RMAC/Health Care Committee Meeting Report; August 7th, 2009

Attendees

John Kotson; IBM Retiree, RMAC Chairman
Ed Bettinardi; Johns Manville Retiree, Health Care Committee Chairman
Hazel Floyd; AUSWR Regional VP, Health Care Committee Member
Barbara Wilcox; AUSWR CO/WY Health Care Specialist, Health Care Committee Member
Joe Halpern; AUSWR Member, District AARP Representative

National

1.    Comparison of House/Senate Health care Bills using the Kaiser Family Foundation Summary; John Kotson researched the bills and prepared a straw man summary. Barbara Wilcox also researched the bills and modified the summary.  Ed Bettinardi and Hazel Floyd will review the summary document and submit comments to be incorporated. The document will be widely distributed to give persons a true perspective of the health care reform legislation being developed in Congress. Plans are to keep the summary updated until a final health care bill exists.
2.     Letter to President Obama on Medicare Catastrophic Care; John Kotson authored the letter and it was sent by E-mail, US Mail and Fax. No response was received. Each of the other members agreed to also send the letter as individuals.
3.    AARP Progress on Health Care Reform; Joe Halpern reported on AARP meetings. The organization has changed with the new CEO, Barry Rand. There is more separation between the insurance and advocacy arms. AARP is becoming more serious about advocacy for health care reform. Joe keeps emphasizing in AARP meetings that Medicare recipients are excluded in the health care bills being developed. The local AARP meetings on health care are attracting protesters.
4.    Congresswoman DeGette was one of the sponsors of the modification to HR 3200 to allow Medicare to negotiate prescription drugs directly with the drug producers. RMAC believes this is a result of our meetings with the Congresswoman and an important victory for our efforts. It will be very important to continue supporting this effort as the bill moves through the Congress.

Colorado/Wyoming

1.    Congresswoman DeGette’s telephone town hall; Ed Bettinardi and Hazel Floyd participated. Neither was able to ask a question.
2.    Teleconference with Wyoming Senator Mike Enzi’s Staff; John Kotson, Ed Bettinardi, and Hazel Floyd will travel to Cheyenne August 18th for a video conference with Senator Enzi’s Washington staff. The topics will be Medicare catastrophic coverage and prescription drug negotiation for Medicare. A letter was sent to Enzi requesting these items along with a white paper on Medicare catastrophic coverage.
3.    Teleconference with Senator Udall’s Staff; Hazel Floyd reported feedback from Jacob Swanton, Udall’s Washington health care staffer; the call was very interesting and he was glad to learn of CBO Option 81, that presents a way to pay for Medicare catastrophic coverage at no additional cost to the tax payers. He stated that Udall will be apprised of it. Hazel Floyd will follow up with Swanton to find out what Udall’s reaction was to the approach spelled out in Option 81. Ed Bettinardi will check Udall’s web site for town hall meetings during the Congressional recess.
4.    Letter to Congresswoman DeGette; John Kotson authored a letter that was signed by all the members thanking Diana DeGette for her efforts in getting the change in HR 3200 to allow Medicare to negotiate prescription drugs.
5.    John Kotson attended a meeting of the Northern Chapter of Health Care for All Colorado and presented our positions on Medicare catastrophic care and prescription drugs. HCAC has requested an opportunity to attend the next RMAC meeting and present their efforts on “Single Payer” health care. They were extended an invitation to attend.

Future Activities

1.    Ed Bettinardi reported that a daily E-mail is available from “Political Pulse” on health care reform and he encouraged everyone to sign up for it.
2.    The next RMAC/Health Care Committee meeting is scheduled for September 11th. All members are encouraged to attend as Congress should be heavily involved in health care reform by then.

John Kotson; RMAC Chairman