Retirees, disorganized, not equipped for legal battles are being attacked.

• The Alliance for Retired Americans
 

Friday, December 19, 2014

<Mostly members are retired union members from various labor organizations who have joined together under one alliance.  This a direct reprint which I will add comments.>

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Paul Ryan’s Way of Cutting Medicare to Reemerge in New Congress

The next Republican budget will look a lot like those written by exiting House Budget Committee chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI), the incoming House Budget Committee Chairman said last Friday. That would mean eliminating deficits in 10 years by calling again for massive cuts to the federal Medicare and Medicaid programs. Rep. Tom Price (R-GA), who takes the reins of the U.S. House budget panel in January, told reporters he will “build on” Ryan's proposals by devising ways to put more federal benefits programs under the control of states. Ryan will take over as chairman of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee.

Price said a Republican-controlled Congress can now advance policies pioneered by Ryan, including his controversial Medicare plans. Those plans would cut Medicare by limiting beneficiaries to a set amount of money every year to buy private health care insurance. Known as "premium support," the program would mark a dramatic shift from the current Medicare system, under which the federal government helps pay for all medical services that an individual uses.

<In short, here is a voucher for health insurance, now go negotiate a health plan for yourself.>

“‘Premium support’ is vouchers and would gut Medicare and shift costs to seniors,” said Richard Fiesta, Executive Director of the Alliance. “It is another way of saying, ‘Here’s a nickel, you’re on your own for the rest of your health care costs.’” More from Reuters at http://tinyurl.com/nuuhany.

<Alliance for Retired Americans sponsors "Letters to the Editor" and awards a special pen to members who get published and forward their information to the organization.>

Budget or another Topic on Your Mind? Write a Letter to the Editor

Letters to the editor are a terrific way to get our message out.

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Huffington Post December 15, 2014

When the Senate approved the omnibus spending bill to prevent the government from shutting down, it also delivered a blow to some retirees who collect pensions. In a little-discussed provision of the bill, certain multi-employer pension plans were given the go-ahead to reduce pension checks to current recipients by up to 60 percent. 

<Watch this, also Koch Industries major employers are looking for ways to limit or reduce employee pension benefits.>

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Huffington Post December 19, 2014

The United Steelworkers union negotiated a series of collective bargaining agreements stipulating that retired employees "will receive a full company contribution towards the cost of [health] benefits." The union believed the benefits were guaranteed for life. The company contends it could take away these benefits whenever it chose--which it did in 2007.

The retirees challenged that action. The retirees won in the lower courts, and now their case is pending before the Supreme Court.

<Watch this, many retirees whose benefit includes company paid health benefits, may not be guaranteed for life as they thought.>

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