History Made as Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson Joins the Supreme Court

On Thursday retiring Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer swore-in Kentanji Brown Jackson as the Court’s newest Justice.

“We congratulate Justice Brown Jackson on this extraordinary achievement and look forward to her serving the American people for many years to come,” said Robert Roach, Jr., President of the Alliance for Retired Americans. “It is important that the Supreme Court includes people of all races and backgrounds and as the first Black woman on the court we are now one step closer to achieving this goal.”

Senate Democrats Working to Pass Legislation to Lower Drug Prices in July

The Washington Post and other media outlets reported Thursday that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (NY) and Senator Joe Manchin (WV) have been negotiating a plan to lower drug prices, including requiring Medicare to negotiate lower prices directly with pharmaceutical corporations. A spokesperson for Sen. Manchin claimed Thursday that the plan has the support of all 50 Democrats.

The Schumer-Manchin proposal reportedly includes mandating that the Secretary of Health and Human Services negotiate prices beginning in 2023, making vaccines free to Medicare patients, limiting Medicare premium increases, and capping out-of-pocket costs for Medicare patients at $2,000 per year.

The draft legislation still needs to be reviewed by the Senate Parliamentarian to determine if it can be passed through the budget reconciliation process with a simple majority vote.

“We are encouraged that Senate leaders have not stopped working on legislation to lower drug prices,” said Rich Fiesta, Executive Director of the Alliance. “There is no more urgent issue facing retirees. High drug prices hurt patients who have to choose between putting food on the table or taking the medicine they need to stay healthy. It’s time for Congress to finally put patients ahead of drug industry profits.”

Register now for the Alliance’s 2022 National Membership Meeting

Members of the Alliance for Retired Americans will hold their quadrennial National Meeting virtually on July 27-28 from 1 to 5 PM Eastern Time. National leaders in the fight to strengthen and expand retirement security will address the meeting, and officers will be elected.

The National Meeting will also consider new Alliance resolutions which guide the Alliance’s policy positions, and there will be interactive workshops to help prepare for the critical 2022 midterm elections.

Please click here to register for the meeting. The registration deadline is July 15, 2022.

Alliance Members Host Convention in Connecticut and Senior Summit in Kansas

Alliance Executive Director Rich Fiesta attended the Connecticut Alliance’s Convention on Monday, June 27. He swore in the Connecticut Alliance's officers and spoke about retiree issues and the

importance of mobilizing older voters for the midterm elections.

Also last week, Alliance Field Mobilization Director Maureen Dunn joined the Kansas Alliance at its Senior Power Summit with the Kansas AFL-CIO. Participants developed a strategy to educate older voters ahead of the November election. Speakers included Kansas AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Andy Sanchez, Kansas AFL-CIO Executive Vice President John Nave, and Patrick Schmidt, candidate for Congress.

Kaiser Health News: Government Watchdogs Attack Medicare Advantage for Denying Care and Overcharging

Congress should crack down on Medicare Advantage health plans for seniors that sometimes deny patients vital medical care while overcharging the government billions of dollars every year, government watchdogs told a House panel Tuesday.

Witnesses sharply criticized the fast-growing health plans at a hearing held by the Energy and Commerce subcommittee on oversight and investigations. They cited a slew of critical audits and other reports that described plans denying access to health care, particularly those with high rates of patients who were disenrolled in their last year of life while likely in poor health and in need of more services.

Rep. Diana DeGette (CO), chair of the subcommittee, said seniors should not be “required to jump through numerous hoops” to gain access to health care.

The watchdogs also recommended imposing limits on home-based “health assessments,” arguing these visits can artificially inflate payments to plans without offering patients appropriate care. They also called for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS, to revive a foundering audit program that is more than a decade behind in recouping billions in suspected overpayments to the health plans, which are run mostly by private insurance companies.