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Is the GOP setting its sights on AARP?
In what Democrats are calling a politically motivated move, three Republican congressmen are seeking an investigation to determine if AARP should be stripped of its tax-exempt status.
From Foxbusiness.com:
Three Republican congressmen are asking the IRS to investigate whether AARP, the powerful senior lobby and health care reform supporter, should be stripped of its tax-exempt status.
At issue is whether there’s a conflict of interest between the group’s mission to advocate for seniors and the money it makes from endorsing insurance products.
As a result of provisions in the health care reform law, AARP stands to make an additional $1 billion through royalties on insurance products branded with the organization’s name over the next 10 years, according to a 29-page report released March 30 by Republican members of the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee. [SNIP] Democrats said the report was politically motivated, noting that Republicans lauded AARP’s endorsement of the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003, which created a private Medicare drug benefit. “But now, since AARP worked to help enact health reform and will surely oppose Republican plans to convert Medicare to a voucher, privatize Social Security and block grant Medicaid, Republicans want to bring them down,” said Health Subcommittee Ranking Member Pete Stark of California in a statement.]]> -
GOP jumps on third rail of politics, takes aim at Medicare
From the Washington Post: The candidates brandished a “Health Care Bill of Rights for Seniors” that promised to protect Medicare from their opponents’ “raid.” The party chairman wrote an op-ed warning that the other guys’ plan meant that “senior citizens will pay a steeper price and will have their treatment options reduced or rationed.” The ads were even blunter. “You cut our Medicare,” one accused. “And this November, you’re fired.” Democrats in any election you care to name? Nope. It was Republicans running against the Affordable Care Act’s Medicare cuts in 2010. It worked, too. Seniors turned out in big numbers, and Republicans carried voters over 65 by an astounding 21 points — by far their biggest margin among any age group. [SNIP] The 2012 budget proposed by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and passed by House Republicans on Friday would privatize Medicare and shift most of the entitlement’s future costs onto seniors. According to the Congressional Budget Office, come 2030, seniors would be paying for nearly 70 percent of their private Medicare-certified insurance out of pocket. If the program were left alone or reformed another way, they’d only be paying 25 to 30 percent. Ryan has considered this problem and chosen to exempt everyone over age 55 from his plan and delay implementing it for a decade. But since he needed savings now, he adopted all of the Affordable Care Act’s Medicare cuts — the very cuts his party opposed in 2010. There’s courage in that move, as many of those savings are wise, but there’s also rank hypocrisy for, well, the same reason. Beyond that, there’s risk. Republicans are relying on the senior vote like never before. And they might have just put it into play.]]> -
British Columbia Seniors Games to have gay team
It’s great to see athletes in my age rage and older. Maybe I’ll be one of them someday, when I get serious about my health and stop the inertia.
The Seniors Games in Canada’s British Columbia will have a gay team for the first time.
From Canada’s Xtra:
The first gay and lesbian team to attend the BC Seniors Games is in training and on track to queer up one of the province’s biggest sports gatherings.
“Let’s be there and be queer” is the group’s catch-cry as it seeks competitors and supporters for the games, hosted by the West Kootenay towns of Nelson, Trail and Castlegar from August 16-20.
Alexandra Henriques, community developer for Qmunity’s Generations program, is coordinating the pioneering contingent.
“Individuals have gone to the games, but we’ve never had an organized queer representation as far as I know,” she says.
“There’s a sport or activity for everyone aged 55-plus, everything from card games to pool to one-act plays.”
The annual event attracts about 3,500 participants in more than 24 activities, including archery, badminton, bocce, bridge, carpet bowling, cribbage, cycling, darts, dragon boat racing, equestrian events, five-pin bowling, curling, golf, horseshoes, ice hockey, pickleball, soccer, tennis, table tennis, track and field, and whist.
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Artist in San Diego donates proceeds to LGBT seniors
San Diego artist William E. Kelly recently had an exhibit and donated 30 percent of the proceeds to San Diego’s LGBT senior community.
From LGBT Weekly:
Local artist William E. Kelly hosted an event last night at the White Buddha Lounge at Saigon on Fifth to benefit the underserved LGBT senior community in the city of San Diego.
[SNIP]
“The community is ill-prepared to meet the increasing burdens that a growing senior and LGBT senior population is experiencing or about to experience in increasing numbers,” Kelly explained to the San Diego Gay and Lesbian News. “This is a brewing crisis. We need to not only make the community aware of the challenges but bring them together to find reasonable solutions.”
For his 60th birthday, Kelly and his husband Bob Taylor requested donations in lieu of gifts in order to open the Kelly/Taylor Senior Assistance Fund at the San Diego Human Dignity Foundation – an organization with which Kelly has long been connected.
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Survey focuses on treatment of LGBT elders in long-term care facilities
A recent report shows more than half of surveyed LGBT older adults believe we’ll be mistreated in long term care facilities.
From Senior Housing News:
Results from a survey of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) older adults found more than half believe that staff or other residents of long-term care facilities would abuse or neglect an LGBT elder.
Published by the National Senior Citizens Law Center, the survey reached 769 individuals, of those people, 328 reported 853 instances of mistreatment in such facilities. Of those participating in the survey, 284 identified themselves as LGBT older adults. Others said they were family members, friends, social service providers, legal services providers, or other interested individuals.
“Our hope is that this report provokes thought, raises critical questions, and compels future systematic research that can be used to dive deeper into the issues raised by these findings and the many personal stories we received,” says National Senior Citizens Law Center Executive Director Paul Nathanson.]]>