Press Releases

As an organization that advocates for the quality of life of Pennsylvania Seniors, the PA Alliance for Retired Americans is deeply concerned with the provisions in House Bill 1907, which would shield nursing homes with negligent caregivers from any meaningful accountability.  This legislation would strip some of our most vulnerable seniors of their right to advocate for themselves in a meaningful way.  Overall, HB 1907 would be a large step backwards in the quality of care in our state’s nursing homes.

“The Pennsylvania Alliance for Retired Americans would like to formally express our concern over Governor Corbett’s newly-announced policy to impose an asset limit on eligibility for food assistance in Pennsylvania.  This policy, we believe, will leave deserving families without assistance, straining our local charities and food banks, while potentially causing some families to fall into far worse economic situations (and far more expensive for PA taxpayers).  Furthermore, we believe that this policy runs contrary to the idea that state assistance should not be a permanent situation for Pennsylvania families.

Recently, the State House of Representatives passed House Bill 2052 by a wide 186-6 margin.  This bill would give the State Department of Health and the State Insurance Commissioner a much larger role in resolving disputes between health care facilities and insurance companies, to the benefit of consumers. The Pennsylvania Alliance for Retired Americans applauds the bi-partisan support that this bill received in the House, and hopes its companion bill, Senate Bill 1358, is passed very soon so that a compromise version reaches the Governor’s desk this spring.  Furthermore, the Alliance urges that Binding Arbitration as the final solution to disputes, which is in the House-passed bill but not currently in Senate bill 1358, be a part of the final version.

I don't know Ruthelle Frank. But I do know that what is happening to her is enough to make my blood boil. Along with many other seniors, Ruthelle may lose the right to vote because she lacks a government-issued photo ID card.

Looking back on data for 2011 compiled by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, seniors in Pennsylvania have many reasons to be thankful for the Affordable Care Act.  Furthermore, seniors should be grateful that Republican efforts to repeal the law, and its many improvements to Medicare, were defeated earlier this year.

The report comes out just as Pennsylvania’s Senator Pat Toomey finishes his work on the congressional Super Committee tasked with reducing the federal deficit.  The Committee must recommend at least $1.2 trillion in spending cuts by November 23.  The full Congress must approve these recommendations by the end of the year, or it will trigger automatic deficit reduction.

“After two years of watching prices go up but benefits stay put, Social Security recipients are finally going to see an increase in their benefits next year.  The Social Security Administration announced a COLA of 3.6% today.  Of course, the COLA will be mitigated by the expected increase in the Medicare Part B Premium.  However small, this COLA will be welcome news for the millions of Social Security Beneficiaries who rely on the program for most or all of their income.  In 2010, over 11 million seniors lived off their Social Security check alone!  Nearly half of Americans over the age of 65 would live in poverty today without Social Security.

York, PA – Local Retirees will gather on Monday, August 15^th at 10:30am to celebrate the 76^th Birthday of Social Security by holding a rally outside Congressman Platts’ York office.  The Congressman’s office will be presented with a Birthday Cake so his staff can also celebrate the Birthday of this important program.  This Rally is being sponsored by the retirees of IAM Local 98, UAW Local 1872 and the Pennsylvania Alliance for Retired Americans.

Pennsylvania retirees are relieved – at least for now – that Social Security and Medicare were not cut in this week’s debt ceiling agreement in Washington.  But retirees cannot sit back and think that this crisis is over.  The new law creates a so-called ‘Super-Committee’ on Capitol Hill that could, by the end of the year, recommend sweeping cuts in Social Security and Medicare.  Alliance members will keep a close, wary eye on this new congressional panel.  We cannot allow those who have never liked Social Security or Medicare to use this budget climate as political cover for ideological attacks on programs that have kept generations of seniors healthy and out of poverty.

Philadelphia—PARA Members will join together with Pennsylvanians young and old to thank Senator Bob Casey for his vote against the Ryan Budget proposal at 1:30pm on Thursday, June 2, at the Philadelphia Senior Center. This key Senate vote, which took place on May 25, 2010, stopped a budget proposal that would have converted Medicare into a voucher program and capped federal spending on Medicaid / Medical Assistance.