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SJHS Advocacy Alert: Dreama: Ask Congress to include healthcare funding and other needed programs in economic bill Your voice needed on the Economic Recovery legislation:

Take Action!

http://capwiz.com/sjhs/issues/alert/?alertid=12516551&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

As debate heats up today in the House on the American Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act, H.R. 1, please take action and let your Representative and Senators know what your priorities are for economic recovery. A vote is likely by the end of the week, with action in the Senate to follow shortly.
 
Economists continue to tell Congress that the federal government must invest many billions of dollars to jump-start the economy, and that spending in certain areas can more quickly stimulate the economy. They agree that boosting spending in areas such as food and nutrition programs, extending unemployment and health benefits, and providing general aid to the states has the greatest proven stimulative impact of any strategy.

Take Action Now: Ask your Representative and Senators to complete a package which will help vulnerable families, communities in need, as well as our overall economy:
- Provide healthcare for those who have lost jobs or who are underinsured, and support states' ability to provide healthcare;
- Support funding to encourage the adoption of health information technology;
- Provide for basic needs of the poor and vulnerable, including food and housing, and assistance to the disabled and elderly.
 
The Recovery Act includes a temporary increase in the Federal Medicaid matching rate for states, provides temporary subsidies for the continuation of health insurance coverage under COBRA, extends unsubsidized COBRA coverage for older workers beyond the 18 months provided under current law, and establishes incentives and funding to encourage the widespread adoption of health information technology.
Please take action now to assist low and moderate income families.

http://capwiz.com/sjhs/issues/alert/?alertid=12516551&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Protest Petition

The new Medicare drug program is too confusing and too complicated. It’s virtually impossible to get our promised drug benefits without jumping through a lot of hoops. The new drug program is seriously flawed and must be fixed!

As your constituent, I respectfully insist that you — in this session of the 110th Congress — use your clout and vote to “Simplify Our Benefit!” Please make major revisions and changes to improve the New Medicare Drug Law (Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003).

http://www.tscl.org/action/volmedicarepresdrugcoverage.asp

Congress must stop listening to the big insurance companies, the big drug and medical companies and the Washington insiders — and start listening to your senior constituents who will be impacted most by this law. Here are 5 points that need to be immediately changed:

1. Simplify the new “Part D” drug program. Just as the government limits Medigap to ten plans, limit drug plans to ten options. Standardize the coverage in each option to allow Medicare beneficiaries to make meaningful price comparisons between insurers. Ensure that all plan options are available in all areas of the country. There’s too much variation, too many confusing options, while costs and coverage vary so much that comparisons are impossible.

    

2. Repeal the Medicare “Part D” Late Enrollment penalty that seniors will pay if they delay in signing up for the new drug plans. Congress created a vastly complicated program that requires a great deal of time and information to make good decisions. Yet the information CMS has released has omissions or major errors. Vital Medicare website tools, needed to help us to comparison shop, are not always available for seniors with no Internet access. We should not be required to pay a late enrollment penalty if we are unable to make a decision by the deadline.

    

3. Lower the cost of prescription drugs. Congress must allow Medicare to negotiate lower prices for the drugs. This is already done for Veterans.

    

4. Lift the ban on “re-importing” U.S.-manufactured drugs from Canada and certain other nations where they are sold for far less.

    

5. Repeal the new “Part B deductible” automatic increase. No private insurance plan has a deductible that increases annually by the same percentage as the premium. Neither should Medicare “Part B” or “Part D” drug plan deductibles. Congress should repeal this automatic increase.

These are a just a few of the most important problems that require prompt attention.

We, the undersigned, urge you to immediately go back to work on this law and give us a simple, easy-to-use, benefit based on the TRUE needs of Medicare beneficiaries — not those of special interests.