It takes solidarity to get through a pandemic, John.

Everyone who washes their hands a few extra times, practices “social distancing,” and takes affirmative steps not to get infected is actively saving lives. This is all especially critical for seniors, people with disabilities, and the people who love them.

But solidarity also means the government that represents us all working together to build a comprehensive response. Reports say that the President is fighting Congress’ COVID-19 response plan because it doesn’t cut Social Security’s dedicated funding. This isn’t the time for right-wing ideology. It’s time for solidarity.

ADD YOUR NAME: The US Government must take steps to protect Americans now, by increasing health care capacity and providing aid to the communities hit hardest by the pandemic.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was able to negotiate and pass a bill with many of these provisions. The Senate will re-convene on Monday, and we need to send a message that not one penny should be cut from the House's proposal, and in fact we need to expand it. The truth is, need will only increase in the coming months, and the Senate should make the package even more generous, especially for seniors centers.

Read more below about the steps we’re calling for to protect everyone inside the United States.

Thanks,

Alex Lawson
Social Security Works

The coronavirus (aka COVID-19) pandemic has come to the United States, and it’s hitting seniors and people with disabilities the hardest―the very people Social Security works for. Yet Donald Trump is fixated on using the crisis as an excuse to destroy our Social Security system’s dedicated funding.

The Trump administration has failed to secure testing kits from the World Health Organization; they’ve downplayed the threat until it was too late; and they’ve pursued an agenda to protect Wall Street, not American lives. It is up to us to make our voices heard. It’s not the time to panic―it’s time to prepare.

A pandemic can overwhelm our health care system’s capacity, exacerbating the crisis.

ADD YOUR NAME: The US Government must take steps to protect Americans now, by increasing health care capacity and providing aid to the communities hit hardest by the pandemic.

At the moment, too much emphasis is being placed on individual responsibility―handwashing instructions, and tricks about not touching your face. That is all important, but we also need a systemic response to increase our capacity for the coming surge in cases needing hospitalization.

This graph shows how the same number of cases either will or will not overwhelm our health care system:  

Preparation can help both flatten the outbreak curve & lift the health care capacity line.

Preparing now requires an additional $142 billion in emergency funding:

• Increase hospital and clinical capacity―increase capacity with additional beds and equipment BEFORE the existing hospitals fill up. We must use our emergency response mechanisms to mobilize resources and facilities in order to respond to surges in demand.

• Massive investment in nursing home and senior community preparedness—we must face the fact that seniors and people with disabilities are likely to face the brunt of this pandemic and ensure adequate protection of residents of senior facilities and the workers who care for them.

• Clear protections for frontline workers—we must have clear standards and sufficient distribution of necessary protective equipment for health care and other workers who are in contact with people who have been exposed or are suffering from the virus as well as the people responsible for cleaning buildings and public facilities.

• Paid sick leave—workers impacted by quarantine orders or responsible for caring for children impacted by school closures must receive paid sick leave to alleviate the devastating consequences of lost wages.

• Enhanced Unemployment Insurance—we must ensure unemployment insurance benefits are available and sufficient for workers who may lose their jobs from the economic impacts of the epidemic.

• Food security—we must expand SNAP, WIC, school lunch and other initiatives and suspend implementation of any regulations that weaken federal food assistance, in order to ensure vulnerable populations do not lose access to food during this epidemic.

• Widespread and free coronavirus testing—to control the spread of coronavirus, the administration must ensure that all Americans who need an evaluation are able to access locations for cost-free testing and rapidly increase the unacceptably low daily test processing capacity inside the U.S.

• Treatment for all—patients must be reimbursed for any non-covered coronavirus-related costs, or else the epidemic will be worsened because Americans will fear they cannot afford the costs associated with treatment.

• Anti-price gouging protections—we must ensure that Americans are protected from price gouging of medical and non-medical essentials during this emergency.

ADD YOUR NAME: Congress is considering taking action on these measures soon. Your voice will make a difference!

Thanks so much,

Michael Phelan
Social Security Works

PS Seriously, please wash your hands.