Young People – Don’t Buy the Lie about Social Security
One of the biggest frustrations we face as Social Security advocates is countering the huge amount of money and political propaganda invested to convince America’s young workers that they have to destroy Social Security to save it. Going back as far at the 1980’s the strategy by those opposed to Social Security’s existence has been clearly articulated…they needed to undermine young people’s confidence in the program before Gen X and Y have a chance to see first-hand how important Social Security will be to their financial security.
That’s why it’s so encouraging to see that not all young workers are buying the lie about Social Security. The National Academy of Social Insurance’s new guide A Young Person’s Guide to Social Security, is written by and for America’s young workers and goes a long way to help provide some desperately needed Social Security myth-busting.
Don’t have time to read the report? OK…here’s the video. Watch it and share with your friends, no matter their age.
House Vote to Repeal the Affordable Care Act = Politics as Usual
After making 33 attempts to repeal or gut the Affordable Care Act, today’s latest House vote was pretty anti-climactic. After all, this vote was all about politics and re-election. However, the difference this time may be that Americans are tired of all the wasted time politicking and showboating. They also aren’t interested in losing the benefits ACA has already provided:
“We are in this fight to keep Medicare benefits from being stripped away from millions of seniors by Members of Congress who vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act. The ACA will save lives, it will provide coverage to millions who lack insurance and it already provides improved benefits for less cost to seniors in Medicare. America’s health and economic security should take priority over election-year politics; however, this vote proves once again, politics trumps policy in the House. The Affordable Care Act is law, it’s working, and it’s long past time for Congress to start making economic growth a priority.” Max Richtman, President/CEO
While political rhetoric dominated much of today’s House repeal debate, the facts about the benefits provided to seniors in Medicare — which would be lost if health care reform was repealed — were largely ignored. Here are just a few of the benefits that would be lost if the Affordable Care Act was repealed:
· The typical senior would lose $4,200 over the next decade in prescription drug savings provided in the ACA
· The Part D coverage gap known as the ‘donut hole’ would return
· Annual wellness visits for beneficiaries would no longer be covered by Medicare
· Seniors will now pay more for preventive services. Medicare would no longer fully cover screenings like mammograms, pap smears, bone mass measurements, depression screening, diabetes screening, HIV screening and obesity screenings
· Almost 3.3 million uninsured Americans ages 50-64 who would have been insured under Medicaid will remain uninsured
· The Medicare Trust Fund’s solvency would be shortened by 8 years
A full analysis of the Medicare and Medicaid improvements that were preserved as a result of the recent Supreme Court ruling to uphold the Affordable Care Act can be found on the National Committee’s website.
Obamacare – Largest tax in history? Not.
Chances are you’ve heard this claim hundreds of times already and you’ll hear it repeatedly on Wednesday when the House casts it’s 31st vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act. But as Franklin Roosevelt said “Repetition does not transform a lie into truth”. So, here’s the truth about this latest anti-health care reform talking point:
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) includes a penalty for Americans who do not buy insurance. The Supreme Court ruled that penalty constitutional under Congress’ right to tax. However, when compared to the 15 significant tax increases since 1950, the Affordable Care Act, which amounts to an increase of 0.49 percent of GDP, comes in 10th. That’s even less than President Reagan’s tax increases in 1982. This chart is from the Incidental Economist.
Also, whether you call it a tax or a penalty; it’s important to know that hardly anyone will actually pay it. In Massachusetts, the only state with an insurance mandate (implemented by former Governor and GOP Presidential candidate Mitt Romney) less than 1 percent of the state’s residents paid the penalty in 2009. Not only will few people face this penalty, it’s also very small. According to Chief Justice John Roberts: “[F]or most Americans the amount due will be far less than the price of insurance, and, by statute, it can never be more.”
So, for perspective let’s compare this to the “hidden health tax” which will be eliminated thanks to the ACA’s insurance mandate. A study by Families USA found that the uninsured paid only 37 percent of the cost of their healthcare with government programs and charities footing 26 percent. The remaining 37 percent became a “hidden health tax” in the form of higher insurance premiums for all American businesses and families. That added up to $1,017 per family in 2008. A study by the Kaiser Family Foundation found similar results.
When the Affordable Care Act becomes fully implemented in 2014 the mandate that everyone carry some form of health insurance means the “hidden health tax” paid by millions of insured Americans will disappear. Thanks to health care reform, millions Americans will no longer face huge hidden health care costs each year even though an estimated 1-3% of Americans who refuse to buy insurance might face a small penalty.
Whatever you call it – a penalty or a tax – that’s just common sense reform.
The Supreme Court Ruling and Seniors – Day Two Follow Up
Here are some highlights of the Supreme Court new coverage and our joint analysis prepared in partnership with the National Senior Citizens Law Center on the rulings impact on seniors.
Supreme Court Upholds Affordable Care Act – What Does This Mean for Seniors? – National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare and the National Senior Citizens Law Center Analysis
What the Health Care Ruling Means for Medicare – New York Times New Oldage Blog
“This is great news for seniors on Medicare,” Paul Nathanson, executive director of the National Senior Citizens Law Center, a nonprofit advocacy group, said in a conference call on Thursday after the Supreme Court issued its ruling upholding the Affordable Care Act.
Because several key provisions involving Medicare kicked in soon after Congress passed the bill in 2010, many beneficiaries won’t see big changes in their coverage now. But those improvements could have evaporated had the law been overturned, so the ruling generated sighs of relief among advocacy organizations for older adults.
This means the annual free wellness exam will continue (about 2.2 million people took advantage of it last year, according to AARP), along with the first “Welcome to Medicare” visit, which will remain free, with no out-of-pocket costs.
A number of preventive services, including mammograms, bone scans and depression and diabetes screenings, used to involve deductibles and co-pays; under the Affordable Care Act, they no longer do.
And the gradual closing of the dread “doughnut hole” gap in Part D drug coverage by 2020 will proceed, bolstered by discounts that have already lowered drug costs. “The average Medicare beneficiary will continue to save an average $650 a year,” Max Richtman, who leads the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, said in Thursday’s teleconference. “That’s real money, especially for seniors.”
States With Largest Uninsured Populations May Be More Likely to Opt Out of Medicaid – CQ Healthbeat
Max Richman, president and CEO of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare, said that advocates will do “whatever we can” at the state and local level to persuade states to opt into the expansion. Others were not as sure.
“While we are pleased that the court’s ruling preserves existing Medicaid coverage, we are worried that the low-income people in any state that may reject the Medicaid expansion will bear the costs of that decision,” said Jane Perkins, legal director of the National Health Law Program. “If a state chooses not to participate in the expansion, poor people will suffer.”
Alan Weil, executive director for the National Academy for State Health Policy, declined to predict which states will opt out.“All that’s clear now is that states will have a debate over this issue they thought they didn’t have any choice on,” he said. “But it’s still a very attractive option for states.”A Senate GOP aide agreed with Weil’s assessment. “Congress threw a lot of money at the states in the expansion,” the aide said.“They may still take it.”
Supreme Court Gives America’s Senior Citizens Longer, Healthier Lives – Senior Journal
“Helpful in getting senior citizens who oppose Obamacare to take a second look are statements issued today by many well-informed senior advocates.
For seniors the legislation has already put in place lower drug costs, more free preventive health care screening and an annual consultation with a physician to discuss their personal health plan. And, for all Americans it should mean an end to out-of-control increases in medical costs.”
Medicare, Medicaid and the Supreme Court Ruling
Here are just a few photos from our grassroots activists who were at the Supreme Court today’s health care reform ruling…and the craziness that comes with it. It’s an historic day and one America’s seniors in Medicare should celebrate.
We’ve already heralded the preservation of billions of dollars in benefits and countless provisions to cut waste, fraud and abuse that have extended Medicare’s solvency. While we are concerned about the Medicaid restrictions in this ruling, we will now start our work with state legislatures and members of Congress to ensure America doesn’t end up a nation with Red state and Blue state Medicaid programs. We believe all states should adopt this Medicaid expansion, making them Green states using federal healthcare dollars to build an improved Medicaid system for seniors in need.
If you’d like a better idea of what today’s ruling really means for seniors in Medicare and Medicaid here’s a new analysis prepared by the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare and the National Senior Citizens Law Center .