Friday Alert   September 21, 2007
Alliance for Retired Americans
888 16th Street, N.W. -  Washington DC, 20006 - (202) 974-8222 - www.retiredamericans.or

Alliance Members Tell Congress to Stop Medicare Advantage Overpayments
Alliance members have already sent 3,700 e-mails to their members of Congress since being asked Tuesday to help stop overpayments to Medicare Advantage (MA) insurance companies. “Thank you to everyone who contacted their Senators and Representatives,” said Alliance president George Kourpias. “Our members’ actions are widely noticed around Capitol Hill, and this tremendous response is a great demonstration of how much weight we can hold in next year’s elections. Please continue to e-mail your Members of Congress.” You can go to
http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/Stop_Medicare_Advantage_Overpayments to send a letter to your Senators and Representative, and tell them to stop the Medicare Advantage overpayments. The greatest advantage of MA has been to big insurance corporations, as every person in traditional Medicare pays at least $2 more per month in premiums to subsidize overpayments to MA companies. These subsidies are taking two years off the solvency of the Medicare Trust Fund.

Alliance members took action in response to a recent The Washington Post article about how health insurance company lobbyists are stalling efforts on Capitol Hill to end the large taxpayer subsidies to private insurance companies who run MA plans. The piece reveals the money and influence of the corporations profiting from MA programs, and the scope of a national advertising campaign undertaken to prevent reforms. “Our powerful grassroots activism is needed more than ever to overcome the deep pockets of our opponents,” said Edward Coyle, Executive Director of the Alliance.

As of this week, negotiators from both chambers of Congress had broadly agreed on a compromise bill including health insurance for an additional four million uninsured children, but without the provisions for dealing with Medicare. Debate on the legislation will continue next week, with a vote expected before funding for the State Children’s Health Insurance Plan expires on September 30. While funding for MA programs will not be cut in that bill, senior Democrats in both the House and the Senate plan to introduce new legislation on Medicare later in the year.

Congress Creating Programs to Ease Transition to Digital Television
On Wednesday, Senate Special Committee on Aging Chairman Herb Kohl (D-WI) held a hearing on the February 17, 2009, transition to digital television (DTV), and the disproportionate effects it will have on seniors. An Aging Committee investigation previously found the federal government unprepared to educate older Americans about the switch, when homes receiving only over-the-air, broadcast television will lose their analog signal. “This is considered a public safety issue, as these households will no longer be able to receive national and local emergency alerts via television,” said Sen. Kohl, who will introduce a bill to establish a new public-private DTV education initiative. The legislation would intensify coordination among the Federal Communications Commission, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), the Administration on Aging and the television industry, and increase the $5 million that has been allocated to inform more than 300 million people of the change. The money would fund assistance measures such as mandatory public service announcements and a toll-free number people could call to find out if they will be affected and what help is available. By January 1, 2008, NTIA will be making available $40 coupons that can be applied toward the purchase of DTV converter boxes.

Karl Rove Offers Prescription for Health Care Reform
In a recent Wall Street Journal commentary, former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove offered his prescription for American health care reform. He states that the health care problem in America is not a problem resulting from private insurance companies, and suggests strategies such as tax breaks, more private care, and encouraging people to eat better to lower health care costs and increase access. Proposed solutions include giving all workers a tax deduction or credit for their health-insurance premiums, and encouraging people to establish tax-free health savings accounts while purchasing only cheaper catastrophic health insurance to pay for emergencies. Rove uses the Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage as a model for encouraging greater influence for private insurance companies, and offers “eating better, exercising and making healthy lifestyle choices” for everyday health care savings. “Unfortunately, eating better is not the health care solution that will allow millions of retirees to finally afford their prescription drugs,” said Ruben Burks, Secretary-Treasurer of the Alliance.

Illinois Alliance Holds Its Convention
The Illinois Alliance held its annual convention in Ottawa on Tuesday. Hal Gullett, President, and Homer Spaulding, Executive Vice-President, were re-elected, and Bea Lumpkin, Secretary, and Katie Jordan, Treasurer, will be serving for the first time. Nine executive committee members were elected as well. Richard Fiesta, Director of Government and Political Affairs for the Alliance, spoke to the more than 100 in attendance about the Alliance’s recent polling on senior issues and the status of legislation in Congress in the context of the 2008 elections.

Legislative Conference Photos Now Available!
Pictures from the Alliance’s September 4-7, 2007 National Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. are now available. Visit http://alliancelegislativeconference07.shutterfly.com to view many of the conference’s speakers and breakout sessions, as well as meetings with Members of Congress. Many thanks to William Bennett for taking all of the photographs now available on the web.

Did You Know ...
There are roughly the same number of Internet users over age 55 as aged 18 to 34 (The New York Times).

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Alliance for Retired Americans 815 16th St, NW Washington, DC 20006 www.retiredamericans.org