Tag Archives for Graying of America

Kleyman Gives Post Mortem Report on 2015 WHCoA

Published in Woonsocket Call on January 17, 2016

In 1958, Rhode Island Congressman John E. Fogarty, a former bricklayer, introduced legislation calling for a White House Conference on Aging (WHCoA) to “promote the dignity, health and economic security of older Americans.” President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the enacted legislation and the first conference was held in 1961, with subsequent conferences in 1971, 1981, 1995, 2005 and 2015.

Looking back, the 1961 WHCoA played a major role in the creation of Medicare and Medicaid, even the Older Americans Act. Ten years later, the conference’s recommendation’s for automatic cost-of-living adjustments for Social Security ultimately became law in 1975. The founding of the Senate Aging Committee came from recommendations at the 1971 WHCoA.

A Year Marked with Anniversaries

The one-day 2015 WHCoA (usually three days) was actually held at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, but with a much smaller assembly than in previous years at Washington hotels, such as in 1995, which had 2,221 delegates and 2005, where about 1,100 selected delegates gathered. But his time, new technologies allowed others to tune in. The White House could only accommodate a few hundred dignitaries.

Over 700 watch parties were held in every state and thousands of people tuned in on Monday, July 13, 2015, to watch the day-long proceedings by live webcast. Over 9,000 people participated, too, through social media on Twitter and Facebook.

But, Paul Kleyman, editor of the Generations Beat Online (GBONews.org), a E-Newsletter for age beat journalist, noted in the Jan. 17, 2016 issue, that this year’s aging conference had no delegate selection process like previous ones. “As we’ve noted previously, though, more than one expert expressed disappointment that the Obama Administration made little effort to muster bipartisan support among GOP congressional members who might well have wanted some representation on the issue going into the 2016 election season. Historically, governors and members of Congress got to pick local constituents in fields from retirement finance to health services with a prestigious delegate appointment to the conference,” says the seasoned journalist who served as a delegate at the 1995 WHCoA.

A Call for an Expansion of Social Security

The WHCoA’s scheduled date in 2015 fell in the year where advocates in aging celebrated the 50th anniversary of Medicare, Medicaid and the Older Americans Act as well as the 80th anniversary of Social Security. Kleyman notes that the newly released 34 page WHCoA report (with 49 pages of appendices) says, “The 2015 White House Conference on Aging (WHCOA) provided an opportunity to recognize the importance of these key programs as well as to look ahead to the next decade.”

President Obama was sent a letter with 74 Congressional cosigners reminding him that over half of today’s older workers are not expected to be able to have sufficient resources upon their retirement to maintain their current standard of living. Although they called for an expansion of Social Security, Kleyman says discussion was “barely audible” at the aging conference.

In addressing the WHCoA attendees, Obama called for “keeping Social Security strong, protecting its future solvency,” pledging to fight “privatization of the program. Kleyman observed that proposed new rules to help workers increase their retirement “stopped short of supporting stronger benefits that they need.”

It’s a Mixed Bag

But, Kleyman says that aging advocates consider the WHCoA’s recommendations a mixed bag. In his E-newsletter article, he references a Jan. 6, 2015 blog penned by Kevin Prindiville who serves as executive director of Justice in Aging. “The report details piecemeal public actions and private initiatives, but ignores the opportunity to lay out an ambitious policy proposal to address pressing systemic challenges,” he says.

Kleyman also zeros in on Prindiville’s observations as to why this year’s WHCoA was of the scaled down. He observed, “To those who followed the WHCOA closely, this was not a surprise. Congress’ failure to reauthorize the Older Americans Act, and the lack of appropriate funding for the conference, meant WHCOA organizers had to produce a conference without a budget. With little infrastructure and support, the White House did not propose any new big, bold ideas to prepare for a population that is literally booming.”

Kleyman says that attendees were pleased to see a recommendation calling for improving the quality and safety requirements in the nation’s 15,000 long-term care facilities and a proposal to allow low-income and frail home bound elders and people with disabilities to use food stamps for meals on wheels.

Meanwhile, attendees were told at this event that physicians would be paid starting in 2016 to counsel patients about their end-of-life care, adds Kleyman, noting that recommendations did not address the nation’s increasing diversity.  Yet, there was no discussion on hospice and palliative care, affordable senior housing issues, and little discussion of elder abuse, the need for adequate transportation and long-term care, he says.

See You in 2025

According to the Census Bureau, in 2050, the 65-and-older population will be 83.7 million, almost double of what it was in 2012. The 2015 WHCoA conference has taken place with a skyrocketing older population, referred to as the “Graying of America.” Can this year’s conference provide policy makers with a road map to shape the delivery of services for years to come? As Kleyman says, probably not. “So it goes, at least until 2025,” he says.

 

Social Security funds could be up for grabs

Published in Pawtucket Times on September 10, 2001

Don’t expect quick government action to provide prescription drug benefits to seniors or immediate meaningful Social Security or Medicare reforms soon.  With the backdrop of a $1.35 trillion Bush White House tax cut, a shrinking budget surplus combined with an ailing economy and dwindling consumer confidence, Congress may be forced to take from “Peter to pay Paul.”

But let me give you the political translation…According to a recent released Congression Budget Office (CBO) August 2001 report, the federal government will need to use $9 billion of the tax receipts used to buy bonds invested in the Social Security trust fund in the fiscal year that ends September 30 to made ends meet, increasing the likelihood that heated bipartisan bickering and congressional gridlock will occur when lawmakers being their efforts to pass next year’s 13 spending bills.

Don’t look for things to get better soon, says the nonpartisan CBO, because by 2003 it’s estimated that $18 billion in Social Security reserves will be needed to keep the government in operation.  By 2005, CBO notes that if current tax and spending policies are followed, and the economy performs as the agency estimates, on budget surpluses will emerge.

Senior groups have expressed concern about the federal government having the dip into the cash generated from Social Security payroll taxes, calling it a tragedy that will block passage of any meaningful prescription drug benefit proposals or Medicare and Social Security reforms.  “The loss of tax revenue due to the present’s tax cuts and the slowing economy will lead to new federal debt and $600 billion in additional interest payments over the next ten years,”  predicted Max Richtman, executive director of the Washington D.C. based National Committee to preserve Social Security and Medicare.

“It’s enough to pat for a generous prescription drug benefit under Medicare,” Richtman says.

“Now it looks like the federal government will have to pay bondholders instead of providing seniors with the help they need on prescription drugs, Richtman added, noting that it’s a case of misplaced priorities.

“The $600 billion (in additional interest payments) could fund a prescription drug program with co-payments and deductible at a level that is more affordable for all seniors,”  Richtman says.  Meanwhile, any funds not used could help pay for repair of glasses, refitting dentures and new batteries for hearing aids, all costs not covered by Medicare. 

Adds Ed Zesk, president of Aging 2000, a nonprofit consumer organization focused on improving health care for seniors, “Its is unfortunate that the Bush administration got caught up in tax cut rhetoric to the point where they are focused into a corner and gave a tax cut without accessing its impact on the future of Medicare and Social Security.  While Americans certainly appreciate a few bucks back from Uncle Sam it is a shame that a nation we are potentially mortgaging our future health care and Social Security for a short term tax rebate.

“Clearly the tax cut has made it virtually impossible to develop any kind of meaningful prescription drug proposal for Medicare,”  Zesk told All About Seniors.  “This is just one example of the long-term benefit being sacrificed for the short-term gains,” he says.

Kathleen S. Connell, executive director of AARP Rhode Island, states that  AARP also opposes a federal government raid on the Social Security funds to finance other government programs.  However, the nation’s largest senior advocacy group was pleased that earlier this year both Congress and President Bush had agreed to protect Social Security by using surplus funds in the program for only debt reduction.  “To use the surplus funds other than for debt reduction would undermine that consensus and signal a trend that we believe would not be good economic policy,” Connell said.

According to AARP research, the overall balances for the program funds would not be affected and full benefits could be paid up until 2038, Connell said.  “The key thing that needs to be understood as long as the surplus is used for debt reduction, it would reduce the obligation of future generations and free up money to help the economy.”

With Congress going back into session, lawmakers must now begin the task of passing 13 appropriation bills for the fiscal year beginning October 1.  With the CBO report raising the issue of spending the Social Security receipts, it is now time for Congress to quit finger-pointing and charging each other of raiding the  Social Security and Medicare program.

With the graying of America, Congress must be aside its political differences and work toward long-range bipartisan solutions to ensure the solvency of the Social Security and Medicare programs.  No longer should seniors accept quick political fixes from either political party.