shAARP Talk: Observations from AARP

Bloomberg News: Veto-Proof Majority Blocks Medicaid Regulations In The House

"A veto-proof majority of the U.S. House voted to block seven Medicaid regulations issued by the Bush administration that would cut federal payments to states by $33 billion during the next decade." Over "120 Republicans today joined the chamber's Democratic majority to approve legislation" by a vote of "349 to 62." Legislators are "reluctant to cut politically sensitive programs such as Medicaid in an election year," and "said the administration's rules would reduce funding for a host of critical services for low-income Americans." At the end of the article, Bloomberg News writes, "Elaine Ryan, vice president of the Washington-based advocacy group AARP, praised the legislation. 'This bill will protect people from losing coverage for health-care services they need but cannot afford,' Ryan said in a statement. 'While we recognize that fraud, waste and abuse in Medicaid must be reduced to bring down the cost of health care, the cuts proposed by the administration go too far and only shift the bill to the people in Medicaid, rather than addressing the root of the problem.'"

US News and World Report: Despite Improvement, Drug Prices Still High With Medicare

"Having Medicare makes someone less likely to go without food to pay for medicine, but the sickest patients are still skipping medications because of costs, a new report says. The three-year-old Medicare Part D benefit...has led to some improvements but nothing revolutionary, according to the study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. 'This study reveals that the federal government has more work to do to assure that the Medicare Part D program meets the needs of the most vulnerable Medicare beneficiaries,' Gail Shearer, director of health policy analysis at Consumers Union, told HealthDay. 'It is unacceptable that the sickest beneficiaries may not be filling prescriptions or taking the full doses or courses of their medicines because they simply can't afford to.'"

CNN: Republicans Block Fair Pay Bill In House

The bill that stalled Wednesday would have reset the clock with every paycheck, with supporters arguing that each paycheck was a discriminatory act. But Sen. Johnny Isakson, a Georgia Republican, said the bill would allow retirees drawing pensions to sue their old companies over allegations of discrimination that happened decades ago."