AARP....fax your congressmen...don't force seniors to get lesser care.

[madfloridian]

What this means:
Those with Medicare and coverage carried from a previous company could be dropped by their policy. Many already have drug benefits this way, and their companies could drop them or offer them lesser benefits.
A country is defined by how it treats their elderly.

Dear Grassroots Advocates,

As part of our campaign to protect retiree health benefits, more than 40,000 AARP members took action by emailing or faxing the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). We appreciate your support and again request your help in this urgent matter. Please contact your Members of Congress today and urge them to protect retiree health benefits. Send a free email or fax by simply clicking on http://capwiz.com/aarp/issues/alert/?alertid=3629616&type=CO (or copy and paste this URL into your browser).

A last-minute addition to the Senate prescription drug bill -- Section 631 -- would amend the Age Discrimination in Employment Act to expressly allow employers to eliminate ALL retiree health benefits (not just prescription drugs) for retirees eligible for Medicare or state health plans. (As many of you know, the EEOC is trying to do the same thing through a new regulation.) If this provision becomes law, there will be nothing to prevent employers from altering, reducing, or even eliminating the health benefits of any retiree over the age of 65. Many of these folks about 13 million people -- have been working the better part of their lives to earn these benefits, and this amendment would leave them with few options for safeguarding their health. Medicare alone is NOT a comparable substitute for many of these employer-sponsored plans.

This issue is too important to be decided by a last-minute addition without any hearings, debate or votes in either the Senate or the House of Representatives. The prescription drug bill should be about improving the health benefits of older Americans, not eliminating them.

Please contact your Representative and your Senators immediately to let them know that Section 631 of the Senate bill must not be part of the prescription drug bill.

Sincerely,

Kevin Donnellan
Director, Grassroots and Elections

p.s. Please forward this e-mail to your friends and family and urge them to contact their Members of Congress as well.

______________________________________________________________

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization for people 50 and over- http://www.aarp.org/leadership/Articles/a2002-12-18-aarpmission.html

[madfloridian]

1. A kick so they don't sneak it in on CA recall day. Vote is very soon.

I called some offices today, they are not aware of this. These are our congressmen, and they are slipping in all these things while we are busy elsewhere.

Shameless kick.
:kick: