skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Friday, September 20, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

U.S. gender wage gap grows for first time in a decade; Trump has embraced NC's Mark Robinson, calling him 'Martin Luther King on steroids'; Volunteers sought as early voting kicks off in MN; Women's political contributions in congressional races fall short of men's.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Rising threats of political violence, a Federal Reserve rate cut, crypto industry campaign contributions and reproductive rights are shaping today's political landscape.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

Minnesotans Make Their Voices Heard on Social Security, Medicare

play audio
Play

Monday, February 20, 2017   

ST. PAUL, Minn. – While Congress takes a break this week, senators and representatives are bound to be hearing a lot from their constituents – particularly those over 50 years old.

Minnesota's 8th-District congressman, Rep. Rick Nolan, says about 9 in 10 calls and emails he gets from constituents say they want Medicare and Social Security protected, and they want health care they can afford.

Nolan says some in Congress would turn Social Security and Medicare over to Wall Street and the insurance companies if they could, but he's sure Minnesotans wouldn't allow that to happen.

"Things like a job with a living wage and income security in your retirement years, and access to health care – I mean, those are bedrock, key essentials of the American dream, and what's made America a great nation," he states.

Nolan says people need to make their voices heard. He suggests bringing their concerns about Social Security, Medicare or health coverage to some of the listening sessions and town hall meetings that are being held around the state.

Seth Boffeli, communications director for AARP Minnesota, says one idea that's being circulated in Congress is to turn Medicare into a voucher system, giving each person a fixed amount to spend on health care.

AARP doesn't think that's workable.

"These vouchers won't grow at the same astronomical rate that our prescription drugs costs and that our premium costs and our out-of-pocket costs are going to grow,” he points out. “So, the end result – insurance companies get more money from seniors, and that guaranteed benefit that we paid into for Medicare our whole working lives becomes weaker and weaker."

Since there's a lot at stake, Boffeli says it's important to become part of the conversation.

"If our elected leaders in Washington are going to be changing these core programs that seniors and people over 50 rely on, then they need to come and talk to us first,” he stresses. “And they need to understand how these changes impact everyday people's lives."

More information about AARP's take on these issues is online at aarp.org.





get more stories like this via email

more stories
Recipients of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Grant can now access funding to drive financing for thousands of climate-focused and clean energy initiatives. (bilanol/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Michigan's most vulnerable communities are receiving federal funding to fight the devastating effects of climate change. It's part of the $27 billion …


Health and Wellness

play sound

September is Health Literacy Month, and a Denver-based group is working to help health professionals break a persistent pattern of discrimination …

Environment

play sound

A new report contends fossil fuel funding has biased Columbia University's climate research. The report, by two Columbia students, shows the …


Alabama releases roughly 220,279 men and 78,247 women from its prisons and jails each year. (Chad Robertson/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

An Alabama woman is on a mission to help people who've been incarcerated for decades successfully transition back into society. The mission to …

Health and Wellness

play sound

In North Carolina, the gap between Medicaid reimbursement rates and the actual cost of dental care has reached a crisis point, impacting both …

So far in 2024, community health centers in North Dakota have screened 11,580 patients for food insecurity. Through those screenings, more than three thousand box meals have been distributed. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

September is Hunger Action Month. In North Dakota, it isn't just food banks trying to help underserved populations get nutritious items. Health …

Environment

play sound

Marine biologists conducting deep dives near five California islands are collecting data they hope will strengthen the case for ending gillnet fishing…

Environment

play sound

Researchers at Iowa State University are taking aim at the huge amount of energy used by data centers, now and in the future. They have developed a …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021