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Groups representing doctors and beneficiaries criticize Senators Hutchison and Cornyn for blocking bill to protect access to doctors and improve Medicare

AUSTIN, TX - AARP Texas joined forces today with the Texas Medical Association to urge Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn to reconsider and support a bipartisan bill that would stop a 10.6-percent cut to doctors who treat Medicare patients, keep Medicare premiums fair, and make significant improvements to a program that 44 million Americans depend on.

Last week, Senators Hutchison and Cornyn joined a minority of Senators in voting to block legislation that would have helped people on Medicare maintain access to their doctors, keep premiums fair and improve benefits for the most vulnerable while boosting health care quality through national e-prescribing. The Senate vote on the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (H.R. 6331), which passed by a bipartisan landslide in the House of Representatives, was scheduled for June 26 so it would become law before the cuts to doctor payments were to go into effect on July 1.

The Senate is currently scheduled to reconsider H.R. 6331 immediately following the July 4th recess.

"It is deeply troubling that Senators Hutchison and Cornyn voted to block a bill with bipartisan support that would have preserved patients’ access to their doctors and improved Medicare for the 2.7 million Texans who depend on it," said Bob Jackson, AARP Texas state director. "For the sake of older Texans, people with disabilities and military families, we urge both senators to vote for this bill."

In addition to preventing a 10 percent cut to payments to doctors, the Medicare bill would have: helped keep premiums fair; strengthened protections for lower income beneficiaries; improved Medicare’s coverage of preventive services, and made Medicare more efficient through electronic prescribing.

"As soon as they return to Washington from the July 4 recess, we call on Senators Cornyn and Hutchison to make it their No. 1 priority to pass H.R. 6331," said Texas Medical Association President Josie Williams, MD. "Our elderly patients, Texans with disabilities, and our practices just can’t withstand this 10.6-percent cut in Medicare payments. And our senators will soon have the opportunity to correct their big mistake."

Throughout the debate on Medicare legislation, AARP, AMA, and the Texas Medical Association have engaged their members in the fight to keep Medicare fair and protect access to doctors.  Hundreds of thousands of AARP supporters, including more than 56,000 in Texas, called and emailed Congress, signed petitions, wrote letters to their local papers, and participated in Keep Medicare Fair events around the country over the last several weeks. In addition, more than 41,000 patients and physicians called Congress in June through the AMA grassroots hotline, and the AMA is airing new radio and television ads that urge opponents of H.R. 6331 to put patients’ access to care before insurance profits by voting for the bill as soon as they return to Washington from their holiday recess.

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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, published bimonthly; AARP Bulletin, our monthly newspaper; AARP Segunda Juventud, our bimonthly magazine in Spanish and English; NRTA Live & Learn, our quarterly newsletter for 50 + educators; and our website, www.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.

TMA is the largest state medical society in the nation, representing more than 43,000 physician and medical student members. It is located in Austin and has 120 component county medical societies around the state. Organized in 1853, TMA’s key objective is to improve the health of all Texans.

Three panelists. One moderator. Eighty-plus audience members, spanning three generations. Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and everyone in between gathered at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio on June 4 to bust myths, break gridlock, and find common ground. So what drew this diverse crowd to AARP’s Opinion Leaders Forum?

Cold, hard cash. Or, at least, talking about it.  

AARP sponsored the forum which focused on the future of financial security for Americans of all ages as part of Divided We Fail, a long-term, public outreach effort designed to find bi-partisan solutions to ensure affordable, quality health care and lifetime financial security for Americans of all ages. The topics of discussion included discussions on Social Security, personal savings in the wake of declining pension plans, and financial literacy.

Three lively panelists brought the heat. Lionel Sosa—founder of the largest Hispanic advertising agency in the U.S., sat side-by-side with Cindy Hounsell—an experienced pension attorney and president of the Women’s Institute for a Secure Retirement, and Dr. James Galbraith—an economics professor at the University of Texas and the former executive director of the U.S. Joint Economic Committee. Moderator Frank Morris, a member of AARP’s National Policy Council, facilitated a spirited discussion.

After a brief discussion on diminishing pensions, Morris broached the controversial topic of Social Security.

“When Social Security last needed a fix, Ronald Reagan sat down with…Tip O’Neill…and worked out a solution that increased taxes and trimmed benefits,” Morris said. “Do you think that kind of solution is possible today?”

Sosa feared the eventual decline of Social Security and doubted the program’s sustainability. “People are living longer today, and that costs more money and impacts Social Security,” he said.  No one projected we would live this long.”

But Galbraith noted the importance of the program will rise.

“Social Security will be even more important in the future than it is today…[and] it’s up to us to defend that great institution,” he said.

Americans’ attitudes toward savings was another key part of the discussion, with Morris asking: “The personal savings rate has fallen to the lowest levels since the Great Depression. What can be done to encourage more people to take control of their own financial futures?”

Sosa advocated a shift in cultural values. He theorized that it is American expectation—not the American dream—that has become impossible to maintain.

In 1946, he argued, the average American family hoped to own one car, a two-bedroom one-bathroom house, an icebox, and if they were very, very lucky, a washing machine. Now, he said, if Americans don’t have two cars and a three-bedroom home, they think they’re poor.

Again, both Galbraith and Hounsell countered his argument. Yes, they said, the American dream has changed. However, since Americans are working longer, harder hours, the panelists theorized that workers have appropriately increased their expectation for a higher standard of living. According to Galbraith, it is a lack of opportunity—not a lack of discipline—that prevents Americans from saving.

“Research shows that if people have extra income, they save it,” Galbraith said.

The culprit for a lack of savings, he claimed, was not necessarily American greed and consumerism. The panelists concurred that a broken health care system that fails to provide adequate coverage is a key factor.

By the end of the conversation, the panelists and the audience agreed that talking about financial security with neighbors and friends—even neighbors and friends with different opinions—will, eventually, help to inspire change. And the time for change is now.

“We’re always going to have differences of opinion and there will always be disagreements about specific policies and legislation,” Morris said. “But if today’s forum is any indication, there are people all across the political spectrum who are truly committed to making a difference and not leaving these problems for the next generation.”

New AARP Survey Shows Some Middle-Aged and Older Hispanics Making Dire Decisions for Long Term

While many middle-aged and older Hispanics are trying to work their way through the recent economic slump, many are also being forced to make difficult decisions with dire long-term consequences, according to a new survey by AARP.

The survey, which is part of AARP’s continued look at how Americans ages 45 and older are faring through economic difficulties, found that 86% of Hispanics 45+ say the economy is in fairly bad or very bad condition, and 82% say it is getting worse.

"The current economic downturn is forcing many in the Hispanic community to make very difficult choices between their immediate needs and long-term financial security," said AARP Board Member Jacob Lozada. 

Hispanics 45+ Under Acute Pressure

Compared to all Americans 45+, middle-aged and older Hispanics report a relatively greater impact of recent economic pressure.

While two-thirds of all Americans 45+ are having a harder time paying for food, gas and medicine, four in five Hispanics (80%) are struggling to afford these daily necessities.  Middle aged and older Hispanics are more likely than the general 45+ population to have difficulty paying their mortgage or rent (41% - 26%), as well as pay for educational expenses (32%-19%).

The impact of high foreclosure rates is causing particular stress for Hispanics 45+, with more than four in ten (41%) concerned about losing their home, and more than three-quarters (77%) concerned about the safety of neighborhoods with many foreclosed homes.

Difficult Decisions with Long-Term Impact

Economic pressures are forcing many middle-aged and older Hispanics to make difficult choices that could have dire long-term consequences.

One-third (33%) stopped putting money into a 401(k), IRA or other retirement account, and more than one-quarter (26%) are prematurely raiding these nest egg accounts.

More than three in ten (31%) have postponed paying some bills, and more than one out of every five (22%) middle-aged and older Hispanics are cutting back on their medications.

"We are going to feel the effects of this economic crisis for many years to come," added Lozada.  "Raiding your nest egg has a compounding effect because that money is not allowed to grow at a time when you have fewer working years to make up the losses.  Even worse, skimping on your health care can compromise your health and lead to higher health care costs as you get older."

Many Streamlining Expenses, Working More

The vast majority of Hispanics 45+ are taking more common sense approaches to managing through the economy.  Many are spending less on entertainment and eating out (71%), and more than six in ten (62%) are postponing travel plans and major purchases.

Many middle-aged and older Hispanics are responding to the economy by staying on the job longer, both in the short- and long-terms.  More than a quarter (26%) say the economic slump has forced them to postpone retirement plans, and almost as many (23%) have increased the number of hours they work in the meantime.

In the face of these hard times, many Hispanic families and their communities are pulling together for support.  In the last year, 44% of respondents helped a child pay bills or expenses and almost one-fifth (18%) did the same for their parents.  More than one in ten (14%) let a child move in for financial reasons and 5% did the same for their parents.  One out of every ten (10%) had to seek help from loved ones, churches or local charities.

"Hispanic families are showing impressive resilience and generosity to help others in need," said Lozada.

AARP commissioned the survey, titled "The Economic Slowdown’s Impact on Middle-Aged and Older Hispanics."  The national telephone survey of 400 people ages 45 and older, was conducted April 12 – 23, 2008 by Woelfel Research, Inc.

For more information or to view the complete survey, please visit http://www.aarp.org/research/economy/trends/economy_survey.html.

AARP protests Medicare premium increases, delivering over 20,000 petitions to Senators Hutchison and Cornyn

Medicare premiums have doubled since 2000

AUSTIN, TX – Waving signs and carrying boxes, AARP members and volunteers today delivered more than 20,000 petitions to the offices of Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn in Dallas and Austin, saying it’s time for Congress to halt out-of-control Medicare premium increases.

Congress must act by June 30 to preserve beneficiary access to doctors without penalizing them for a flawed physician payment system.  People on Medicare have always been willing to pay their fair share for their health care coverage and they understand that doctors who treat Medicare patients must be paid fairly. But forcing older Americans to pay even higher premiums because of a flawed physician payment system is just not fair. Temporary physician payment fixes by Congress have contributed to a doubling of Medicare premiums since 2000.

"At a time when all Texans are feeling the crunch of higher prices for basic necessities like food and gas, the last thing Medicare beneficiaries who live on fixed incomes need is another increase in their monthly Medicare premium," said AARP Texas State President Gus Cárdenas in Austin.  "We’re asking Senators Hutchison and Cornyn today to help us fix the physician payment problem, not just vote to raise our premiums."

In an AARP poll released earlier this month, 66 percent of adults ages 50 and over said they would vote against a congressional candidate in the general election if that candidate supported increasing monthly premiums.  AARP has 39 million members nationally, including 2.3 million in Texas.

More than 20,000 petitions from Texans were hand delivered both to Sen. Hutchison’s office in Dallas and Sen. Cornyn’s office in Austin, while volunteers held signs that said "Keep Medicare Fair" and "Texans Deserve Better."

Mary Scott, a member of AARP, said in Dallas, "Let’s stop using a ’Band-Aid’ approach and instead find real solutions to our skyrocketing health care costs. We know that health care costs are going up for everyone, but older Americans in particular are taking it on the chin.  Forcing people on Medicare to pay because Congress hasn’t found a long- term fix is simply unfair."

AARP’s poll found that eight in ten survey respondents opposed raising premiums even higher instead of looking at other recommended ways to lower health care costs.  It also found that a vast majority of 50-plus Americans are concerned about their current and future out-of-pocket health care costs (80 percent and 88 percent, respectively).  Concern over Medicare premiums even extends to those not yet in the program.  Among those ages 50 to 64, 86 percent are concerned about what their premiums will be when they become eligible for Medicare.

Medicare covers only about half of a beneficiary’s health care bills, while about one-quarter of the costs are out-of-pocket. This doesn’t include long-term care costs, whether at home or in a nursing home, where the average cost is around $75,000 annually.  Just one hospital visit can cost as much as $1,000 out-of-pocket, making it particularly tough on seniors on fixed income.

AARP has been working to keep premiums fair and improve Medicare’s low-income programs, including the Part D Low-Income Subsidy and Medicare Savings Programs.  The grassroots effort has already generated more than 325,000 signed petitions – including over 20,000 from Texans -- as well as 26,000 calls and 150,000 e-mails to Senate offices.  Television, print and online ads are running in major markets around the country.