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Senior Agenda Coalition of RI’s 16th Annual Conference, Expo, Awards

Published in RINewsToday on September 15, 2025

The clock is ticking.  There are just 10 days left to register for the Senior Agenda Coalition of Rhode Island’s (SACRI) 16th Annual Conference and Expo “Navigating Choppy Waters – Shelter from the Storm” at Rhodes on the Pawtucket, on September 25th from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.  Breakfast and lunch boxes will be provided for attendees.

At this annual event, which is expected to draw hundreds, as in prior years, SACRI Executive Director, Carol Anne Costa, will present the inaugural Marjorie Waters Award for Service.

In Feb. 2024, Rhode Island’s aging, advocacy and disability communities were shaken by the passing of Marjorie Waters. Costa noted that after leaving a corporate career, Waters made her mark in the aging network, leaving a legacy of deep and lasting impact throughout the state.

“Marjorie dedicated her life to lifting marginalized voices and creating opportunities where others might have seen obstacles,” said Costa. “The award named in her honor ensures her legacy is not only remembered but carried forward by others who share her passion for service.”

SACRI’s Policy Advisor Maureen Maigret added, “We are living in stressful times. Programs supporting the marginalized are under the threat and reality of deep cuts, and highlighting Marjorie’s legacy is a positive way to celebrate service to our shared humanity and bolster the energy needed to continue this work.”

Board Chair Kathy McKeon, echoed that sentiment: “Celebrating the work of these individuals is how we, as an organization can collectively honor those who walk the walk and impact the folks among us who need the advocacy and compassion of champions like Ray and Sister Norma.”

A Life of Advocacy

Marjorie, a 1979 graduate from Rhode Island College with a degree in political science, began her career in information technology.  She served  as director of information technology for a Tribal Nation and later as a Six Sigma Process Excellence Coach in the finance industry.

Leaving corporate life, she turned her energy to supporting older Rhode Islanders.  As director of the Providence’s Westminster Senior Center, she quickly recognized the daily challenges of older adults.  She went on to lead advocacy efforts for the Home Care Independence Provider Program and the Raise the Bar coalitions, both of which secured key legislative victories to improve home and nursing home care.

In 2015, Waters joined the Rhode Island Organizing Project, working to expand access to health care, transportation, and community-based service. In 2022, SACRI recognized her with the Senior Heroes Award for Outstanding Service on behalf of Older Rhode Islanders.  She also played a central role in the Save RIPTA Campaign, which prevented devastating cuts to bus service.

“Marjorie’s work and relationships in the aging space were herculean, Costa said. “Her death was a blow to so many people and organizations who worked for older adults and adults with disabilities. Honoring her memory and celebrating her work was a driving factor for creating this award.” says Costa.

Celebrating the First Recipients

Costa announced that SACRI has chosen Ray Gagne and Sister Norma Fleming, RSM as the first awardees.

“In recognizing leaders in this field, the Marjorie Waters Award is a story about who we are and what we aspire to be as a community, Costa explained.  “Celebrating the work of these two individuals provides examples of advocacy that affirm humanity in every stage of life and every ability.”

She added, Ray Gagne worked, shoulder to shoulder with Marjorie, focused on transportation and transformed what could have been a devastating cut to mobility and accessibility into a matter of equity and independence.”

Gagne has been Director/Lead Organizer of Rhode Island Organizing Project (RIOP) since 2006, leading campaigns to expand access to transportation, long-term care and health care.  Prior to that, he directed campaigns around adult education, affordable housing, and after-school programs in Massachusetts.

“Sister Norma Fleming, RSM, embodies service and compassion through her direct work with adults with disabilities at ReFocus, Inc. and through her lifetime ministry and service to adults with disabilities, exemplifying what it means to foster inclusion and enrich lives, adds Costa.

Costa also praised Sister Norman Fleming, RSM, for a lifetime of service. “Sister Norma embodies service and compassion through her direct work with adults with disabilities at Re-Focus, Inc., , many other service agencies and through her ministry with the Sisters of Mercy,” said Costa.

At 90, Sister Fleming continues her service, having enriched countless lives through her leadership at ReFocus, Inc., her classroom teaching, and as a former principal at St. Mary Academy – Bay View Elementary.

Looking Ahead: Great Keynote, Knowledge, Resources, and Inspiration

The conference will also feature 35 vendors and organizations providing services and resources for older adults and caregivers. Sponsors will provide breakfast and boxed lunches.

“This program will deliver knowledge and resources in many areas,” Costa said. “Whether you’re planning for the future, seeking health insights, or navigating the complexities of caregiving, attendees will leave feeling more prepared and empowered,” she says.

Costa noted that Dr. Ed Iannuccilli was selected as keynote speaker for his medical experience and his deep understanding of the culture of health care. “As an older adult and an author, he brings so much into the conversation on a wide swath of issues,” she said.

“We all review data. And in this time of Zoom meetings and remote working, we need to get together,” added Costa. “This conference is about learning together, and Dr. Iannuccilli is the perfect person to set the tone. Often, subjects on aging can be difficult and sobering. This is SACRI’s way of talking about serious things with serious people in a happy place.”

United Healthcare is the presenting sponsor of SACRI’s “Shelter from the Storm.” Supporting sponsors are Blue Cross/Blue Shield of RI, Neighborhood Health, Delta Dental, Navigant Credit Union, SEIU, Age Friendly RI as well as a plethora of various agencies, businesses and nonprofits. This support allows SACRI to do the work to deliver good policy and law for all of Rhode Island’s older adults and adults with disabilities.

How to Register

For program specifics, visit https://rinewstoday.com/senior-agenda-coalition-of-rhode-island-fall-conference/.

To register, go to https://sacri.org/event/navigating-choppy-waters-shelter-from-the-storm/

To learn more about SACRI, visit SACRI.org

Kennedy Must Lead Fight Against Medicare HMO Rate Hikes

Published in The Pawtucket Times on November 19, 2001

Across the nation, seniors who have enrolled in Medicare HMOs are getting hit hard in the pocketbook.  Premiums and copays for hospital care, nursing services and prescription drugs are skyrocketing. Complaining about inadequate federal funding offered to provide health care services to seniors, a growing number of Medicare HMOs are opting out of the program, leaving their senior enrollees high and dry.

In Rhode Island, seniors are also seeing this alarming trend. Last year, United Healthcare discontinued its Medicare Plus Choice program, first in Newport County, then in Bristol County.  Now Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island (BCBS) informs its seniors that higher premiums and copays come next year for two of their three BlueCHiP for Medicare plans. The increases include prescription drugs, inpatient care, skilled nursing services, and more. The added out-of-pocket costs impacts about 41,000 seniors across the state.

However, Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) is not buying BlueCHiP’s request for a rate increases.

In a strongly worded letter Tom Scully, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the agency charged with overseeing the Medicare program, the Rhode Island congressman strongly protested the rate hikes.

He called on the federal official to investigate whether the current market for Medicare HMOs in Rhode Island has created a situation where the types of increases charged by BCBS are more likely to occur and be approved.

Furthermore, he requested a review to determine if the increases are actuarially sound.

Scott Fraser, BCBS spokesperson, acknowledges that the premium increases of the two BlueCHiP plans were the result of higher medical costs passed onto the BlueCHiP plans by hospital and other medical providers. “It’s medical inflation,” he quips, adding that even higher medication costs charged by drug companies has resulted in an increase in drug copays.

Even with next year’s increases, the BlueCHiP plans will not increase the premiums for the most commonly used services, specifically physician visits, laboratory tests and X-ray services, Fraser adds. “These co-pays have been the same for the last three years.”

CMS has reviewed BCBS’s application for the changes in rates and benefits over the summer, says Fraser, adding that the rate increase was given a thumbs up by the Feds.

Are BCBS’s rate increase actually sound thus justifiable?

CMS spokesperson Peter Ashkenaz told All About Seniors “the fact that the request has been approved by CMS speaks for itself. If the costs seem to be higher than what would be paid for in fee-service Medicare, we would have questioned them.”

Ed Zesk, president of Aging 2000, a non-profit consumer advocacy group. Believes that Rep. Kennedy has asked the right questions in his letter to CMS, specifically, “Are these premium and deductible increases justifiable?”

“Consumers just don’t have access to that type of information, Zesk said.

With Medicare reform now on the back burner as the nation gears up to fight terrorism, Rep. Kennedy must use his position on the House Appropriations Committee and Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education, to address the rising out-of-pocket healthcare costs for Medicare HMO enrollees. As the Congressional elections approach, seniors will want to see concrete congressional action leading to meaningful Medicare reforms.