Action Items:

Work for changes still needed in Medicare.

1. Add catastrophic coverage to eliminate bankruptcies due to medical costs.  CBO Budget Option 81 shows how this can be done revenue/cost-neutral.
2. The Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) calculation needs complete revision.  Doctors are abandoning Medicare patients because of the pay restrictions of SGR.
3. Give Medicare ability to negotiate drug prices, for cost savings and future viability of Medicare.

Supporting Activities:

1. Align ourselves with (support) Government representatives who support our goals and allow our issues to be heard.
2. Analyze content of the health care reform legislation just signed into law for impact on retirees. Track rule-making and implementation, including at state level.
3. Demonstrate our support of the health care reform legislation whenever possible by helping others understand what it does.
4. Track the progress of the President’s bipartisan commission on entitlement reform.
5. Support anything that supports survivability of Social Security and Medicare.
6. Monitor any proposed changes to ERISA and lobby for protection of pensions under ERISA. Protect pension funds from being used for:
   1. Corporate restructuring expenses, buy-outs.
   2. CEO lavish retirement programs.
   3. Employee health care expenses.

April 26, 2010