Friday Alert
Friday, February 12, 2010(Alliance for Retired Americans)
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. The increases, which
will take effect on March 1, far outpace the
increases of 10 to 25% seen in previous years
among most insurers offering individual
policies. Kaiser Health News and
The San Diego Union-Tribune report
that as the economy slowly recovers, health
insurance costs for those with individual
policies continue to increase due to larger
numbers of unemployed and those relying on
government health care programs. As a result,
"hospitals and doctors are passing on more of
their uncompensated costs to patients with
private insurance." The San
Francisco Chronicle adds that "California
physical, occupational and speech therapists
are also taking issue with Anthem." The
therapists said the insurer cut their
reimbursement rates by 30 to 50% on February
1. In addition, the Chronicle
reports that patients covered by other health
insurers, including Health Net and Aetna, are
reporting being hit with sky-high
increases. "This is exactly the
kind of news that proves we need health care
reform immediately," said Barbara J.
Easterling, President of the
Alliance.
Social Security Trust Fund Analysis:
Need to Look at the Long
Term
Social Security took in only
$3 billion more in taxes last year than it paid
out in benefits - a $60 billion decline
from 2008, according to federal data. The
recession is blamed in part, as it added to the
hundreds of thousands of workers retiring or
claiming disability. USA Today,
using Congressional Budget Office numbers,
reports that the impact of the recession is
likely to reduce Social Security revenues again
this year and next. The slide in revenues
occurred sooner than Social Security actuaries
had expected, for several reasons: Payroll tax
revenue that was growing at a 4.5% average
annual clip along with wages flattened out in
2009 because of rising unemployment and
disappearing pay raises; the number of retired
workers who began taking benefits increased by
20%; those taking disability jumped by 10%; and
monthly Social Security benefits were raised
5.8% due to a spike in energy prices the year
before. Edward F. Coyle,
Executive Director of the Alliance, responded,
"The overall surplus of the Social Security
Trust Fund is still $2.5 trillion; this is not
a cataclysm. We must look at the
financial picture of Social Security as
actuaries do, over the long-term, which would
be over a 75-year timeline. We cannot
allow privatizers to use temporary
recessions - even deep ones - to ruin the
system that has worked for millions of seniors
over several decades."
Tax Advice for Seniors Available
from Two Sources
Did you know that
taking care of grandchildren and other
dependents may entitle you to additional tax
breaks? Or that many states, such as New
Jersey and Pennsylvania, offer additional tax
credits, tax breaks, property tax and rental
rebates, and tax freezes for seniors? In
some cases, these tax breaks are refundable,
which means you may be entitled to money back
even if you don't owe any tax. Click on
http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/02/04/10-tax-tips-for-seniors/
and http://www.unionplus.org/money/taxes
for additional tips. "Seniors might not
be aware of all the tax breaks they are allowed
under the law," said Ruben
Burks, Secretary-Treasurer of the
Alliance. "The rules change every year."
Neighbors Help Seniors Immensely
During East Coast Blizzards
Across
the East Coast and Mid-Atlantic region, family
members, neighbors and volunteers have stepped
in to help older people cope with cold homes,
snowdrifts and empty cupboards during the
recent blizzards. According to The
Washington Post, one family waded through
deep snow on an unplowed street in Maryland to
get a man to a car that could take him to a
hospital for dialysis. Many older people were
thankful for conveniences unavailable in
previous storms: assisted-living communities
where some staff members stayed, sleeping on
air mattresses, to keep services going;
pharmacies and grocery stores with delivery
programs; and neighborhood e-mail lists that
made it easier to ask for help with shoveling
or running errands.
Obituaries: Rep. John Murtha,
Activist Beth Shulman
Rep.
John Murtha (D-PA), a longtime
defender of seniors and their programs on
Capitol Hill, died of complications from gall
bladder surgery on Monday. His funeral is
next Tuesday. Jean
Friday, President of the Pennsylvania
Alliance and a Murtha constituent, said, "The
unexpected death of Rep. John P. Murtha has
shocked our nation, but especially Southwestern
Pennsylvania, which he so ably represented for
36 years. Rep. Murtha established much of
his legacy in Johnstown, where his home office
was located. The people of this area will
always remember his steadfast support of
worker's rights, veterans' benefits, good
health care, and the preservation of Social
Security and Medicare. We shall miss him
and we send our deepest sympathy to his wife
and family." Rep. Murtha had a 97%
lifetime score on the Alliance's voting
record.
The Washington Post has reported that Beth Shulman, 60, a lawyer, author and union leader who fought for low-wage workers throughout her career, died on Feb. 5 of complications from brain cancer. She lived in Washington, DC. Ms. Shulman, former vice president of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, wrote "The Betrayal of Work: How Low-Wage Jobs Fail 30 Million Americans" (2003), in which she argued that society pays no attention to many of the people upon whom it depends every day.
Education and Training Opportunities
at the 2010 National Alliance
Convention
The theme for the 2010
Alliance National Convention, April 5-8 in Las
Vegas, is "Building Retiree Power." One
workshop offered will be, "Organizing
Strategies Around the 2010 Elections." In
this breakout, you will learn more about the
Retiree Zone Coordinator structure to educate
and mobilize fellow retirees. Also
offered: "Everything You Wanted to Know About
Computers, But Were Afraid to Ask." Our
team of experts will answer any question you
have about using e-mail or the Internet,
signing up for Facebook, or sending and
receiving photos. To register, go to http://bit.ly/1jIzz2 .