Friday Alert
Friday, December 4, 2009(Alliance for Retired Americans)
Senate Takes Center Stage in Health
Care Reform Effort
The U.S. Senate
moved forward on landmark health care
legislation this week. On Thursday, a
motion by Sen. John McCain
(R-AZ) to send the Senate health care bill back
to the Finance Committee and restore Medicare
Advantage subsidies and other cuts to providers
failed, with 42 senators voting yes and 58
voting no. The Alliance had sent a letter
to the Senate on Tuesday saying that the McCain
motion would, for the first time, subject
Medicare Part D prescription drug premiums to
means testing, causing a rise in premiums for
many older Americans. In addition, the
McCain motion would have continued the wasteful
Medicare Advantage overpayments that currently
threaten the financial stability of the
Medicare Trust Fund. Two Democrats,
Ben Nelson of Nebraska and
Jim Webb of Virginia, voted
with the 40 Republicans in favor of the
motion. A complete tally of the vote is
available at http://bit.ly/6iG8uT.
On Wednesday, Edward F.
Coyle, Executive Director of the
Alliance, spoke at a U.S. Senate press
conference in support of Sen. Michael
Bennet’s amendment to keep Medicare
savings in Medicare. Mr. Coyle joined
Sen. Bennet (D-CO), Sen. Tom
Harkin (D-IA), and Sen. Chris
Dodd (D-CT) in calling on the Senate
to reject the McCain motion and pass the Bennet
Amendment that protects seniors and strengthens
Medicare for years to come. "Senator
Bennet's amendment guarantees no benefit cuts
and keeps Medicare savings in Medicare.
The McCain motion reduces the help Medicare
provides for seniors, while it increases the
profits the big insurance companies make on the
backs of seniors and all taxpayers," said Mr.
Coyle, who also appeared on MSNBC's "The
Nancy Snyderman Show" on
Thursday to discuss the McCain motion.
The Senate voted 100-0 later on Thursday to
approve the amendment by Sen. Bennet, ensuring
that the reform bill would not cut guaranteed
Medicare benefits. Senators Harkin and
Bennet noted the Alliance's efforts on the
Senate floor, as did Sen. Debbie
Stabenow (D-MI).
According to The New York Times,
the Senate majority leader, Harry
Reid (D-NV), told Democrats in a
closed-door meeting of his caucus on Thursday
that Republicans were not interested in passing
a bill. He said the Democrats must stick
together and should be ready to work weekends
to finish the bill before
Christmas.
Alliance
Remains Active in Health Reform During the
Holiday Season
The Alliance has
created a new fact sheet that lists the
benefits to seniors of H.R. 3590, the "Patient
Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2009
(PPACA)," the health reform bill that is making
its way through the U.S. Senate. To view
it, go to http://bit.ly/6wAt6a.
The Alliance is also engaging in a holiday card
campaign in many states; a holiday-themed card
has been developed for Alliance members to sign
and mail to the state office of their members
of Congress. There are two types of messaging:
(1) a thank you, for House Democrats who voted
"Yes" on health reform; and (2) a card
encouraging a "Yes" vote for House Democrats
who voted no, as well as for Senators.
Additionally, there is a large 18 by 24 inch
card that will be hand-delivered to targeted
members of Congress.
Medicare Drug Costs on the Rise; New
Year Offers Chance to Change Plans
Now
Each year, Medicare drug plans
change what they charge and what they
cover. As the average premium for
Medicare drug plans is slated to increase 11%
in 2010 [http://bit.ly/5NtJJx],
seniors may have more of a reason to
investigate switching to a more affordable drug
plan [http://bit.ly/5Nslxz].
From November 15th through December 31st,
seniors have the opportunity to investigate
costs and change their plan coverage.
"You may be able to save money by changing
plans now," said Ruben Burks,
Secretary-Treasurer of the Alliance.
Spotlight: Nevada and
Pennsylvania
Last Monday, the
Nevada Alliance, led by President
Scotty Watts, filed a
complaint with the Nevada Attorney General and
requested an investigation into the funding
behind misleading ads attacking U.S. Rep.
Dina Titus (D-NV) for
supporting the Affordable Health Care for
America Act. The complaint requests an
investigation into whether insurance companies
doing business in Nevada contributed to recent
"60 Plus Association" ads condemning health
reform as bad for seniors [http://bit.ly/7kNeic].
In Pennsylvania, Alliance Treasurer
Mike Doyle and other PARA
members are present at President Obama's
appearance today in Schnecksville (near
Allentown). Pennsylvania Alliance
activists have looked forward to the remarks of
President Obama at Lehigh
County Community College, which will cover a
wide variety of topics. More info can be
obtained after the event here: [http://ara.typepad.com/].
Sign Up Now for the Alliance's
National Convention in Las Vegas
Mark your calendars for April 5-8, 2010 to
attend the Alliance's National Convention in
Las Vegas, where we will kick off our
grassroots efforts for the 2010
elections. Details about the conference
are posted on the Alliance's home web page, http://araorchid.orchidsuites.net/;
to learn more, simply click on "2010 National
Convention" or go to http://bit.ly/1jIzz2.
Register for the convention directly from that
page or by calling 1-888-373-6497. We
will have workshops and training sessions to
strengthen our organizing and advocacy skills,
and will hear from leading experts in public
policy, health care and aging, and the
media. Alliance members will elect a
president and secretary-treasurer, and
community members will elect six
community-based board members. To vote in
the Alliance elections, conference attendees
must be members of the Alliance by December 5,
2009. Hotel reservations must be made by
contacting Bally's Las Vegas directly at
1-800-358-8777.
Did You Know...
A new
study of Senate voting patterns shows the
chamber has approved more than 97 percent of
all bills subject to a cloture motion to begin
debate (Roll Call). The Senate's
health care reform bill falls into that
category. "Alliance members have done
great work in support of health care reform so
far. We can't stop now!" said
Barbara J. Easterling,
President of the Alliance.