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AARP urges Congress to include older Americans in relief efforts

AARP Executive Vice President Nancy A. LeaMond released the following statement in reaction to the Bureau of Labor Statistics unemployment report for January 2010:

“This most recent snapshot of unemployment in America shows that older workers are facing disturbing declines in three areas since the start of the recession—dwindling job opportunities, longer duration of unemployment, and diminished financial security. Older workers continue to suffer catastrophic job losses, and once unemployed, they tend to remain out of work longer. With the worst unemployment rates in over 60 years, older Americans are also faced with skyrocketing health care costs and shrinking retirement accounts that threaten their health and financial well-being.

“As Congress turns its attention to addressing the nation’s high unemployment rate, AARP encourages our elected leaders to include the needs of older Americans in any jobs relief measures, including extension of unemployment and health insurance benefits. We also are committed to work with Congress and the Administration to provide $250 in economic relief to millions of Americans who rely on Social Security to pay their bills, but have faced frozen benefits this year.

Added: February 8, 2010
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AARP establishes fund for older victims of disaster in Haiti

AARP to match contributions dollar for dollar up to $500,000

The AARP Foundation today announced it has established the AARP Foundation Haiti Relief Fund (www.aarp.org/foundation) to aid relief efforts aimed at older earthquake victims in Haiti. One hundred percent of contributions will go directly to help those most in need and AARP CEO Barry Rand announced today that the organization will match donations up to $500,000.

“The magnitude of the crisis in Haiti is astounding and we know AARP members want to help,” Rand said. “The AARP Foundation Haiti Relief Fund gives AARP members and others who are concerned a way to contribute quickly and safely. Funds will go directly to help those most in need.”

Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and approximately 800,000 Haitians are over the age of 60. Most of these older people live in extreme poverty, have mobility challenges and cannot reach emergency aid stations. Many also are the primary caretakers of their grandchildren. Immediate needs for older Haitians and their families include shelter, food, water and medical attention—including measures to prevent the spread of infection due to the hot temperatures on the island.

The AARP Foundation is working with HelpAge USA and its international parent organization HelpAge International to rush emergency relief to older earthquake victims. HelpAge has on-the-ground experience in Haiti and is the only international relief agency that focuses on the unique needs of older people in an emergency.

“Working together with the AARP Foundation creates an incredible opportunity to build HelpAge USA’s capacity to respond in this crisis,” said Marilyn Grist, HelpAge USA executive director. “Together we can respond to the special needs of Haiti’s seniors, many of whom are the sole caretakers of their grandchildren and of orphans.”

AARP Foundation

The AARP Foundation is AARP’s affiliated charity. Foundation programs provide security protection and empowerment for older persons in need. Low-income older workers receive the job training and placement they need to re-join the workforce. Free tax preparation is provided for low- and moderate-income individuals, with special attention to those 60 and older. The Foundation’s litigation staff protects the legal rights of older Americans in critical health, long-term care, consumer and employment situations. Additional programs provide information, education and services to ensure that people over 50 lead lives of independence, dignity and purpose. Foundation programs are funded by grants, tax-deductible contributions and AARP. For more information about the AARP Foundation, please log on to www.aarp.org/foundation.

HelpAge USA

HelpAge USA, an affiliate of HelpAge International, builds awareness of global aging issues among US audiences; advocates for the empowerment of older, vulnerable adults in the developing world; and raises funds to support the programs of the HelpAge network. HelpAge International helps older people around the world lead full and secure lives. It is the only global network focused on the needs and rights of vulnerable older people.

Added: January 15, 2010
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Keep lawmakers' phones rining so you can afford yours

Thanks to all of you who called your legislator to voice your concerns about SB 162/HB276 that could raise YOUR phone rates for basic telephone service annually. Your phone calls have been heard, but we need to continue the pressure as the Ohio Legislature continues to promote these bills.

AARP and Ohioans Protecting Telephone Consumers continue to object to these bills in their current form because we believe they will:

Weaken or remove consumer protections in important areas such as customer credits, billing, deposits and disconnection and reconnection standards;
Lower telephone service quality standards by, among other things, allowing telephone companies to take 72 hours (three days) to restore outages, and five days to reconnect disconnected lines while eliminating the requirement that they provide a credit on the consumer’s bill if they fail to restore service;
Fail to provide commitments for broadband access to all Ohioans; and
Eliminate all consumer protections for all bundled telephone services.

Remember, this bill is not about economic recovery. It is not about jobs. It is not about funding essential services, and it's certainly not going to cut your taxes. This bill is about phone companies wanting to take more of your money while delivering less.

Call toll free now before it's too late at 1-888-844-5009

AARP urges consumers to contact state lawmakers immediately and tell them “if meaningful consumer protections aren’t added to the telephone deregulation bills, I want you to vote NO on House Bill 276 and Senate Bill 162.”

Please Call Toll Free 1-888-844-5009

Please share this Alert with family and friends.

For more information, please visit http://www.pickocc.org/telecom/deregulation/index.shtml

Added: January 15, 2010
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Lost in the rhetoric: Gains for Medicare beneficiaries

Proposed reforms could add new benefits and flexibility

When it comes to health care reform proposals for Medicare, the big news has been the billions of dollars in savings the bills would wring from the program. But tucked away in the hundreds of pages of legislation Congress is now trying to mesh into one final reform bill are provisions for changes, improvements and experiments within Medicare that have received little public attention.

These changes, large and small, could begin to reshape the program itself and help millions of beneficiaries get better, less expensive care, experts say.

Both the House and Senate versions of health care reform would indeed reduce overpayments to private insurance companies offering Medicare Advantage (MA) plans and adjust payments to providers in order to slow down—but not reverse—the rise in Medicare spending. Those cuts, along with tighter controls on waste and fraud, total about $450 billion in savings over the next 10 years—a fraction of the $6.4 trillion Medicare is expected to cost.

Medicare guarantee

To reassure seniors fearful of these changes, an amendment to the Senate health reform bill guarantees that no basic Medicare benefits would be cut and that the savings would be used to improve care and access to physicians.

In addition, the Senate bill contains a provision that would allow extra benefits currently offered by Medicare Advantage plans to be grandfathered in, so that in some areas and under certain circumstances enrollees would continue to receive them. Both bills would provide bonus payments for MA plans that demonstrate improvements in quality.

Both bills would also add new benefits to Medicare, test ways to improve how care is delivered—including avoiding nursing homes by getting care at home—and give doctors and hospitals bonus payments for providing better care. The legislation would provide most preventive health care for free and improve access to health care providers in rural areas. The House bill would also raise payments for primary care doctors, boost efforts to fight fraud and increase subsidies for older people with low incomes.

New benefits

“Mammograms, colonoscopies, all kinds of things that seniors need for good preventive care” are free to them under this bill, says Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, who has championed the rights of seniors so enthusiastically that, as a congressman in 2001, he provided free bus trips to Canada so they could buy cheap prescription drugs. “There will also be free annual medical checkups for Medicare beneficiaries.”

Bruce Vladeck, who headed the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services during the Clinton administration, says the agency should have eliminated charging for these services a long time ago. He says research has shown that copayments for mammograms and other screenings have discouraged many beneficiaries from using these important services.

But closing the gap in Medicare prescription drug coverage—the infamous “doughnut hole”—is the first thing mentioned by John Rother, AARP’s executive vice president for policy, when asked about the new Medicare benefits the legislation would add. It’s the “most visible” improvement, he says.

Under the current Part D drug benefit, coverage stops when the beneficiary and the drug plan have spent $2,830 on drugs in 2010 and resumes only after the beneficiary alone has spent a total of $4,550 out of pocket since the beginning of the year. Enrollees pay the full price for drugs when they’re in the gap.

Added: January 8, 2010
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AARP urges Congress to protect Medicare, end industry abuse

CEO Barry Rand outlines critical priorities for health care reform

As the House and Senate begin work to merge their respective health care reform bills, AARP CEO A. Barry Rand today (Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2010) sent a letter on behalf of the association’s nearly 40 million members to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, outlining key priorities that any final health care reform package should include.

“On behalf of AARP’s nearly 40 million members, I congratulate you both for advancing comprehensive health reform legislation that will help older Americans get the health care they need,” wrote Rand. “As you work to merge the House and Senate bills, we urge the strongest possible package to protect and strengthen Medicare, stop insurance company abuses, control skyrocketing costs, and ensure older Americans have access to affordable, quality coverage.”

Specifically, Rand’s letter identifies key priorities, including strengthening Medicare and lowering costs by closing the “doughnut hole” prescription drug coverage gap; cracking down on a discriminatory practice that allows insurance companies to use age as an excuse to charge older Americans unaffordable premiums; and improving long-term services and supports that help people live in their homes and communities as they age.

Rand’s letter also urges lawmakers to enact other meaningful policies to help improve health care quality and access while lowering costs, which are contained in both bills. These measures include ensuring adequate subsidies exist to help make coverage more affordable, promoting prevention and rewarding quality rather than quantity of care. The letter also notes AARP’s concern with the Senate’s proposal to create a board to review payments in Medicare.

“[W]e do not support approaches, such as those suggested in the Senate’s proposed Independent Payment Advisory Board, that rely too heavily on the Medicare program to achieve cost-containment objectives,” wrote Rand. “AARP believes that the health care system, including Medicare, is inextricably linked, and if we are to truly solve the health care cost crisis for our children and grandchildren, we must consider public and private sector costs simultaneously.”

The letter also acknowledges and applauds the work already done in both chambers, and urges both the House and Senate to work together to create strong comprehensive health care reform legislation that helps all Americans with accessing affordable, quality health care.

Added: January 6, 2010
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AARP applauds Senate for passing health care reform

Association looks forward to improving legislation in conference committee

AARP CEO A. Barry Rand released this statement after this morning’s passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The vote allows members of the House of Representatives and Senate to begin merging their respective bills and enact health reform legislation early in the New Year.

“This morning the Senate brought us closer to meaningful health care reform than we have ever been before. Passage of the Senate health care reform bill clears the way for Congress to enact legislation in the coming weeks that will protect and strengthen Medicare, ensure millions more Americans can get affordable health coverage and sharply curtail discriminatory insurance company practices that keep those most in need out of the system.

“The bill passed by the Senate makes needed progress to prevent coverage denials due to health status and limit insurance companies from charging older Americans much more for coverage because of their age. It also begins to close the dangerous gap in Medicare drug coverage known as the doughnut hole, and Senate leaders have committed that a final bill will close the gap entirely by 2019, in keeping with the President’s pledge. In addition, the Senate bill adds important new Medicare benefits, like free preventive care, and encourages states to provide more home and community-based long-term care services and supports instead of costlier institutional care.

“AARP thanks the Senate for advancing this critical legislation. We look forward to working with members of both chambers during the conference committee to improve this legislation and enact a final package that is even stronger so that America’s health care system finally meets the needs of our members and all older Americans.”

For more information on AARP’s health care reform effort, please visit AARP.org.

Added: December 24, 2009
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Senate fails to lower Rx drug prices

AARP is recording House and Senate roll call votes on key issues throughout the 111^th Congress, and informing its nearly 40 million members and all older Americans of the results of these key votes.

AARP disappointed by Senate vote against lower drug prices

SUMMARY: The U.S. Senate today rejected an amendment to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that would help make prescription drugs more affordable by allowing for the safe and legal importation of lower priced drugs from abroad. The bipartisan amendment, endorsed by AARP and sponsored by Senators Dorgan, Snowe, McCain, Grassley and Stabenow, would have improved competition and helped to bring down the skyrocketing costs of prescription drugs.

The Senate also rejected a second prescription drug importation amendment sponsored by Sen. Lautenberg, which would have created an unnecessary roadblock for prescription drug importation. In a move designed to block importation, the amendment prohibited importation of prescription drugs unless the Secretary of Health and Human Services can certify that it is safe to do so. Despite the fact that safety provisions are already built into the AARP-endorsed Dorgan-Snowe amendment, this version is designed to create administrative hurdles to effectively prevent importation.

OHIO	VOTED YES ON RX IMPORTATION AMENDMENT TO LOWER DRUG COSTS	VOTED NO ON RX IMPORTATION AMENDMENT TO LOWER DRUG COSTS
Brown, Sherrod	X
Voinovich, George		X

*Did not vote

** How a legislator votes on issues is only one factor in evaluating his or her legislative performance, which should also include such things as constituency services and committee work.

OHIO	VOTED YES ON AMENDMENT TO BLOCK LOWER-COST RX DRUGS	VOTED NO ON AMENDMENT TO BLOCK LOWER-COST RX DRUGS
Brown, Sherrod		X
Voinovich, George	X

*Did not vote

** How a legislator votes on issues is only one factor in evaluating his or her legislative performance, which should also include such things as constituency services and committee work.

Jane Taylor, state director for AARP Ohio, released this statement following the vote:

“AARP commends Senator Brown for voting to lower the cost of prescription drugs by voting for safe and legal importation without unnecessary roadblocks to this money-saving provision. This legislation would have helped lower drug prices for millions of Americans. Our research shows manufacturer prices of the most commonly used brand name drugs rose more than nine percent in just the last year. The creation of a safe and legal system of importing lower-cost prescription drugs is one step toward lowering prescription drug prices.

“AARP is deeply disappointed that Senator Voinovich voted for continuing the status quo and against lower prescription drug prices for Ohioans. With brand name drug prices rising at alarming rates, we hope he will further review the negative impact on the people of Ohio and reconsider his position.”

Making prescription drugs more affordable has long been one of AARP’s top priorities. The Dorgan-Snowe-McCain-Grassley-Stabenow importation amendment would have been a first step toward lowering the cost of medications in this country. AARP will continue to fight for this amendment and against the unnecessary roadblocks that could prevent its implementation.

AARP notified the 111^th Congress that it was tracking roll call votes on key legislation important to its nearly 40 million members and reporting the outcomes of these votes back to its members and all older Americans.

AARP members and all older Americans can see how their representatives voted on health care reform by going to www.aarp.org/governmentwatch. AARP’s Government Watch is a one-stop online portal that will be tracking and publicizing every designated key vote on issues facing Americans age 50-plus. A “Key Vote Summary” highlighting votes on these issues will be published at the end of each congressional session.

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to either political campaigns or candidates. We produce AARP The Magazine, the definitive voice for 50+ Americans and the world's largest-circulation magazine with over 35.5 million readers; AARP Bulletin, the go-to news source for AARP's nearly 40 million members and Americans 50+; AARP Segunda Juventud, the only bilingual U.S. publication dedicated exclusively to the 50+ Hispanic community; and our website, AARP.org. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

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Added: December 16, 2009
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AARP applauds promise to close doughnut hole

AARP Applauds Promise to Close Doughnut Hole

AARP CEO A. Barry Rand has sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid thanking him for publicly committing to close the Medicare prescription drug doughnut hole in a final health care reform bill. Closing this dangerous gap in coverage has been a top priority for AARP throughout the health care debate. During a colloquy on the Senate floor on Monday, Dec. 14, Reid joined Senators Max Baucus and Chris Dodd in committing to meet the President’s pledge of closing the gap by 2019. Rand’s letter to the Majority Leader follows:

December 14, 2009

The Honorable Harry Reid
Majority Leader
United States Senate
S-221, Capitol
Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Leader Reid:

Thank you for your commitment — and that of Chairmen Baucus and Dodd — to closing the Medicare Part D coverage gap or “doughnut hole” by 2019 during the upcoming House-Senate conference committee on health reform legislation. We understand, given Senate constraints, that this action must wait until conference.

As you know, millions of seniors are being overwhelmed by skyrocketing out-of-pocket drug costs. Too many are going without the drugs they desperately need, which can lead to more serious health problems and higher long-term costs—both for them and for our health care system as a whole. In Nevada alone, 12 percent of those enrolled in Part D fall into the doughnut hole every year. For these reasons, closing the coverage gap is a critical element of health reform and will help to constrain costs throughout the system.

We appreciate your leadership in developing and advancing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in the Senate. This bill will strengthen Medicare by eliminating cost barriers to preventive care, reform Medicare’s payment and delivery system to promote care coordination, and reduce hospital infections and preventable readmissions. Moreover, through critical insurance market reforms and the establishment of exchanges, this bill will give the uninsured and small businesses access to quality affordable plans. The legislation also includes important provisions to strengthen home and community-based care and to assist individuals in saving to meet future long-term care needs.

With your commitment to closing the doughnut hole in conference, consistent with the President’s pledge, and the many positive features referenced above, AARP is pleased to support your efforts to obtain cloture, and urges timely passage of this legislation by the Senate.

We look forward to working with you in conference to finalize health care reform legislation that strengthens Medicare for current and future generations, and which ensures that all Americans can obtain affordable coverage—particularly those aged 50 to 64—who face the most difficulty securing coverage they can afford in the individual and small group markets.

Sincerely,
Addison Barry Rand

Added: December 15, 2009
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Telephone deregulation wrong call for Ohio consumers

Ohio House and Senate bills raise rates, reduce quality

AARP Ohio and consumer groups allied with us are pointing out that telephone deregulation may not be the right call for landline telephone customers in Ohio. According to a group of 45 consumer organizations, House and Senate bills under consideration threaten to reduce many current customer protections and would be most harmful to the 60-plus set.

For example, the measures would lower telephone service quality standards by increasing from 24 hours to 72 hours the time companies have to restore outages, according to Kathy Keller with AARP Ohio.

"That's just not acceptable for older people who need medical assistance or another type of help to be without a phone for three days, and frankly, it is the older Ohioan who is most likely to depend entirely on landline telephone service."

Keller says other consumer protections could be weakened, including customer credits, billing and deposits. Lawmakers advancing the legislation, and the telephone industry, claim deregulation will spur competition and create jobs at a time when landline telephones are losing customers to wireless service. But opponents argue most companies' return for shareholders has been consistently solid each year.

Ryan Lippe with the Ohio Consumers Council says Senate Bill 162 and House Bill 276 are in the interest of telephone companies and don't provide benefits for customers. He adds the legislation also would allow rate hikes without regulatory oversight.

"We could see, for example, a $1.25 increase on the monthly price of basic local service, year after year after year. There's no time frame specified in this bill - that's an annual rate increase that companies could impose on us."

He adds the bills also fail to provide commitments for broadband access to all Ohioans, and they eliminate all consumer protections for bundled telecommunication services.

AARP and the Ohio Consumers Council are among more than 45 consumer groups banding together against the deregulation. Learn more about the legislation by visiting the consumer counsel’s web site at www.pickocc.org

Added: December 10, 2009
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Innovations proposed would fix broken health care system

Package broadens the Medicare Advisory Board’s scope

A group of eleven freshmen U.S. Senators on Tuesday (Dec. 8, 2009) introduced several amendments to the health care legislation being considered in the Senate. AARP Executive Vice President Nancy LeaMond gave brief remarks during today’s introduction. Excerpts from LeaMond’s remarks follow:

“On behalf of our nearly 40 million members, AARP is pleased with this cost containment and health care delivery reform amendment to the Senate health care reform legislation. We applaud these senators for their leadership and willingness to work together to improve the Senate bill.

“This amendment package contains important innovations that will help fix our broken health care system and move it into the 21st century.

“In particular, AARP supports changes to broaden the scope of the Independent Medicare Advisory Board. A special thanks goes to Sen. Mark Udall of Colorado, for his leadership in crafting provisions to broaden the scope of the Medicare board.

“Our members understand better than most the importance of protecting Medicare. We also understand that skyrocketing costs throughout the health care system threaten Medicare and risk the health security for the tens of millions of Americans for whom Medicare is literally a lifeline.

“AARP agrees with many of the Independent Medicare Advisory Board’s goals – such as extending Medicare solvency, slowing cost-growth, and improving quality. However, any attempt to set spending targets in Medicare alone would be shortsighted and dangerous for the 45 million people who rely on it. We strongly support the changes made by Majority Leader Reid permitting the Board to act only if Medicare spending rises faster than overall health spending. It is not fair to hold Medicare to a different standard than the economy at large.

“Looking at Medicare in isolation would also fail to address the underlying threats to the sustainability of our entire health care system. The disease we must cure is rising health care costs; Medicare is merely a symptom of that illness.

“It is critical that any legislation strengthens Medicare and does not weaken it. These amendments help make sure that as we fix our troubled health care system that Medicare remains a vibrant option for the millions who rely on it.

“Therefore, the Board’s scope must be expanded to look at total health spending so we can make healthcare affordable for all Americans.

“In addition, this package has a number of other provisions that could help AARP members and all older Americans, and protect Medicare, including:

* Combating fraud and abuse in more sophisticated ways;

* Beginning to lay the groundwork so we can more closely tie provider payments to quality not quantity; and

* Helping support doctors and other health care providers to reduce disparities.

“Ultimately, we need to shift our entire health care system from one that decides who we can see, for which procedures, and for how much money, to one that helps us get and stay healthy.”

The 11 freshmen who introduced today’s package of amendments are Sens. Mark Begich (AK), Michael Bennet (CO), Roland Burris (IL), Kay Hagan (NC), Ted Kaufman (DE), Paul Kirk (MA), Jeff Merkley (OR), Jeanne Shaheen (NH), Mark Udall (CO), Tom Udall (NM) and Mark Warner (VA).

Added: December 9, 2009
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