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SENIOR CITIZEN POLITICS Political News and Information for Senior Citizens & Baby Boomers
Senior Citizen Politics Medicare Hits Physicians with New Regulations, Cuts $3 Billion From Fee Schedule
Spending under the 2009 Physician Fee Schedule is projected at $54 billion June 30, 2008 – While physicians caring for Medicare patients have a 10-day reprieve from a 10 percent pay cut, they did get hit today by new regulations proposed by Medicare, as well as, changes in the agency’s compensation structure that will reduce payments to doctors by about $3 billion. Some question if this will encourage doctors to push more of the bill to the senior citizen patients. Read more... Docs Get Temporary Relief from Medicare Pay Cut Due Tomorrow Washington Post says freeze by Health & Human Services could last 10 days
Republicans, Insurance Lobby Slam Shut Effort to Stop Medicare’s 10% Pay Cut for Physicians
Sen. McCain could have stopped the pay cut but failed to show for the vote; AMA says docs will limit Medicare patients
June 27, 2008 – The insurance industry lobby, with a lot of help from Republican senators, appears to have managed to cut Medicare’s pay to physicians by more than 10 percent by the end of June. Although approved by a majority of the Senators present, the legislation failed by one vote to reach the 60 needed to close debate and call for the final vote. President Bush had promised to veto the bill that earlier passed the House by a gigantic margin of 355-59, as many Republicans defied the President’s threat. Read more... Senate Republicans Block Bill That Would Delay Medicare Physician Payment Cut Sends it back for further negotiations between Republicans and Democrats
June 13, 2008 - Senate Democrats on Thursday failed to obtain the 60 votes required to invoke cloture and begin debate on a bill (S 3101) that would delay for 18 months a 10.6% reduction in Medicare physician fees scheduled to take effect on July 1 and increase payments by 1.1%, among other provisions, CQ Today reports. Read more... Senior Citizens Slightly Favor McCain in May Polling Despite Obama Bounce from April Older Boomers most likely to support McCain after favoring Obama in April; Pew Research finds McCain's Negatives Mostly Political, Obama's More Personal By Tucker Sutherland, editor, SenorJournal.com
Medicare Will See Big Changes if Bill Offered in Senate by Finance Chair Baucus Gets Passed Gives docs pay increase but makes major changes in way program operates June 9, 2008 – The office of Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) on Friday issued a news release saying the Chairman had “unveiled long-awaited legislation making reforms to Medicare.” That is starting with an understatement. If passed, this bill will change the face of Medicare. The headlines it garnered focused on the move to give back to doctors the pay being cut by Medicare but the meat is in the dozens of other provisions that make significant changes to the program. Read more... Senate Passes 2009 Budget Ignoring Bush Medicare, Medicaid Cuts; Moves to Restore Docs’ Pay Cut Paints bleak picture for next president, who will face tough decisions, such as on cutting benefit programs to prepare for the retirement of the baby-boomers June 5, 2008 – The Senate yesterday approved a new budget for the 2009 fiscal year that ignores the cuts to Medicare and Medicaid that were proposed in the budget proposed by President George Bush. Senators on Finance Committee also moved closer yesterday to agreement on legislation that will stop the 10.6 percent cut in Medicare play for physicians now set to become effective on July 1. The final details focus on funding and the possible increased pay in future years. Read more... Senior Citizen Politics Bush To Veto Any Legislation Including Medicare Advantage Cuts Health and Human Services Secretary tries to stop Democrat bill restoring physician’s pay cut
May 30, 2008 - HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt in a May 22 letter wrote that President Bush's senior advisers would recommend he veto any legislation that "would result in the loss of access to additional benefits or choices in the Medicare Advantage program," the AP/San Francisco Chronicle reports (Freking, AP/San Francisco Chronicle, 5/29). Read more... FTC Report Shows Drug Companies Still Paying to Keep Generic Drugs From Consumers 'These agreements inflict special pain on the working poor and the elderly, who need effective drugs at affordable prices.' May 22, 2008 - The Federal Trade Commission yesterday released a report on 33 final settlement legal documents submitted to the FTC by drug manufacturers in fiscal year 2007 with those submitted since fiscal year 2004, finding an increasing use of "pay-for-delay" agreements between brand-name and generic drug manufacturers. For many of the elderly, the sickest and poorest Americans, the low-cost generics can be critical. Read more... New Senate Bill Aims to Help Senior Citizens, Aging Baby Boomers Stay in Workforce Retirement trends could create a U.S. labor shortage of 4.8 million workers in 10 years May 7, 2008 - Although many of today's senior citizens find it is tough to find employment it may get a little easier is a new Senate bill passes. The bi-partisan bill has been introduced in the Senate to prevent projected dramatic declines in the workforce following the retirement of the baby boomers. It will provide incentives and eliminate barriers for older Americans wishing to stay in the workforce longer, and encourage employers to recruit and retain older workers. Read more... Restoring Medicare Pay Cut to Docs May Get Delayed by Iraq War Spending AARP says effort to derail new Medicaid regulations also a factor
May 5, 2008 - Senate action on legislation to delay a 10.6% Medicare physician fee cut might take a back seat to a supplemental spending bill for the Iraq war and a measure to delay new Medicaid regulations, AARP's lead lobbyist said on Friday, CQ HealthBeat reports. Read more... Sen. Kohl promises legislation to expand, train, and support all sectors of the health care workforce, including doctors, nurses, direct care workers, and family caregivers April 17, 2008 – Martha Stewart headlined a hearing of the Senate's Special Committee on Aging yesterday that may set the wheels in motion to expand the recruitment and training of healthcare workers to meet the needs of the 78 million baby boomers about to join the Medicare ranks, and to help relieve the 44 million Americans serving as the sole source of care for an older family member or loved one. Read more... Senior Citizens Turn to Local TV for Political News; Most Americans Distrust Media Harris Poll says for political news people turn to local TV, then cable networks and newspapers March 11, 2008 – The Harris Poll recently looked at how Americans trust and use the media for political news and found older people – called “Matures” in Harris talk – are much more likely than younger generations to turn to their local television news, while the Baby Boomers chose cable television news. But, among all age groups, Harris found most Americans don’t trust the media. Read more... Aging Committee Seeks Alternative to Drug Companies Educating Physicians on New Drugs Hearing Wednesday will explore government program to provide the information March 10, 2008 – Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI) does not like doctors getting their first introduction to a new drug from a pharmaceutical sales representative – he thinks it unfairly influences the physicians. Instead, the chairman of the Senate aging committee wants the government to provide the information. He will hold a hearing on Wednesday to consider this revolutionary alternative. Read more... One in 9 Senior Citizens Going Hungry Says Report to Senate Aging Committee Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR) says 35 million Americans going hungry, senior citizens are ‘disproportionately affected’ March 10, 2008 – One out of every nine senior citizens in America is going hungry, according to testimony last week at a hearing of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, which was called by the ranking member, Senator Gordon H. Smith (R-OR). Smith said 35 million Americans are going hungry and senior citizens are “disproportionately affected.” Read more... Senior Citizens Most Adamant Voter Age Group and They Want Hillary Clinton Young people surging to vote for Obama, older voters love Hillary March 5, 2008 – Age is clearly a factor in the battle for the presidential nomination of the Democratic Party. The older the voter, the more likely he or she will vote for Hillary Clinton. The trends detected by the Pew Research Center in the Super Tuesday elections appeared to hold in yesterday’s elections in Texas, Ohio, Vermont and Rhode Island. Read more... Aging Committee Hears Surgeons Paid Millions to Promote Medical Devices Investigator testifies that hip & knee replacement market paid $800 million to doctors over five years Feb. 27, 2008 – Government investigators found that during the years 2002 through 2006, four manufacturers, which controlled almost 75 percent of the hip and knee replacement market, paid physician consultants over $800 million under the terms of roughly 6,500 consulting agreements, according to Greg Demske, an investigator for Health and Human Services. He testified today at a hearing of the Senate Special Committee on Aging that examined the financial interactions between medical device companies and surgeons. Read more... Aging Committee Hearing Today Questions Physician Inducements Investigation reinforces need for physician payment sunshine act Feb. 27, 2008 – An investigation by the Senate Special Committee on Aging has found “rampant” conflicts of interest in the medical device industry, with surgeons being induced by an assortment of cash, free travel and other gifts to use particular devices. The committee will hold a hearing this today to see if these inducements violate industry ethics or federal laws. Read more... Age May Be Issue in Presidential General Election with Two of Oldest Candidates Ronald Reagan holds crown for oldest, John F. Kennedy was youngest elected By Tucker Sutherland, editor Feb. 25, 2008 – Back in early February a survey by the Pew Research Center found major concern among voters about a candidate being age 70 or older. Andrew Kohut, President of the Pew Research Center wrote a special analysis published in the New York Times today pointing to the research and saying it could emerge as a real problem for Sen. John McCain, 71, in the general election. Read more... Bush Solution to Medicare Funding is Shifting More Costs to High Income Seniors Proposal to Congress responds to mandate for plan to fund program Feb. 16, 2008 – Reminding Congressional leaders that the “Medicare program is on an unsustainable path,” Health and Human Services Secretary Michael O. Leavitt, yesterday presented the Bush Administration’s response to a mandate to solve this problem. Shifting more of the financial burden of the drug program to higher income Americans is the primary change suggested in the proposed legislation. Read more... Democrats Win Battle to Add Low-Income Senior Citizens to Economic Stimulus Plan Seniors depending on Social Security to get $300 checks in compromise Feb. 8, 2008 – It is a done deal – low-income senior citizens and disabled veterans will be included in the government’s play to stimulate the lagging economy. Congress has sent the final bill to the White House for President George Bush’s signature and he said yesterday it was “good legislation.” Read more.... Senate Republicans with McCain Decide to Approve Adding Senior Citizens to Stimulus Plan Additions to House bill adds 20 million seniors, 250,000 disabled veterans into those to get checks Feb. 7, 2008 – Democrats overcame the attempt by Republicans in the Senate to block senior citizens from receiving checks as part of the economic stimulus plan with help from Sen. John McCain, who did not vote yesterday when the plan was defeated by one vote. Senators Clinton and Obama voted for the plan yesterday but did not vote today as the Senate elements were added to the House play by a vote of 81 to 16. Read more...see how your senators voted... Republicans Block 20 Million Senior Citizens from Economic Stimulus Plan Senate bill needed just one more vote; Sen. McCain dodges vote that could have mattered
Feb. 7, 2008 – The Republicans – by one vote – blocked the passage of the economic stimulus package in the Senate and excluded over 20 million senior citizens and disabled veterans from receiving government checks that will be sent to more affluent Americans in an effort to boost the stalled U.S. economy. Read more..See how each Senator voted... Senate Should Vote Today to Add Senior Citizens to Stimulus Plan Majority Leader Reid says amendment to House bill adds 21.5 million seniors Feb. 6, 2007 – The Senate moved as expected yesterday to take up the economic stimulus plan approved by the House – HR 5140 – and to begin reshaping it to meet the recommendations of the Senate Finance Committee, which voted to add over 20 million senior citizens to the list of those who will receive government checks. Majority Leader Harry Reid offered the key amendments and a vote is expected today. Read more... Senate Considers House Stimulus Plan Today, Adds 20 Million Senior Citizens Tomorrow Senate bill to add seniors, disabled to those getting checks
Senior Citizen Entitlement Programs Take $208 Billion Hit in Bush Budget President lays out $3.1 trillion budget and again says Congress must solve financial future of Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security Feb. 4, 2008 - Entitlement programs – short for Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security – will see spending cuts of $208 billion over the next five years, if the budget proposed today by President George W. Bush is approved. The cuts in these programs that primarily affect senior citizens are even larger than earlier estimates. The President, today, repeatedly laid the problem at the feet of Congress, as he did in the State of the Union address. Read more... Many Senior Citizens in Nursing Homes Will Not Be Voting Super Tuesday Committee on Aging focuses on voting barriers for senior citizens Feb. 4, 2008 – Last Thursday, Senate Special Committee on Aging Chairman Herb Kohl (D-WI) held a hearing on older voters and barriers they face in exercising their right to vote, with a specific focus on states participating in tomorrow’s Super Tuesday primaries. Kohl and Rules Committee Chairman Dianne Feinstein also sent a letter requesting that the Election Assistance Commission conduct research on voting within long-term care settings and develop voluntary guidelines to help states facilitate such voting. Read more... Bush to Raise Medicare Drug Premiums, Cut Medicare $178 Billion in New Budget Most cuts from decreases in reimbursements to physicians, hospitals and other health care providers
Feb. 1, 2008 – Senior citizens seemed to be getting punched by the Republicans at every turn. This week the Senate Republicans refused to support a Finance Committee recommendation on the economic stimulus rebate program, because it included checks to 20 million low-income senior citizens. Now, it is reported that President Bush will raise the monthly premiums on Medicare drug plans in his budget on Monday, as well as, cut Medicare spending by $178 billion. Read more... Republicans Oppose Senior Citizens Sharing in Economic Stimulus Rebates Vote on Senate Finance Committee’s plan to include low-income seniors delayed Jan. 31, 2008 - The effort by the Senate Finance Committee to create an economic stimulus plan that would include 20 million senior citizens that are excluded from the House’s plan has quickly run into Republican opposition. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says the Senate will not vote on the proposal until next week, probably Wednesday. Read more... 20 Million Senior Citizens to Get Economic Stimulus Checks in Plan Approved by Finance Committee House plan excludes senior citizens with earned income of less that $3,000
Jan. 31, 2008 - By a vote of 14-7, the Senate Finance Committee last night voted to deliver $500 tax rebates to more than 20 million American senior citizens as part of an economic stimulus plan authored Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.). The Baucus legislation, which is slated for immediate consideration by the full Senate, will boost the American economy with $500 rebates for every American reporting $3000 in wages, Social Security income, or net self-employment income on a 2007 tax return. Read more... Senator Baucus Demands More Senior Citizens be Included in Economic Stimulus Plan House bill excludes many senior citizens from rebates due to income limit that does not include Social Security benefit
Super Tuesday Primaries to be Focus of Aging Committee Hearing on Thursday Chairman Kohl says topic will be accessibility for senior citizens Jan. 29, 2008 – During the recent Nevada primary, 45 percent of those voting Republican and 36 percent of Democrats were age 60 or older. Senior citizens have historically been more likely to vote than younger people but there is some concern that the new Voter ID law could hinder the voting of many seniors. Read more... State of the Union for America's Senior Citizens is Anything But Strong, Says Advocate Reaction by Barbara B. Kennelly of National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare Jan. 29, 2008 – One head of a senior advocacy group charged after last night’s State of the Union address that "For seven years this Administration has either attacked or neglected the programs that benefit older adults. Tonight's State of the Union address confirms that there will be no aging epiphany in the remainder of President Bush's last year in office. “ Read more... President Ducks on Solutions for Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid in State of Union Bush says programs cost more than we can afford but Congress must find solutions Jan. 29, 2008 - Whenever a President gives the State of the Union address, senior citizens listen carefully for what may be proposed regarding the lifelines for many – Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Last night, some even feared President Bush would call for spending cuts in Medicare, but it did not happen. He just said the programs are costing more than we can afford and called on Congress to find the solutions. Read more... Senior Citizen Issues Seldom Mentioned in Campaigns or in Washington Bush required to send a Medicare savings plan to Congress; will address Medicare paycut for physicians in State of Union Jan. 22, 2008 – With a challenging presidential race in both parties and power in Washington divided between the two parties, it might be assumed there would be a lot of discussion of issues that are important to senior citizens, the most prolific voters. There has not been much – a brief squabble over funding Social Security between Democrats, a proposal by Sen. John McCain to allow prescription drug reimportation and the annual battle in the Washington over cutting the pay doctors get from Medicare is about it. But things could be getting more interesting. Read more... Democrats Try Again to Stop Medicare's Physician Pay Cut; Want More Medicaid Funds to Boost Economy Doctors’ 10% pay cut now scheduled for July 1; Medicaid funds to help states maintain eligibility levels Jan. 17, 2008 – With Congress back in full swing after the holiday break, Medicare and Medicaid are back on the congressional agenda. Democrats stopped a 10 percent cut in physician pay by Medicare in December but only by agreeing to delay it for six months. Now they are working on a longer-term solution. Democratic also want to include an increase in the matching funds states receive for Medicaid as part of an economic stimulus package, according to KaiserNetwork.org. Kohl, Harkin Senate Bill to Force Disclosure of 401K Management Fees Senators say high fees can take thousands from retirement savings Dec. 27, 2007 - Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, introduced legislation this month to protect American workers by ensuring they can access information on the cost of 401 (k) plan management fees. The Harkin/Kohl Defined Contribution Fee Disclosure Act of 2007 would require 401(k) plan providers to disclose all fees so that workers saving for retirement can make a fully informed decision about which plan is best for them, according to Sen. Kohl’s office. Read more... Medicare Reform Bill Passed in Senate Stops Physician Pay Cut Short-Term Bill has a number of provisions impacting Medicare, Medicaid and CHIP Dec. 19, 2007 – Late yesterday the Senate passed on a voice vote the Medicare reform legislation from the Finance Committee. The summary of Medicare provisions in the legislation being considered today in the House was released just yesterday by the Senate Finance Committee. The lead provision, which has garnered most of the public attention, addresses the 10 percent paycut for physicians that Medicare has approved for January. This bill offers a temporary solution - a 0.5% increase but just through June 30, 2008. Read more... Republicans Say Medicare Bill Must Have Unanimous Consent to Clear Senate Time running out on Democratic efforts to stop pay cut for Medicare physicians Dec. 17, 2007 – The attempt by Senate Democrats to stop the Bush Administration from cutting the Medicare pay of doctors by 10 percent on January 1 has hit a new roadblock laid down by Republicans. The GOP now says the only way to avoid their filibuster is to pass a bill with unanimous consent. This means, for one thing, that other Medicare reforms will have to be dropped. Read more... Medicare Legislation in Senate Facing GOP Filibuster on Private Firms’ Issues Sen. Baucus says package will not include cuts to Medicare Advantage
Dec. 14, 2007 - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Thursday said that the chamber would wait for the Senate to craft Medicare legislation rather than write its own bill because of continued disagreement among lawmakers on what to include, CongressDaily reports (Johnson, CongressDaily, 12/13). The bill is being written to stop a scheduled 10% reduction in Medicare physician fees scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, 2008. Read more... Reverse Mortgage News for Seniors Reverse Mortgage Law Has Unhappy Birthday at Senate Aging Hearing Aging Committee hears horror story, Sen. McCaskill to offer legislation to assure senior citizens are protected Dec. 13, 2007 – Yesterday was the twentieth anniversary of the law establishing the reverse mortgage program, which allows Americans age 62 or older to transfer their home equity into a monthly income. The birthday celebration at the Senate Special Committee on Aging hearing, however, was not a happy one. One witness told how her mother suffered financial losses and mental stress from taking out a reverse mortgage. Read more... Efforts Failing to Stop Medicare from Cutting Physicians Pay, Other Reforms House unable to agree on adding Medicare package to alternative minimum tax bill
Dec. 12, 2007 - Legislation that would prevent middle-class U.S. residents from paying the alternative minimum tax heads to the House floor on Wednesday, but it does not contain Medicare provisions that would delay a scheduled 10% physician fee cut, CongressDaily reports. Read more... Reverse Mortgages to Get Critical Look from Senate Committee on Aging Sen. McCaskill leads investigation of ‘pressing need to strengthen consumer protections for seniors as they consider this type of loan’ Dec. 10, 2007 – The reverse mortgage program, which has boomed in recent years as a way for senior citizens to draw from the equity in their homes but continue to live in them, is in for some unusual scrutiny on Wednesday. A news release from the Senate’ Special Committee on Aging says Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) will hold a hearing to highlight the “pressing need to strengthen consumer protections for seniors as they consider this type of loan.” Read more... Senior Citizen Opinions & Analysis What Happens Every December? The Battle to Stop Medicare from Cutting Physician Pay Usually the proposed cuts are just pushed ahead but this year looks different - although Washington stockings are getting filled By Tucker Sutherland, editor Dec. 7, 2007 – Just like Thanksgiving comes every November, the battle over Medicare cutting the pay of doctors comes every December. Once again, Medicare has announced a big pay cut, the physicians and their lobby are pouring money into the political stockings held by the Washington politicians, and, alas, once again the pay cut will be avoided. This year, however, the stakes appear a little larger, battle lines are more skewed and it is harder to predict how the politicians will make it happen. Read more... Senior Citizen Politics Medicare Reform Hits Snag as Administration Threatens Veto if Physician Pay Cut is Reduced Medicare reform hits snag; Health groups want Medicare physicians to use electronic prescribing or face financial penalties Dec. 6, 2007 – The Medicare reform package be shaped in the Senate Finance Committee hit a snag yesterday and the Democratic chairman says he needs to consult with House Democrats before proceeding on the legislation. A major piece of the plan is to roll back the 10 percent pay cuts for doctors that Medicare is set to enforce for 2008. Republicans on the committee were fighting for a short-term roll back of the cut when a letter suddenly appeared from the Health and Human Services Secretary that threatened a Bush veto under certain conditions. Read more... Sen. Smith Leads Aging Committee Hearing on Welfare of Elderly Refugees Over 7,000 elderly and disabled refugees have lost SSI benefits, 16,000 may lose them soon Dec. 5, 2007 – A meeting of the Senate Special Committee on Aging today explored gaps in access to supportive services, looking specifically at the time refugees, those granted asylum and other humanitarian non-citizens legally residing in the U.S. are able to receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. Read more... Senior Advocates Petition Congress to Cut Subsidy to Private Medicare Plans Medicare reforms being shaped in Senate Finance Committee Dec. 5, 2007 – Two Medicare advocacy groups poured 48,000 petitions on Congress yesterday as part of their campaign to support Medicare reforms that will halt or reduce the subsidies paid to private Medicare providers. The senior citizens also waived two-dollar bills to symbolize the “extra money” they pay each month in Medicare premiums because of these industry subsidies. Read more... Drug Company Wants to Force $2,000 Cancer Drug to Replace $40 Avastin Sen. Kohl demands info on Genentech move that could cost Medicare $3 billion annually for treating of macular degeneration
Nov. 29, 2007 – Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI) stepped to the front of the line late yesterday to intervene in a proposed limit by Genentech in the availability of its cancer drug Avastin to certain pharmaceutical compounding firms and pharmacies. Some physicians have charged that Genentech’s intention in limiting Avastin’s availability is to boost sales of Lucentis, a chemically-similar, yet far more expensive drug also produced by Genentech and approved to treat macular degeneration. Read more... Aging Committee Highlights Need for More Open Info About Nursing Homes Finance committee ranking member Grassley, top CMS official Kerry Weems to testify Nov. 15, 2007 - Today, U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging Chairman Herb Kohl (D-WI) will hold a hearing to highlight the need for increased transparency and accountability with respect to information that is publicly available about nursing homes. Key testimony is expected from Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) on the need to strengthen the federal government’s system of nursing home regulation, outlining the main objectives of the Nursing Home Transparency and Improvement Act of 2007. Read more... Social Security News A Simple Fix for Social Security Problems Proposed by Think Tank Scholar Most know benefits increase with inflation but not that first year pay is determined by wages, which suggests the solution Nov. 9, 2007 – Everyone thinks Social Security benefits are increasing by 2.3 percent next year – the recent rate of inflation – but that is only partially true. It’s true for senior citizens already in the program but the new class joining Social Security 2008 will be getting 4.6 percent more than the incoming class of 2007. That’s based on the percentage increase in the Average Wage Index. Here lies the “Simple Fix for Social Security,” according to Alan D. Viard, a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. Read more... Senior Citizen Politics Senators Kohl, Harkin Offer Legislation to Make 401k Fees More Transparent Aging Committee hears that these fees threaten retirement security for seniors Oct. 25, 2007 - Senate Special Committee on Aging Chairman Herb Kohl (D-WI) and Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) will introduce legislation this week that will require complete transparency of 401(k) fees to both employers and participants. Kohl announced this action at a hearing of his committee on the “devastating effect” hidden 401(k) fees can have on the retirement savings of senior citizens and the need for simple and clear disclosure. Read more... Hidden 401-k Fees Threaten Retirement Security for Seniors Says Senate Aging Committee Chair Sen. Kohl calls hearing today on devastating fees hidden in law Oct. 24, 2007 - The Senate Special Committee on Aging will hold a hearing today on the devastating effect hidden 401(k) fees can have on retirement savings and the need for simple and clear disclosure. Chairman Herb Kohl (D-WI) says he will offer legislative changes. Read more... McCain’s Proposed Health Care Overhaul Could Impact Senior Citizens, Veterans Wants vets able to go to any health care provider, no Medicare pay for medical errors, more retail health clinics Oct. 12, 2007 - Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) on Thursday in Des Moines, Iowa, plans to announce a health care proposal that would seek to expand coverage through tax incentives and give people "more control and more choices," the AP/Long Island Newsday reports (Sidoti, AP/Long Island Newsday, 10/11). Read more... Senior Citizens Get About Half of Federal Budget in 2005: Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid
Oct. 9, 2007 - Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, programs primarily serving senior citizens, accounted for more than $1 trillion of the $2.3 trillion the federal government spent in 2005, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, which publishes the only consolidated source of data on the geographic distribution of federal expenditures. Read more... Bill Funding Efforts to Prepare Senior Citizens for Digital TV Offered by Kohl Sen. Kohl’s legislation aimed at filling gap left by government and industry planning for transition of nation’s television broadcast format Oct. 3, 2007 – Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI), Chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, today introduced a bill to provide funding for non-profits, states and local governments, as well as, coordinate federal efforts, to prepare senior citizens for the nation’s switch to digital television in early 2009. Read more... Democrats Talk Older Americans’ Issues at AARP Iowa Forum Promote universal health care but with most arguing that costs could be largely offset by streamlining Medicare Sept. 21, 2007 – The five Democratic candidates for president who showed up at the forum last night sponsored by AARP and Iowa Public Television said all the things you would expect them to say when addressing older Americans - protect the future of Social Security, improve the Medicare drug program, increase health care spending, push for improved retirement programs and provide universal health care. Read more... Aging Committee Finds Need to Educate Senior Citizens on Change to Digital TV Nation changes to digital TV on Feb. 17, 2009 and senior citizens may be in the dark Sept. 19, 2007 – The Senate Special Committee on Aging today tried to shed more light on the nation’s transition to digital television (DTV), which many fear is a change that will disproportionately affect America’s senior citizens in a negative way, due to their lack of preparedness. Read more... Medicare News Changes to Medicare Pulled from SCHIP Bill by Negotiators Democrats vow to make another run at changes to Medicare Sept. 19, 2007 – Democrats, particularly in the House, made a bold attempt to make significant changes in Medicare as part of the bill to reauthorize and expand SCHIP, the federal program providing health insurance to lower income children. Those changes to Medicare were tossed by the Senate and House negotiators, but some Democrats say they will bring them up again. Read more... Senior Citizens' Political Issues Not on Minds of Politicians or Voters Top senior issue is Social Security picked by 4%, just 2% say Medicare Sept. 19, 2007 – Political issues traditionally branded as “senior citizen issues” are not receiving much attention in the presidential campaigns, but, the public does not seem to be very interested in them either. A recent Harris Poll found only four percent of the Americans ranking Social Security as an important issue but that was far ahead of other senior issues. Read more... Senior Citizens May Be Left in the Dark When Nation Switches to Digital TV Senate Aging committee hearing on lack of awareness, confusion, senior preparedness Sept. 17, 2007 – To the dismay of many senior citizens, the world just keeps on changing. A major change ahead is the switch to digital television, which many senior citizens may not understand or be aware is about to happen. Read more... Medicare Changes in SCHIP Bill Hinder Congressional Compromise Governors threaten to sue the administration over SCHIP restrictions Sept. 13, 2007 – Negotiators for the House and Senate have reached an impasse in trying to reach agreement on the bill to reauthorize and expand SCHIP. A major hang-up, as pointed out by KaiserNetwork.org, is the inclusion of a number of substantial changes in the Medicare program. Read more... Senior Citizen Issues Becoming an Issue for South Carolina Primary Lt. Gov. Bauer lays out list of boomer, elderly issues he wants addressed Sept. 12, 2007 – Issues of particular importance to senior citizens have received little attention, so far, from the presidential candidates. That may change soon, however, as André Bauer, Lt. Governor of South Carolina, which is a key primary state, has started a campaign to get the candidates to talk about how they will deal with senior issues and the “baby boomer tsunami.” Read more... Senators Kohl, Grassley Demand Drug Companies Reveal Gifts to Doctors McCaskill, Schumer, Klobuchar and Kennedy co-sponsor new bill Sept. 10, 2007 - U.S. Senators Herb Kohl (D-WI), chairman of the Senate’s committee on aging, and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) are introducing legislation to require manufacturers of pharmaceutical drugs, devices and biologics to disclose the amount of money they give to doctors through payments, gifts, honoraria, travel and other means. Read more... Larry Craig, Former Senate Aging Committee Chair, Busy Explaining Restroom Arrest Idaho Republican has consistently denied allegations of gay activity Aug. 28, 2007 – The former chairman of the Senate's Special Committee on Aging, Republican Larry Craig of Idaho, may have trouble holding on to his Senate seat, according to many in Washington, after it was revealed yesterday by Roll Call, a Capitol Hill newspaper, that the three-term senator, "pleaded guilty earlier this month to misdemeanor disorderly conduct charges stemming from his June arrest by an undercover police officer in a men's restroom at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport." Read more... Senior Citizens will Like New Site Monitoring Claims by Presidential Candidates Site by CQ and St. Pete Times helps voters uncover the truth Aug. 28, 2007 – Senior citizens, an age group well-known for their interest in politics and their desire for factual political information, will probably enjoy a new Website that features a “truth-o-meter” that scores the truthfulness of specific claims by the presidential candidates. Read more... Presidential Campaign Passes Iraq in News but Old Men Lead in Dissatisfaction People not upset with election candidates or issues, just early start Aug. 20, 2007 - The 2008 Presidential campaign - with its crowded field and accelerated timetable - emerged as the leading story in the American news media in the second quarter of 2007, supplanting the policy debate over Iraq. But, the public – in particular older white men – have a negative view of the campaign, with just one-in-five with a favorable thing to say about it. Read more... Lawmakers to Reintroduce Bill Legalizing Experimental Medications for Terminally Sick Court rules terminally ill do not have right to unapproved prescription drugs, even if their physicians recommend
Aug. 17, 2007 - Lawmakers likely will reintroduce legislation that would require FDA to allow terminally-ill patients to purchase experimental drugs with the recommendation of their physician, CongressDaily reports. Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) and Rep. Christopher Shays (R-Conn.) last session introduced the Access, Compassion, Care and Ethics for Seriously Ill Patients Act, but the bill "did not gain traction," according to CongressDaily. Read more... Allowing Those 55 to Buy-in to Medicare, Negotiated Drug Prices in Richardson Health Plan Presidential candidate wants more emphasis on preventive health care, too, as Sen. Clinton takes a turn as hospital nurse Aug. 8, 2007 – The Democratic presidential candidates have been taking turns to present their universal health care proposals and yesterday it was New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson’s turn. Some innovations in his plan that can impact senior citizens include letting those ages 55 to 64 pay to join Medicare, mandating negotiations on Medicare drug prices and more emphasis on preventive services. KaiserNetwork.org also notes today that Sen. Hillary Clinton will work a day next week as a hospital nurse. Read more... Senate Approves SCHIP with Veto-Proof Majority to Join House Bill Passed Wednesday House bill includes some important changes to Medicare Aug. 3, 2007 – The Senate approved the bill expanding SCHIP by billions over five years by a veto-proof margin but the White House is still promising a veto. The House version of the bill, called the CHAMP Act, also includes a number of changes to Medicare, including decreased funding for Medicare Advantage Plans and pay increases for physicians. Both houses intend to fund the expansion with increased taxes on cigarettes, according to the KaiserNetwork.org report. Read more... House Approved the CHAMP Act with Medicare Changes Five Republicans voted with 220 Democrats
Aug. 2, 2007 - The House on Wednesday voted 225-204 to approve legislation (HR 3162) that would reauthorize SCHIP and make changes to the Medicare program, Roll Call reports (Dennis, Roll Call, 8/2). Five Republicans voted with 220 Democrats to pass the measure, while 10 Democrats and 194 Republicans voted against it (Pear, New York Times, 8/2). Read more... Senate Begins Debate on SCHIP, House Agrees on Revisions House Dems agree to two-year limit stopping Medicare pay cuts to physicians July 31, 2007 - The Senate on Monday voted 80-0 to begin debate on legislation (S 1893) that would reauthorize SCHIP and expand funding for the program by $35 billion over five years, CongressDaily reports (Johnson, CongressDaily, 7/31). SCHIP expires on Sept. 30. Read more... Medicare Advantage Marketing Would Be Regulated by States in New Senate Bill Aging Committee’s Kohl says he is delivering on promise to ‘Hold Feet to the Fire’ July 27, 2007 – Although the major Medicare Advantage Plans agreed to stop marketing until they had cleaned up their act, after a multitude of criticism of overly-aggressive marketing tactics, it is not enough everybody in Washington. Yesterday, a group of U.S. Senators introduced a bill to allow the association representing state insurance commissioners to draw up marketing and sales regulations for the MAs, which are approved and subsidized by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Read more... GOP Fails to Derail Democrat’s SCHIP Bill that Includes Medicare Changes Republicans offer their bill, says cost could be paid by cuts in Medicare, Medicaid July 26, 2007 – Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee lost a bid today to table a Democratic bill, the Children’s Health and Medicare Protection Act, which makes significant changes in Medicare. Yesterday, the Democrats delayed the vote to allow Republican’s more time to study the measure. But, it also gave them time to introduce their own version, which Committee ranking member Joe Barton (R-Texas) said could be paid for by cuts in Medicare and Medicaid. Read more... Democrats Offer SCHIP Bill that Increases Cigarette Tax, Reduces Medicare Advantage Pay Physician pay also gets increased, more preventive services in House bill: GOP prepares alternative
July 25, 2007 - House Democrats on Tuesday introduced legislation that would reduce payments to Medicare Advantage plans and increase the federal cigarette tax by 45 cents per pack to fund SCHIP and make revisions to Medicare, the AP/Houston Chronicle reports (Freking, AP/Houston Chronicle, 7/24). Read more... Medicare Advantage Pay Cuts, Physician Pay Raise in SCHIP Bill by Democrats Allows HHS Secretary to expand Medicare preventive services July 23, 2007 - House Democrats on Sunday announced that they will unveil draft legislation within the next several days that would increase SCHIP funding by $50 billion over five years and make revisions to Medicare, the New York Times reports. Read more... Senior Citizens Forced to Leave Their Homes by Medicare Cuts in Home Health Care Ed Koch, Bob Weiner want home care alternatives to nursing homes July 6, 2007 - Former Mayor and Congressman Ed Koch, and former U.S. House Aging Committee Chief of Staff Bob Weiner, have joined forces to urge Congress to restore Medicare funding to home health care that is being cut by the Bush administration. Read more... Aging Committee Chair’s National Registry of Drug Company Gifts to Docs Creates a Storm Proposal by Senators Kohl, McCaskill catch media’s attention July 2, 2007 – It was not a hearing that initially grabbed the headlines but the repercussions continue to grow. Senate Special Committee on Aging Chairman Herb Kohl (D-WI) held a hearing last week to examine the pharmaceutical industry’s costly practice of providing payments and gifts to doctors, and to consider what kind of influence this wields over some of the nation’s physicians. He announced he will propose a national registry to require disclosure of payments and gifts, and this caught the media’s attention. Committee member Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) said she will join with Kohl. Read more... Payment Cuts for All Medicare Advantage Plans Would Save $54 Billion Savings for years 2009 to 2012 by Congressional Budget Office June 29, 2007 - Congressional Budget Office Director Peter Orszag on Thursday at a House Budget Committee hearing said that a reduction of reimbursements to private fee-for-service plans in Medicare Advantage would not result in large savings, CQ HealthBeat reports. Read more.. Does Negative Poll on McCain Indicate Senior Citizens Want a Democrat? About half of adults say they won't vote for him, 59% of seniors By Tucker Sutherland, editor June 27, 2007 – A new Harris Poll indicates there is little chance for Senator John McCain to become the U.S. President, because 47 percent of U.S. adults say they would not vote for him. Who is most likely to say they would not vote for him – senior citizens, of course, who seem to always be at the extreme end of polls. Read more... Rep. Dingell Blasts Medicare Advantage Plans’ Sales Tactics at Hearing Chairman of Energy and Commerce says Medicare Advantage marketing practices are disgraceful June 26, 2007 – A House subcommittee hearing today opened with a blistering statement of charges and penetrating questions from Democratic Congressman John D. Dingell, Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. The hearing, held by the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation, was entitled Predatory Sales Practices in Medicare Advantage. Read more... Senate Aging Committee Focuses on $19 Billion Drug Companies Give Physicians ‘Paid to Prescribe? Exploring the Relationship Between Doctors and the Drug Industry’ is hearing title June 26, 2007 - How much are the prescribing decisions by physicians influenced by the reported $19 billion in money and gifts given to them each year by the pharmaceutical industry? That is what Senate Special Committee on Aging Chairman Herb Kohl (D-WI) hopes to find out in a committee hearing on Wednesday. Read more... U.S. Spends $80 Billion Fighting Diabetes: 1 of Every 8 Federal Health Care Dollars Study finds need for better coordination to improve results fighting major chronic disease for senior citizens June 23, 2007 – One of every eight dollars the U.S. government spends on health care is spent on treating people – primarily senior citizens – with diabetes. This study was presented on Tuesday at a Capitol Hill briefing by the National Changing Diabetes Program and the Congressional Diabetes Caucus in an effort to increase the viability and the government coordination of the fight against this disease. Read more... House Moves Forward to Give FDA More Power to Regulate Postmarket Drugs KaiserNetwork.org says ‘strong bipartisan support’ noted by Dow Jones June 20, 2007 – The Food and Drug Administration may soon have new power to regulate drug safety, particularly after the drugs are on the market. It has long been a complaint of senior citizen advocacy groups and others that the agency is slow to act when problems begin to emerge with drugs they have already approved for consumers. The most recent case to draw attention to this problem was the diabetes drug Avandia, which was found by independent researchers to increase the risk of heart attack. Evidence indicates the FDA already knew of the problems but had taken no action. Read more... Social Security News Immigration Bill to Pay $966 Billion in Social Security to Illegal Workers, Senior League Claims TREA Senior Citizens League to testify today before House subcommittee on immigration June 19, 2007 - The immigration bill being debated by the Senate would allow over two million illegal workers who received Social Security numbers prior to 2004 to receive more than $966 billion in Social Security benefits by 2040, according to the TREA Senior Citizens League. Read more... Senior Citizen Politics Consumers Union Puts Human Face on Weak Prescription Drug Safety Laws Ad campaign starts as House panel takes up drug safety legislation June 12, 2007 - Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports, is launching a coordinated advertising and activism effort today as a cap to its two-year battle to strengthen drug safety laws. Congress is poised this summer to take up the most significant prescription drug safety legislation in 45 years. Read more... Senate Bill Would Create Nationwide Background Checks for Long-Term Care Workers Predators sometimes hired to care for our most vulnerable citizens, say sponsors June 8, 2007 – A bill was introduced in the Senate today that would prevent those with criminal histories from working within long-term care settings by establishing a nationwide system of background checks. Read more... Hearings on Prescription Drug Safety Could Highlight 'Dissention' Among FDA Officials Lawmakers have noted rift between the approval and safety offices
May 31, 2007 - A House hearing on June 6 to examine FDA's regulation of prescription drugs in the wake of recent safety concerns "may highlight the growing internal dissension between officials who approve drugs and those who track the safety" of approved drugs, the New York Times reports. Read more... Senior Citizen Democrats Among Strongest Supporters of Clinton, Gallup Finds
May 24, 2007 – A Gallup poll released today shows senior citizens, who are Democrats or Democratic leaners, strongly support Sen. Hillary Clinton in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. They also choose Clinton by a wide margin over second place candidate Barack Obama. Read more... New Group Says Chronic Disease Should be Key Health Care Issue in 2008 Election Chronic disease accounts for 7 in 10 deaths, over 75 cents of every health care dollar spent in U.S. May 16, 2007 - Chronic diseases are responsible for seven out of every 10 deaths in the U.S. and a new coalition has formed behind the goal of making the issue of chronic disease the key health care issue in the 2008 presidential election. What were described by the organizations as “leading experts and organizations in the health care, business, and labor communities” came together yesterday to launch the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD). Read more... Medicare News</ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Political News (PoliticalWire)
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WASHINGTON
(AP) — Republican presidential candidate John McCain skipped a
difficult Senate vote Wednesday on whether to make 20 million
seniors and 250,000 disabled veterans eligible for rebate checks
as part of a proposed economic stimulus package.
