May is Older Americans Month!

Celebrate, honor and have fun with your favorite older Americans.

United Senior Action thanks all our older Hoosiers and people who want to be older Hoosiers. You are the strength that allows us to be better advocates for vulnerable seniors and people with disabilities. You hold the power that can be unleashed to make things better!

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April 9, 2013

Home Care is Best Value

Read this article from U.S. New & World Report Money Section highlighting Genworth Financial's 10th Annual Cost of Care Survey: .Long-Term Care Costs Favor Home-Based Treatment

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April 2013

A Chained CPI slowly but surely leads to deeper poverty for those who depend on it: it doesn't work for seniors!

Social Security was established to keep older Americans out of poverty as they aged. Although it was never intended to be the sole source of income, it has become just that for about one in five (21 percent) of people aged 65 and older. Social Security keeps 20 million Americans out of poverty, including nearly 14 million seniors and 1 million children.

President Obama submitted a budget proposal to Congress that may change how the annual Cost of Living Adjustment or COLA will be calculated for Social Security benefits. He is willing to consider linking COLA to a chained CPI.

United Senior Action urges Congress not to adopt a chained CPI.

Click here to learn about COLA, CPI and the chained CPI and to link to what the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, The Leadership Council on Aging and the Consortium of Citizens with Disabilities are saying about the using a chained CPI.

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April 2013

The Advocate Briefs, April 2013

Much remained undecided as the 2013 General Assembly reached the second half of the session.

Click here to read the mid-session update on bills that United Senior Action is following this session.

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April 2013

Federal Budget Bills adopted by the House and Senate are Starkly Different

In late March, the House and the Senate released and voted on their respective budget resolutions for fiscal year (FY) 2014, in addition to passing a Continuing Resolution to fund the government to the end of FY 2013. The Alliance for Retired American produced a chart that highlights the stark differences between the two budgets, specifically on Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Click here to view the comparison chart.

 

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January 2013

The United Senior Advocate discusses the issues that affect Indiana Seniors. Read it now.

January's edition of The United Senior Advocate discusses the issues and legislation that we will be following in the 2013 session of the General Assembly. House Bill 1428 contains a sweeping set of reforms that will make home care services more available to senior citizens and people with disabilities - both through the CHOICE program and Medicaid waivers. This bill also addresses the state's reluctance to address the needs of people with brain injury by establishing a Division of Brain Injury Services and Cognitive Rehabilitation. Senate bills 604 and 597 also address these issues. Other issues discussed in this month's Advocate are the budget bill (HB1001), minimum staffing ratios for skilled nursing facilities (HB 1096), public transportation (HB 1011), and adult protective services reform. Link directly from The Advocate to sign up for the state's free BillWatch services to track legislation. And if you are not on our Action Alert list please sign up in the Get Active section to the right of this article.

Link to the January 2013 United Senior Advocate here.

 

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January 2, 2013

Report from NCOA: The Fiscal Cliff: What it Means for Seniors

Link to the entire article by clicking here.

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The Fiscal Cliff and Senior Citizens

United Senior Action urges our national legislators to take a balanced approach to reducing the debt and deficit of the federal government. If congress does not take appropriate action many seniors will suffer from the consequences of not addressing several fiscal events that will soon occur at the national level.

Click on the following link to read the advocacy primer on the fiscal cliff produced by National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) : What Advocates Need to Know About the Fiscal Cliff.

Up-to-date information on health issues including the fiscal cliff negotiations can be found at Kaiser Health News.

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November 2012

Market Survey of Long-Term Care Costs: The 2012 MetLife Survey of Nursing Home, Assisted Living, Adult Day Services, and Home Care Costs

The tenth annual survey reports that national average rates for long-term care in the U.S. continue to rise. However the hourly rate for home health aides remains steady.

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August 23,24, 2012 - Indiana Home Care Task Force Press Release

A Plan to Eliminate the Wait Lists for CHOICE, A&D & TBI Waivers

United Senior Action joined the The Indiana Home Care Task Force to announce a plan to stop the harm that is being done to tens of thousands of Hoosiers by the failure of the Daniels' administration to fund the CHOICE home health care program and Medicaid waivers that also provide home health care services.

Read the entire release by clicking here.

WNDU, South Bend Channel 16 Coverage

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The Medicare Reform Debate

According to the 2012 Medicare Trustees Report: “Over long historical periods, average, demographically adjusted, per capita growth rates for common benefits have historically been somewhat lower for Medicare than for private health insurance.”

Read the statement of Howard Bedin, NCOA Vice President for Public Policy and Advocacy, on the 2012 Medicare Trustees Report:

" 5 Key Facts Must Inform the Medicare Reform Debate"

 

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The

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2013 Indiana General Assembly Schedule

Fact Sheet from the Economic Opportunity Institute:

The Straight Facts on Social Security

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2014-2015 Indiana Biennial Budget Act
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