Archive for June, 2007
Remember Pensions?…Far Too Few Do
Friday, June 29th, 2007by Maria Freese, NCPSSM Government Relations& Policy DirectorSenator Tom Harkin has introduced Pension legislation, the Restoring Pension Promises to All Workers Act, which we hope will ultimately become law. Social Security was never designed to be the only source of a person’s income in retirement – it was always intended to be one income stream [...]
Did You See?
Friday, June 29th, 2007There’s been some some good coverage of Chairman Stark’s introduction yesterday of important Medicare Advantage legislation. We’re regular readers of the “Medicare Monitor ” blog and Larry Lipman describes this legislation, designed to prevent these private Medicare Advantage plans from charging more than traditional Medicare. You can also see coverage from Stark’s home district in [...]
It’s Broke…So Stark Says Let’s Fix It
Thursday, June 28th, 2007House Ways and Means Health subcommittee Chairman, Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA) has introduced an important piece of legislation to prevent Medicare Advantage (MA) plans from charging seniors and people with disabilities more than traditional Medicare. The Medicare Advantage Truth in Advertising Act would prohibit MA plans from charging higher cost-sharing. Stark says: “Medicare Advantage plans [...]
Will the Facts Finally Trump Fiction?
Thursday, June 28th, 2007by Barbara B. Kennelly, President/CEO How wonderful it is to finally hear the truth about what’s really happening with the privatization of Medicare expressed so clearly and persuasively in the halls of Congress. Specifically I’m talking about the House Budget Committee hearing on Medicare Advantage plans held this morning. As I testified to Chairman John [...]
Medicare Privatization Finally Hits the Radar
Tuesday, June 26th, 2007When the Bush administration first tried to sell the privatization of Social Security, the American people ultimately saw through the political marketing blitz and put a stop to private account plans designed to turn Social Security over to Wall Street. Unfortunately, by the time the President’s Social Security privatization road show stalled out two years [...]
The Spin Makes Our Heads Swim
Friday, June 22nd, 2007The Washington Post continues its love fest for the so-called “Fiscal Wake-Up Tour”, Comptroller General David Walker’s traveling troupe of the “sky-is-falling-we-must-cut-entitlements” think tankers. Here’s an excerpt from Thursday’s article: “The numbers make Joseph Farrell’s head swim. Billions and trillions of dollars, numbers too immense to comprehend.” Of course they are. That’s the whole point [...]
Are We Supposed to Say Thank You?
Tuesday, June 19th, 2007Friday the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and Insurance industry lobbyists had their News Releases written, statements prepared and happy faces ready to announce their great news…7 insurance copanies which sell private Medicare “Advantage” plans have voluntarily agreed to stop marketing them. This is “spin” for we got caught with our hands in the [...]
Medicare "Advantage" only an Advantage for Insurers
Thursday, June 7th, 2007As we’ve predicted, seniors enrolled in Medicare are feeling the affects of privatization legislation, called the Medicare Modernization Act, passed four years ago. We’ve released a new analysis today of how private Medicare Advantage plans are eroding traditional Medicare in favor of a privatized system subsidized by billions of federal dollars which go straight to [...]
700 Thousand Waiting…and Still Counting
Friday, June 1st, 2007The dismal state of affairs for the 733,000 Americans currently waiting for a Social Security disability hearing has garnered alot of news coverage in recent months, including this recent editorial in the Buffalo News, and debate on Capitol Hill. But headlines and debate don’t always bring solutions and that seems to be the case here. [...]