777 Fri, 31 Jul 2009 13:33:22 CDT Alliance Commemorates Medicare's 44th Birthday with Events Across the Country Forty-four years ago yesterday, President Lyndon Johnson signed Medicare into law. To mark the birthday, members of the Alliance held more than 30 grassroots events around the country on Thursday, honoring Medicare's success and outlining a positive agenda for health care reform. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13575 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13575 Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:29:10 CDT Medical situation in Texas http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13543 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13543 Fri, 24 Jul 2009 13:15:42 CDT Alliance Plans Week of Action To Commemorate Medicare's 44th Birthday The Alliance is planning a week of action on health care beginning on Monday, July 27 to commemorate the upcoming 44th birthday of Medicare on July 30. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13499 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13499 Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:58:30 CDT Retirees Praise Health Care Bills from U.S. House, Senate HELP Panel Both the U.S. House and the Senate's Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee released health care reform bills this week. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13418 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13418 Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:22:37 CDT U.S. House is Close to Unveiling Its Health Care Plan The U.S. House is expected to release its health care reform plan on Monday. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13350 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13350 Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:54:31 CDT Senate Panel Questions Private Insurers' Credibility, Shows Need for a Public Plan As the public health plan option, adamantly opposed by insurers, is considered in the Senate, the Senate Commerce Committee released a report last week exposing greedy and dishonest acts by insurance companies. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13208 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13208 Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:28:54 CDT President Obama Says He is "Flexible" on Offering a Public Health Plan... A New York Times poll released on Sunday showed that a remarkable 72% of Americans support a public health care plan. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13109 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13109 Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:13:11 CDT Retirees Lobby Congress on Health Care Reform Nearly 550 retirees attended the Alliance's annual legislative conference last week. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13058 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13058 Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:17:22 CDT Senate HELP Committee Releases Health Care Bill Containing a Public Plan Democrats from the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) filed a 651-page health care reform bill on Tuesday. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13012 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/13012 Fri, 05 Jun 2009 13:16:24 CDT Senators Baucus, Kennedy Offer Different Visions for Health Care Reform The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and the Senate Finance Committee have adopted different views on health care reform. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/12945 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/12945 Fri, 29 May 2009 13:07:21 CDT Be Careful When the Insurance Industry Says It Would Like to Help! According to the AFL-CIO blog, profits at ten of the country's largest publicly traded health insurance companies rose 428 percent from 2000 to 2007, while consumers paid more for less coverage. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/12899 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/12899 Fri, 22 May 2009 09:44:43 CDT Senate Finance Committee Offers Options During Older Americans Month May is Older Americans Month, and all month long Alliance members are focusing on the theme of "Retirees' Stake in Health Care Reform." http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/12855 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/12855 Fri, 15 May 2009 12:25:28 CDT Coyle Says Not to Overreact to Trustees Reports The financial health of Social Security and Medicare has worsened because of the severe recession, according to Trustees Reports released on Tuesday. However, Alliance leaders cautioned the public not to panic. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/12799 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/12799 Fri, 08 May 2009 12:52:46 CDT Alliance's 2008 Voting Record Shows Congress is Becoming More Pro-Senior On Monday, the Alliance released a new report detailing the voting record of every U.S. Senator and Representative on key issues affecting current and future retirees. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/12722 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/12722 Fri, 01 May 2009 11:29:20 CDT Retirees' Stake in Health Care Reform to be the Theme for Older Americans Month Retirees have a stake in health care reform, and May - Older Americans Month - is when seniors will be driving that point home! http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/12571 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/12571 Fri, 24 Apr 2009 11:13:33 CDT Medicare Advantage Plans Face Changes in 2010 The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently established stricter rules for private insurance companies, effectively cutting subsidies to Medicare Advantage (MA) plans by up to 5%. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/12497 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/12497 Fri, 17 Apr 2009 12:41:02 CDT Obama Addresses Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security in Economic Speech In a speech at Georgetown University on Tuesday, President Obama assessed economic recovery efforts, linking health care costs to broader economic problems and speaking of the need for health care reform to reign in the expenses of Medicare and Medicaid. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/12361 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/12361 Thu, 09 Apr 2009 13:07:12 CDT Insurance Companies' Medicare Advantage Subsidies Begin to Disappear The Obama administration's plan to rein in private Medicare drug plans began on Monday, when the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced cuts in payments for private Medicare Advantage plans in 2010. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/12310 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/12310 Fri, 03 Apr 2009 13:21:06 CDT Senate Votes Against Entitlement Task Force On Wednesday, the U.S. Senate voted against an amendment to the fiscal 2010 budget resolution which would have created an Entitlements Task Force to address the long-term funding shortfalls faced by Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, and requiring Congress to vote on its recommendations. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/12175 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/12175 Fri, 27 Mar 2009 12:51:56 CDT Sen. Specter Comes Out Against the Employee Free Choice Act Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), the only Republican to side with Democrats on the Senate's last vote on union-organizing legislation, announced on Tuesday that he would not vote for this session's bill. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/11885 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/11885 Fri, 20 Mar 2009 11:14:16 CDT U.S. House Moves Forward on Health Care Reform Three committee chairmen in the U.S. House have agreed to work together to pass similar health care reform legislation in their committees before the recess in August. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/11807 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/11807 Fri, 13 Mar 2009 12:44:30 CDT Possible Social Security Overhaul Generates Renewed Debate Congressional Democrats "are embroiled in a battle behind the scenes over whether a politically treacherous Social Security overhaul has any place in an agenda already stuffed to the gills," according to the publication Roll Call. The article states that liberal lawmakers have been pushing President Barack Obama to stay away from the original "third rail" of politics, while more conservative Democratic Members egg him on, arguing... http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/11679 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/11679 Fri, 06 Mar 2009 13:50:02 CST Alliance Participates in White House Health Care Summit President Barack Obama stepped up his effort to pass health-care-reform legislation this week, naming a new Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and hosting a White House summit to discuss solutions to the issues at hand. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/11599 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/11599 Fri, 27 Feb 2009 13:38:19 CST President Unveils New Budget, Slashes Medicare Advantage Overpayments President Obama yesterday released a proposed $3.6 trillion budget designed to cut the federal deficit in half by the end of his first term, while investing heavily in renewable energy, education and comprehensive health care reform. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/11250 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/11250 Fri, 20 Feb 2009 13:13:40 CST Barbara Easterling Elected President of the Alliance Barbara J. Easterling was elected President of the Alliance on Thursday, succeeding George J. Kourpias. The vote took place at a meeting of the Alliance's Executive Committee. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/11155 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/11155 Fri, 13 Feb 2009 15:03:27 CST Kourpias to Step Down as Alliance Leader, Barbara Easterling to be New President George J. Kourpias, President of the Alliance for Retired Americans since its inception in 2001, announced this week that he will be retiring. Barbara J. Easterling, the former Secretary-Treasurer of the Communications Workers of America, is expected to be named the new president by a vote of the Alliance's executive committee later this month. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/11078 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/11078 Fri, 06 Feb 2009 14:19:07 CST Stimulus Vote in Senate May Take Place Tonight This week, the U.S. Senate heatedly debated President Obama's American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan. The bill, introduced in the Senate as S. 1, contains several important provisions that directly affect retirees. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/11006 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/11006 Fri, 30 Jan 2009 13:17:38 CST House Passes Stimulus Package; Senate to Debate Its Version On Wednesday, the U.S. House passed H.R. 1, an $819 billion stimulus package, by a vote of 244-188. While the vote was mostly cast along party lines, the plan's passage is a move toward reviving the economy and marks an early victory in President Obama's term in office. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/10930 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/10930 Fri, 23 Jan 2009 14:53:01 CST Obama Inauguration Brings Together All Generations On Tuesday, an exuberant crowd braved frigid temperatures to celebrate Barack Obama's inauguration as the 44th president of the United States. D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty estimated Tuesday's crowd at "roughly" 1.8 million, shattering the previous record of 1.2 million for President Lyndon Johnson's 1965 inauguration, according to USA Today. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/10852 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/10852 Fri, 16 Jan 2009 13:10:32 CST U.S. House Stimulus Recovery Package Outline Includes Provisions for Seniors On Thursday, Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY), Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, released the outline for the House's $825 billion economic recovery package. The package includes an additional Supplemental Security Income payment for low-income older and disabled recipients, as well as health care assistance through COBRA and Medicaid for older workers who have become temporarily unemployed. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/10765 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/10765 Fri, 09 Jan 2009 14:50:45 CST Obama Promises Bid to Overhaul Spending on Retiree Programs On Wednesday, President-elect Barack Obama said that overhauling spending on retiree programs would be "a central part" of his administration's efforts to contain the federal budget. http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/10684 http://pennretiredamericans.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/10684 Fri, 19 Dec 2008 11:31:18 CST Auto Industry to Receive $17.4 Billion in Government Loans On Friday, the White House announced a $17.4 billion loan package for the Detroit automakers that allows them to avoid bankruptcy and leaves many of the big decisions for the Obama administration.