New Campaign Ads Focus on Sen. Scott’s Plans for Medicare, Social Security

A new ad campaign launched this week focused on Sen. Rick Scott's (FL) plan to "sunset" Social Security and Medicare after five years. Scott is the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which recruits and supports Republican candidates for the U.S. Senate.

(click on image to see ad)

The proposal in the so-called 11-point “Rescue America Plan” of Scott, a Florida Republican and chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, is the focus of Facebook ads funded by the Democratic National Committee aimed at seniors in Senate battleground states.

Scott’s plan would require Congress to vote every five years on whether to continue Medicare and Social Security. The Scott plan also calls for raising taxes on low- and middle-income Americans, including retirees who rely solely on Social Security for their income.

President Biden criticized the plan during a speech about inflation on Tuesday, noting that imposing new limits on Social Security and Medicare could endanger the programs in the future. 

"Really, ask yourself: How well are we going to sleep at night knowing that every five years, MAGA Republicans — if they’re still the Republican — as I said, this is not your father’s Republican Party — if we’re going to have to vote on whether you will have Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, and what amounts you’ll have in each of those programs?" Biden asked.

“Americans need to understand what powerful Republican Senators want to do to the benefits retirees have paid for and earned over a lifetime of work,” said Robert Roach, Jr., President of the Alliance. “It serves as a warning about the GOP’s agenda for Social Security and Medicare and what seniors could face if the Republicans retake Congress in November.” 

American Covid Death Toll Hits One Million

The nation has reached a grim milestone as more than 1 million lives have now been lost to the Covid-19 pandemic in the United States. That includes more than 150,000 nursing home residents, as the facilities’ close quarters enabled the virus to spread more quickly there. Health care workers, first responders, and essential workers have also been disproportionately affected.

In February, the Kaiser Family Foundation reported more than 200,000 deaths after combining resident and staff fatalities.

A major reason for the unsettling statistics in older adults is the fact that they are more likely to have pre-existing medical conditions or compromised immune systems, making Covid far deadlier than in younger people when an infection occurs.

Overall nearly 740,000 seniors have died from Covid, or 1 out of every 100 seniors in the country. About 75 percent of all Covid deaths in the United States have been people 65 and older, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The figures are extra alarming given that seniors were among the first people to be vaccinated and the most likely age group to have received the vaccine.

“The Covid pandemic is clearly not over. Unfortunately it remains a very serious threat, especially to seniors,” said Joseph Peters, Jr., Secretary-Treasurer of the Alliance. “Please follow the advice of your doctor and the CDC regarding precautions you can take, vaccinations and booster shots.”

Older Americans Month: A Chance to Put Aside Stereotypes About Aging

Americans’ stereotypes about growing older have real consequences for the country’s aging population. Through the process of structural ageism, media portrayals of older people as senile, sick, or unproductive have become ingrained in our institutions. This prejudice is 

often learned at a young age, which pushes older Americans to absorb these negative views after a lifetime of indoctrination. 

Those negative beliefs about aging can create unwelcome ramifications for older Americans' mental and physical health. One study from the Yale School of Public Health found that for people over the age of 50, holding negative beliefs about aging shortened their life expectancy by 7.5 years. Ageism was also associated with an increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, Alzheimer’s disease, reduced mobility, and anxiety and depression. 

Similarly, when older Americans’ medical concerns are dismissed as a sign of ‘growing older,’ healthcare providers may ignore otherwise alarming symptoms and miss opportunities for early medical intervention. 

However, the adverse health effects associated with ageism can be mitigated by nurturing a positive outlook towards growing older. Instead of dwelling on the negatives of aging, experts recommend that older people focus on the things they can control, remain engaged in their communities, and stay physically and mentally active. 

“With May being Older Americans Month, we have an opportunity to fight misleading stereotypes and reinforce positive thinking,” said Richard Fiesta, Executive Director of the Alliance. “The evidence proves that the negative attitudes that some people hold towards aging can harm their ability to live a full life.”

Alert: Scammers Using Alliance Logo to Obtain Banking Information

The Alliance has received reports of someone using the Alliance logo maliciously in order to obtain people's personal data and banking information. The scammer claims to be helping the recipient get lottery and/or Publishers Clearing House winnings they are supposedly owed but actually has criminal intentions. The initial contact may come by phone.

“The Alliance is not associated with any effort to collect lottery or Publishers Clearing House winnings,” said President Roach. “If you are contacted by someone you do not have a business relationship with, and they are asking for your personal information, including bank account numbers, do not respond to them and DO NOT provide the requested information.”

No legitimate sweepstakes or lottery will ask you to PAY anything (or share credit card or bank account info) to get your winnings. Additional information on scams from the Federal Trade Commission is available here.

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