Union Retirees Group Opposes Both Medicare Rx Bills

July 28, 2003
The Alliance for Retired Americans, working in coalition with the AFL-CIO, affiliated unions and several community-based groups, says it has launched a massive grassroots campaign to fight the two Medicare drug bills now being negotiated by a House-Senate Conference Committee. It says both bills seek to "privatize" Medicare.

Rallies are slated to be held in the home districts of several members of Congress who supported the bills. On Monday, more than 200 seniors - most of whom were members of the Illinois Alliance for Retired Americans - picketed the Batavia, Ill., office of Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert (R-IL), to protest the House bill which the Alliance says would "turn control of Medicare over to private insurance companies as well as means-test the program."

Steve Pittman, Executive Director of the Illinois Alliance, denounced the so-called "doughnut hole" gap in coverage included in both bills. "Our seniors deserve better," he said.

On Wednesday, about 100 Alliance members demonstrated in front of the Phoenix office of Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ). Five of the protesters were arrested for trespassing when they entered the office and refused to leave.

The seniors said they were seeking a town hall meeting with the Senator. The Senator's staff refused to talk with the seniors who then sat down and refused to leave until someone acknowledged their concerns. The police were called and the five were arrested. They will appear in court next week.

Edward F. Coyle, Executive Director, says the full-scale campaign by the Alliance is intended "to make sure that the current Medicare bills never see the light of day.

"Unless major improvements are made to any final legislation, our preference is that it does not come out of conference. A bad bill that does irreparable harm to older Americans who depend on Medicare for their health care is worse than no bill," he said.

Coyle is urging retirees, workers and their families to call, fax, e-mail, write or visit their elected officials while they are back home during the August recess and tell them that "both Medicare bills are unacceptable and they need to reconsider them."

"As part of our campaign, the Alliance is also mailing more than 750,000 postcards to members nationwide and is providing a toll-free number - 1-800-511-3802 - for retirees to call their senators and representatives to urge them not to privatize Medicare and to retain existing employer-provided drug benefits," says President George J. Kourpias.

More information is available at the Alliance's website at http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/t71nNC71c7zt/.