Friday Alert   December 14, 2007
Alliance for Retired Americans
888 16th Street, N.W. -  Washington DC, 20006 - (202) 974-8222 - www.retiredamericans.or

More Than 3 Million Seniors Will Fall into Donut Hole Next Year
More seniors than ever are expected to fall into the Medicare Part D “donut hole” next year, the coverage gap in which beneficiaries must pay the full cost of their prescription drugs.  More than 3 million out of 24 million Part D enrollees will have to pay $4,050 in out-of-pocket expenses, including deductibles and co-pays, before Medicare will offer catastrophic coverage and pay for 95% of prescription drug costs.  This is a $200 increase over the $3,850 in out-of-pocket expenses required for catastrophic coverage to occur this year.  Medicare will pay 75% of prescription costs up to $2,510 in 2008, up from $2,400 in 2007.  However, total drug costs must reach $5,726 next year, up from $5,451 in 2007, before the catastrophic coverage kicks in.  “Between rising premiums, fewer prescriptions being covered, and the growing donut hole, seniors will pay more for their drugs on every front next year,” said Edward Coyle, Executive Director of the Alliance.

Omnibus Deal is Near on Federal Budget
On Thursday, Democratic leaders in Congress indicated they would work with Republicans to complete an omnibus spending bill close to Bush’s budget cap, while keeping most earmarks and trying to protect other Democratic spending priorities.  So far, the Defense appropriations bill is the only one of the 12 regular fiscal 2008 spending bills that has been signed into law.  The omnibus spending bill being prepared will roll the 11 remaining fiscal 2008 spending bills into one package.  According to Roll Call, Democrats have told all of the Appropriations subcommittee chairs to find savings within their jurisdiction, through a combination of cutting earmarks and individual programs, as well as across-the-board reductions.  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said the plan would be at the president’s budget number but with Democratic priorities, protecting programs like cancer research at the National Institutes of Health.  A Senate aide said that Republicans are operating under an agreement by which the regular appropriations will come in at the president’s overall number, $933 billion, but that an additional $3.7 billion in emergency spending for veterans’ health care would be included as well.  A final package is not likely to be completed until early next week.  In the meantime, the House brought a short-term continuing resolution (CR) to the floor - also on Thursday - to keep the government running through December 21.  The Senate was expected to follow suit no later than Friday.  “The State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) has now been extended through next week,” said Ruben Burks, Secretary-Treasurer of the Alliance, in referring to the CR.  “Congress was at least able to limit somewhat the damage done by President Bush’s SCHIP vetoes.”

Is One of the 54 Worst Nursing Homes in America Near You?
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently identified 54 American nursing homes as among the worst in their areas.  The list of facilities is designed to encourage homes to improve patient care and make recognizing troubled homes easier for consumers.  Each facility accepting government payment undergoes yearly safety and quality of care inspections; these visits determine whether residents are receiving the proper medications, appropriate assistance with daily needs such as diet and bathing, and are protected from accidents and infections.  Of the 16,400 nursing homes around the country, each year 120 are selected as “special focus facilities” to undergo inspections every six months instead of yearly.  Those listed demonstrated a significant lack of improvement in following assessments after earning the special focus description.  The list is available at http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-11-28-nursing-home-list_N.htm.

Georgia Alliance Holds Its Convention
The Georgia Alliance held elections last Friday as part of its annual convention, which this year focused on community-based organizing.  Wallace Baldwin was elected president, and nine union vice presidents and five community organizers will serve on the board.  Edward Coyle addressed the convention on the importance of the 2008 election and the role seniors will play in November.

Dianna Porter, Alliance’s Policy Director, Set to Retire
Dianna Porter, Director for Policy at the Alliance in the Department of Government and Political Affairs, will soon be retiring to her native Montana.  On Wednesday, Ms. Porter was feted with an enjoyable send-off, surrounded by many of her friends and colleagues.  She has been with the Alliance since its launch in 2001, was with the National Council of Senior Citizens before that, and served the aging community in multiple other capacities prior to that.  “Dianna’s time at the Alliance caps thirty-years of dedication to the senior community.  Her work on fact sheets, reports, and issue briefs has been read by tens of thousands, and she leaves a lasting legacy.  She has been a tireless advocate on behalf of older Americans, and she is highly respected within the aging advocacy world.  I know everyone at the Alliance and the Leadership Council of Aging Organizations joins me in wishing her well as she embarks on this exciting, new chapter in her life,” said George J. Kourpias, President of the Alliance.  Ms. Porter’s most recent issue brief, Health Care Reform: What is at Stake for Current and Future Retirees, is available at http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/a/GetDocumentAction/i/5028.

Western Regional Conference to be National Alliance’s First of 2008
The Alliance for Retired Americans invites Western Region members to attend its Western Regional Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, March 24-26, 2008.  The meetings will provide a forum to work with other activists in the region to learn how to increase grassroots advocacy, get seniors and retirees registered and voting, and educate federal, state and local legislators on the issues that concern retirees and seniors, including prescription drugs, Medicare, Social Security and retirement security.  Join us to set the course for the Alliance and for a country that cares about workers, retirees and their families.  Details for the other Regional Conferences are as follows:  Northeastern Regional Conference, April 17-18, 2008 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Midwestern Regional Conference, April 28-29, 2008 in St. Louis, Missouri; and Southern Regional Conference, June 4-5, 2008 in Orlando, Florida.  To obtain copies of the official registration form for any of the four regional conferences, either call 1-888-373-6497, email Joni Jones at jjones@retiredamericans.org, or visit our website at www.retiredamericans.org.

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