Brattleboro Citizens’ Breakfast Notes – “Health and Aging: a Federal Policy Update” – Aug 15, 2014

Brattleboro Citizens’ Breakfast
August 15, 2014
Gibson-Aiken Center

“Health and Aging: a Federal Policy Update”

Presenter: Sophie Kasimow  Sophie_Kasimow@help.senate.gov
US Senate Health Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
Staff Director, Subcommittee on Primary Health & Aging
Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
Phone: (202) 224-5480
www.sanders.senate.gov/help

Sophie Kasimow is Staff Director of the Subcommittee on Primary Health & Aging, one of three subcommittees which fall under the umbrella of the US Senate Health Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. Sen. Sanders chairs this subcommittee which deals with community health centers; access to medical, dental, and mental health care; the primary care provider workforce; social services for seniors and the Older Americans Act; preventing and addressing elder abuse; among other health and aging policy issues.

 The subcommittee was formed in May 2011 and Sophie joined the staff in June 2011 and became the subcommittee’s staff director in September 2012.

 When it comes to health care, Vermont is doing better than other states.^[1]  But health care in the US costs twice as much as in  other countries and US health outcomes are not particularly good by comparison.^[2]

 We also lack a sufficient number of primary care physicians. One out of five Americans experience a shortage of primary care providers and one out of four have  lack of access to mental health care. In addition, there is a need for access to dental care.

 Sen. Sanders was instrumental in the expansion of Federally Qualified Health Centers in Vermont and across the country. Vermont now has 11 community health centers with over 50 delivery sites, and by the end of this year they will serve one in four Vermonters (over 160,000 Vermonters);^[3] there are gaps in access in parts of the state, including the southern part of Vermont.  The National Health Service Corps has provided help for loans and scholarships to encourage primary care providers with federal matching funds in underserved communities.

 Sen. Sanders has held several hearings on access to primary health care:

• “30 Million New Patients and 11 Months to Go: Who Will Provide Their Primary Care?” – January 2013: http://www.help.senate.gov/hearings/hearing/?id=dc487385-5056-a032-522c-082a29c4a406
• “Successful Primary Care Programs: Creating the Workforce We Need” – April 2013
  http://www.help.senate.gov/hearings/hearing/?id=bf0c0bd6-5056-a032-52ed-aa0f74670773
• ” Addressing Primary Care Access and Workforce Challenges: Voices from the Field” – April 2014 – one witness was  Stan Brock , Founder and President, Remote Area Medical.
  http://www.help.senate.gov/hearings/hearing/?id=5ab814ee-5056-a032-5231-08baebc7c8cf

 Sen. Sanders introduced the Teaching Health Center Reauthorization Act to help provide more medical and dental residency opportunities at community health centers and to help address the primary care workforce shortage.

In April 2014, Sen. Sanders introduced S. 2229  the Expanding Primary Care Access and Workforce Act to expand primary care access. The bill would extend funding for community health centers and scholarship and loan-repayment opportunities through the National Health Service Corps and increase payment rates for primary care providers.

 Sen. Sanders also held a hearing on “Access and Cost: What the US Health Care System Can Learn from Other Countries” in  March 2014. Insights from Taiwan, Canada, Denmark and France were explored.   http://www.help.senate.gov/hearings/hearing/?id=8acab996-5056-a032-522e-e39ca45fcfbe

 And Sen. Sanders conducted several Town Halls with the Danish Ambassador discussing health care. One these was held in Brattleboro in May 2013. http://brattleborotv.org/sen-sanders-ambass-taksoe-jensen-51813-bmac

 S.1522 the Comprehensive Dental Reform Act of 2013  was introduced by Sen. Sanders and seeks to have dental care covered under Medicare and Medicaid:  

 The Older Americans Act which was originally passed in 1965 is up for reauthorization. In September 2013. Sen. Sanders introduced a bill to do that, S.1562. Although the Act expired in September 2011, it can (and has) continued to be funded. The Act is working well but needs more funding. The reauthorization bill passed out of committee in October 2013, but progress on the bill has stalled because of a discussion on a change in allocation among the states. The total amount of funding is flat and Vermont would not be affected by the proposed reallocation.

 Part of the Act deals with senior meals. These meals are important because they keep people healthy. The Senator opposed the sequestration cuts.  He also led an effort along with 26 Democrats to counter the persistent underfunding of the Older Americans Act by requesting a 12% increase over last year’s funding levels. No Republicans supported the increase. ^[4]

 “Social Security does not contribute one nickel to the deficit.” It is “not going broke.” Funded through the payroll tax, the $2.76 trillion in the trust fund can pay out benefits until 2033. The way forward is to “Scrap the Cap” on taxable income above $250,000 to make the wealthy contribute the same percentage of their income as other workers and to ensure the continued solvency of the fund.^[5] Social Security is 79 years old and has paid out every penny of benefits. Currently, 134,000 Vermonters receive Social Security.

 Sen. Sanders organized the defend Social Security caucus in the Senate and fought against the “chained CPI” which was contained in the President’s budget at the time. The President listened and removed that item from the budget. In February, Sen. Sanders and 15 other senators wrote the President to urge him to preserve Social Security. http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/dear-mr-president-dont-cut-social-security-medicare-medicaid

 The Leadership Council of Aging Organizations (LCAO) – http://www.lcao.org/ – is a coaltion of national non-profit organizations that has been  committed to representing the interests of America’s older population.

 

 

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