Issue Position: Protecting Our Seniors

Issue Position

Seniors have earned our respect, support, and care after a life-time of work. It is my priority to ensure that Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are not only protected and secured, but enriched and expanded. Our nation should be judged by how we treat the most vulnerable among us, especially our seniors, who now face grave economic uncertainty because of the Great Recession. Social Security and Medicare are solemn pledges to our seniors -- a promise of a safe and secure source of retirement income and health care. These programs are part of the unbreakable bond in our nation's social compact, and are a guarantee of economic security for retirees, their families, and people with disabilities. I pledge to work every day to protect these programs against extremist Republican efforts to privatize Social Security, convert Medicare into a voucher program, and change Medicaid into a block grant program. These are some of the most successful programs ever created by our government, and I will fight any effort that might undermine or threaten their long-term, sustainability.

*Preserving Medicare. Medicare was strengthened through the passage of Obamacare, which I strongly support. I will fight the ongoing efforts by Republicans to try to repeal Obamacare and turn Medicare into a voucher program. Doing so would burden older Americans with higher costs, more risk, and fewer services. I supported the fix that was contained in President Obama's Affordable Care Act that began closing the "doughnut hole" in Medicare Part D coverage. This much-needed reform will help reduce out-of-pocket prescription drug costs each year until the "doughnut hole" is finally eliminated in 2020. In Congress I will strongly resist any attempt to repeal this much-needed reform.

*Calculate COLA Based on Realistic Senior Spending. A steady increase in the Social Security Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA) is essential for Americans on a fixed income. Unfortunately, the federal government's metric used for deciding on COLA increases for Social Security, the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U), is not the best measure. This CPI-U relies on spending patterns for younger or middle aged Americans with different needs than American seniors. I support efforts to amend the law to calculate the COLA based on a Consumer Price Index for the Elderly (CPI-E). The CPI-E would better represent the reality of higher medical care costs for older people and give a fairer COLA increase for beneficiaries.

*Tax Very High Earners to Preserve Social Security. Protecting and guaranteeing the solvency and long-term health of Social Security is of paramount importance. With Baby Boomers retiring and people living longer, there is a decreasing number of workers supporting each retiree. To address this, the payroll tax cap should be made more progressive by lifting the cap for individuals earning over $250,000. Under the current system, income earned over $118,500 is not subject to the Social Security tax. That means that very high wage earners pay less of their income to the system than lower wage earners. By applying the payroll tax to those most able to afford it, it would be possible to both secure Social Security's long-term solvency while at the same time increasing the benefits of those who most need it. I support raising the amount that seniors can earn from working before Social Security benefits are taxed, and I strongly oppose the raising of the retirement age. If we are going to make changes to this crucial system, we need to focus on the income side rather than any changes to existing benefits.

*Protecting and Expanding Medicaid. The AARP estimates that nearly a third of older Amercans are likely to exhaust their life savings and turn to Medicaid for assistance as their ability to support themselves declines. Most seniors at some point in their lives need some long-term services, and as we know, that can be very expensive. Established as a program for people with few assets and lower incomes, Medicaid is a safety net of last resort for seniors whose needs exceed what they and their family can provide, and who have exhausted their resources paying for care. For those seniors and their families, Medicaid is a godsend. Millions of low-income seniors, nearly all of whom are also enrolled in Medicare, are dependent on Medicaid. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, Medicaid was the primary payer for over 60 percent of nursing facility residents in the United States, and often is the primary payer for nursing services once residents have exhausted their personal assets paying for care. President Obama wisely included Medicaid expansion in his health reform law but the effort was struck down by the Supreme Court. I support Congressional efforts to push states to expand their Medicaid programs. Medicaid is a vital, life-sustaining program, and I am committed to protecting it. I oppose the proposals to convert Medicaid to block grants, because doing so would diminish its reach, payments, and effectiveness. Our seniors and their families deserve better.

*Lower Prescription Drug Prices. While other nations set wholesale drug prices, the law prohibits the U.S. government from using its considerable bargaining power under Medicare and Medicaid to negotiate lower drug prices the way it does for hospital services. This was part of the deal extracted for passing the ACA. The U.S. has the highest per capita drug costs in the world and we should not handcuff the government's hands to negotiate drug prices. We should allow the federal government to negotiate for lower drug prices.

*Promote Aging in Place Initiatives. There is a growing awareness that seniors who are able to age in place are often happier, more involved in their communities, and able to receive services from Medicare and Medicaid at reduced cost. I support reforms to allow expanded in-home and in-community coverage by Medicare and Medicaid. Specifically, I support requiring states to cover Home and Community Based Service (HCBS) benefits for Medicaid eligible individuals. I am a strong supporter of the Older Americans Act, and its many programs such as Meals-On-Wheels which helps seniors stay in their homes. As part of the growing Aging in Place movement, and to help seniors remain independent, it is a wise and cost-efficient investment to increase funding for transportation options available to seniors.

*Fund Research to End Alzheimer's. My father suffered from Alzheimer's disease, and I understand the many challenges confronting the sufferers of this horrific disease, and the burden it places on their family. I am a strong supporter of increased federal funding to support research into finding the cause and cure of this terrible disease and other similar dementias. Alzheimer's disease research funding by the federal government lags behind other diseases despite the enormous personal and fiscal cost of the disease on American families and the healthcare system. In addition to supporting increased funding for research, I will also support legislation to improve treatment services for patients, and to expand training and support services for families and caregivers. With the aging of the population, there will be an increase in the number of individuals (and families) who are afflicted with this disease, and in need of services. From personal experience, I know how important this is, and how devastating dementia can be for individuals and their families.

*Protect Against Financial Fraud. Too many seniors are victims of financial fraud and scams. According to the AARP, older Americans lose billions of dollars a year to scammers, and the American Bankers Association says financial fraud or exploitation of seniors is a growing crime, with increasing numbers of older Americans falling victim. Seniors fall prey more often because they are targeted more often; they are targeted over the phone or through the mail, and now with the increasing number of older Americans going online, there is a problem of email scams and phishing. As a former State's Attorney, I support efforts to increase the protections of seniors by enhancing criminal penalties, and to change the laws to increase the chances of financial restitution. I support regulations to require financial institutions to report suspected exploitation, while at the same time affording these institutions protections if they act in good faith. Cash-strapped seniors may also be pressured into reverse mortgages, and other sophisticated financial instruments without a fair explanation of the actual costs. As a Member of Congress I would work to fully fund federal agencies created by President Obama, such as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CPFB). The CPFB has a role in providing straightforward and easy to understand explanations of important financial decisions often marketed to older Americans.

*Modernize Accessibility and Disability Rights. I support the ADA, and value the widespread changes in our public and commercial spaces that have made life easier for countless people. This landmark act helps protect the independent living and economic self-sufficiency of Americans living with disabilities, but also helps seniors without specific disabilities through the widespread adoption of ramps and similar accommodations that makes life easier for older adults. However, more can be done. In the rapidly advancing digital age, assistive technologies should be widely available so that people with disabilities can more easily access information available online. Although the ADA touches on assistive technology, I believe the federal government should place greater emphasis on ensuring access to specialized keyboards, screen magnification systems and voice identification software so that everyone has the chance to participate in the information age.

*Strengthen Older Americans Act. The important Older Americans Act (OAA) helps fund critical services that works to keep older adults as independent and healthy as possible. These vital services include such things as senior centers, in-home assistance, elder abuse prevention, meals, job training, health promotion and preventive health services, transportation, benefits enrollment, caregiver support, and more. These are vital and important services, but the Act needs to be reauthorized by Congress, and the funding needs to be increased to meet the needs of our expanding number of older citizens. Importantly, the Act seeks to help those in the greatest economic or social need, with special attention to people who are low-income, minorities and those with limited English proficiency. Funding has been flat for years and has been failing to keep pace with increased costs and needs. I strongly support the Older Americans Act and all that it contributes to our community, and will work to reauthorize it, protect it, and increase necessary funding.

*Fight Age Discrimination. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) has proven vital in protecting the rights of older workers. Since the Great Recession, many older workers either need to or have chosen to stay in the workforce longer than before. I strongly support the ADEA, and will resist any efforts to weaken it or diminish its protections. This law provides important legal remedies to possible discrimination faced by older workers because of age, and I will fight to preserve these important protections and rights.

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