September 18, 2009 Friday Alert
Friday, September 18, 2009(Alliance for Retired Americans)
Baucus' Health Care Reform Bill
Criticized by Senior Advocates
On
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.
"The proposal's strong points are vastly
outweighed by its shortcomings," declared
Edward F. Coyle, Executive Director of
the Alliance. "For starters,
there is no public plan." Many senior
advocates agree that the Finance Committee
bill's reliance on "health care co-ops" as an
alternative to a public option fails to put
pressure on private insurers to control health
care costs, since there is no history or logic
behind the claim that health care co-ops would
provide real competition for giant private
insurers. Along with dropping the public
health insurance option - which is part of the
House bill (H.R. 3200) and the Senate Health,
Education Labor and Pension (HELP) committee
bill - the Baucus bill also taxes some health
plans and individuals who fail to buy private
insurance, while providing no penalties to
employers who do not provide coverage.
Sen. Jay
Rockefeller (D-WV) attacked Sen.
Baucus' bill, questioning the chairman's
decision to conduct months of bipartisan talks
that failed to win a single Republican backer,
while shutting out Democrats on the
committee. On the positive side for
seniors, in order to have their drugs covered
under Medicare, manufacturers must provide a
50% discount off the negotiated price for
brand-name drugs covered on plan formularies
beginning in 2010 when beneficiaries enter the
"doughnut hole" coverage gap. Also
beginning in 2010, the bill would eliminate
out-of-pocket costs for recommended preventive
services for Medicare beneficiaries.
In Alliance Video, Lynda
Bird Johnson Robb Says Medicare is Being
"Maligned"
In a special videotaped
message made for the Alliance, Lynda
Bird Johnson Robb, the daughter of
former President Lyndon Baines
Johnson, is speaking out about health
care reform. She states with concern that
Medicare, which was signed into law by her
father in 1965, is being "maligned" in the
health reform debate. The videotape
debuted at an Alliance town hall forum on
Tuesday in Pittsburgh that was attended by more
than 500 retirees. The video also
includes the words of Alliance
President Barbara J.
Easterling and AFSCME
President Gerald W. McEntee. Go
to the Alliance web site or click on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrfRV-_832I
to see the remarks of all three speakers. In
Mrs. Johnson Robb's remarks, she states that
she is distressed at the tone of the health
care reform debate, and says unequivocally that
her father would consider insuring all
Americans the missing piece of the American
social contract. She goes on to introduce
footage of a speech by the recently deceased
Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA), who
is seen telling an audience that health care is
a fundamental right, not a privilege. In
their remarks, Easterling and McEntee refute
many of the myths about health insurance
reform, sending the message that seniors would
win if reform passes. They state that
health reform will improve Medicare by saving
money, and will not lead to socialized
medicine, the rationing of health care, or
"death panels." To see a video link of
only Lynda Bird Johnson Robb's remarks, go to
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPAF0HAiQ0c.
Richard Trumka is Elected New
AFL-CIO President in Pittsburgh
The
AFL-CIO Convention in Pittsburgh this week
showcased retirees' vital role in the labor
movement. Ms. Easterling gave a major
speech to the convention on the political power
of the retiree movement, particularly in this
year's health care debate. She inspired
union members young and old saying, "We can
pass the Employee Free Choice Act. We can
reform health care. We can change this
country. This can be our lasting
legacy." The Alliance Town Hall meeting
on Tuesday in Pittsburgh [ http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09260/998457-55.stm
] gave the 500 retirees in attendance an update
on the health care debate plus key materials to
help them educate and mobilize at the
grassroots level. Their charge is to
separate fact from fiction. Check out the
'Mythbuster' sheet here: http://araorchid.orchidsuites.net/ht/a/GetDocumentAction/i/13902.
Richard Fiesta, Alliance Director of
Government and Political Affairs,
provided a legislative update, while
Dani Pere, Alliance Director of Field
Mobilization, urged attendees to take
specific steps back home, such as calling talk
shows and sharing fact sheets. Following
the Alliance Town Hall, the retirees attended
President Obama’s speech to
the AFL-CIO. The speech opened with a
powerful story of Indiana
Alliance and United Steelworkers
member Steve
Skvara, and included strong
support for protecting Medicare. To view
the video of President Obama's speech, click on
http://cspan.org/Watch/Media/2009/09/15/HP/A/23211/Pres+Obama+Remarks+at+an+AFLCIO+Convention.aspx.
On Wednesday, Richard Trumka,
a very strong and early supporter of the
Alliance, was elected President of the
AFL-CIO. AFL-CIO delegates passed a
resolution on Retirement Security, with Ms.
Easterling speaking from the floor, and Mr.
Trumka read a tribute to outgoing
President John Sweeney written
by former Alliance President George J.
Kourpias. The remarks praised
Mr. Sweeney for knowing "that the labor
movement must retain its lifelong activists -
that union members must remain part of the
family, even when their working days are done"
and assured Sweeney’s "commitment to retirees
will be in good hands under our friend Rich
Trumka."
Sen. Sanders Introduces Bill
Providing a COLA to Seniors
Unless
Congress acts soon, for the first time since
1975 seniors will not be receiving a
Cost-Of-Living-Adjustment (COLA) in their
Social Security benefits in 2010. This
would result in monthly Social Security
payments dropping for millions of retirees,
because Medicare prescription drug premiums,
which are deducted from Social Security
payments, are scheduled to increase. On
Thursday, Sen. Bernie Sanders
(I-VT) introduced the "Emergency Senior
Citizens Relief Act," legislation that would
provide Social Security recipients a one-time
payment of $250 next year. The
legislation Sanders introduced in the Senate
and Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR)
offered in the House of Representatives would
apply the Social Security payroll tax on
household incomes above $250,000 and below
$359,000 in 2010. Under current law, only
the first $106,800 of earned income is subject
to the payroll tax. Rep. Carolyn
McCarthy (D-NY) also introduced a $150
one- time payment bill last week, H.R.
3536. "Seniors need this help during the
recession. I am relieved to see these
bills move forward," said Ruben Burks,
Secretary-Treasurer of the
Alliance.
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