skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

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

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Medicare Voucher Concerns for Oldest State in Nation

play audio
Play

Monday, February 20, 2017   

AUGUSTA, Maine – Maine lawmakers are expected back home this week, with Congress in recess Monday, and local advocates for seniors say the time is ripe to send them a message on Medicare.

At AARP Maine, State Director Lori Parham says hundreds of thousands of Mainers paid into the system who are either now, or soon will be, old enough to access Medicare benefits.

She's concerned that proposals being floated in Congress to turn the program into a fixed amount voucher system could dramatically increase health care costs and risks.

"The system would be switched to a voucher program, which could really impact Maine seniors who are currently on Medicare, but also those who are getting close to retirement age," she states.

Parham says at last count about 288,000 Mainers are Medicare beneficiaries.

During the election, President Donald Trump said he would protect Social Security and Medicare, because in his words, "workers made that deal a long time ago."

But he's under increasing pressure in Congress to trim those programs.

Parham says AARP is taking a stand nationally to keep Medicare strong, for people who need affordable health care in their senior years.

"Through Medicare Part A and Part B, we're talking about hospital benefits, physicians benefits – the services that they've come to depend on,” she points out. “The idea that there could be no guarantee that those services are available is very concerning."

Parham says nationwide, many retirees live on less than $25,000 a year, and they are already spending $1 in $6 of their income on health care. Maine is no exception.

"Maine is our oldest state, and it continues to grow older, and changes to the program will have even a greater impact for Maine because of the fact that many of our older residents are low-income," she stresses.

Parham adds 24 percent of Mainers – or about 315,000 people – are between ages 50 and 64, who will soon be eligible and transitioning onto Medicare over the next 15 years.








get more stories like this via email

more stories
A report from the Tennessee HealthCare Campaign recommended the federal government needs to strengthen 340B drug pricing and other federal negotiation mechanisms to make needed medicines more readily available and less expensive for hospitals to purchase and administer. (Spotmatikphoto/AdobeStock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …


Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…


Nearly 13 million Americans receive health coverage through unique plans under both Medicare and Medicaid. They are known as Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

 

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