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Tell your congressional reps
to restore Medicare's promise January 28, 2004 When it comes to the new Medicare law and prescription drug benefit, the devil is in the details. "The more we learn about the final details of the bill, the worse it is," said New York State United Teachers Executive President Alan Lubin. The latest example is a provision added by the White House that allows companies to curtail their retirees' existing drug coverage without losing out on the new subsidy put in the bill to ensure employers would retain drug coverage for retirees. Supporters of the provision were General Motors, Dow Chemical and Lucent Technologies. Another provision not getting much public scrutiny prohibits beneficiaries from buying private insurance to cover huge gaps in prescription drug coverage. Meanwhile, bowing to member criticism, AARP announced plans to campaign for bill changes. About 50,000 members have resigned from AARP because of the organization's pivotal support for the Medicare overhaul. One who withdrew his membership is Lubin himself, a 10-year member. "The actions of AARP were reprehensible," Lubin wrote in a letter to AARP Executive Director William Novelli. "I would suggest you replace my dues with larger donations that you have recently earned from the drug and insurance companies that you clearly represent." Lubin urged unionists to insist congressional representatives rework the law hastily approved in December. NYSUT has posted a letter on its political action page, where you may fax your U.S. representatives directly. Go to politicalaction.nysut.org;The first letter on the page is "Restore Medicare's Guaranteed Benefits and Maintain Retiree Health Care Coverage." The letter urges Congress to revise the law so that it offers an affordable drug coverage administered by the Medicare system, not a program operated for the benefit of private for-profit insurance and drug companies. The letter asks representatives to protect retirees by encouraging their former employers to maintain existing prescription drug coverage. Numerous polls are showing that confusion abounds over how the law will affect current and future retirees. NYSUT is working with its national affiliate, the American Federation of Teachers, to review details and establish a statewide speakers bureau to educate NYSUT in-service members and retirees later this spring. Most of the new law's provisions go into effect in 2006. - Sylvia Saunders |
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