Retirement Security

September 05, 2017

US House of Representatives/Black Budget Proposal: Wrong for NYS Senior Issues

What it does:

1. $203 billion cut from nutritional assistance, aid to needy families, seniors and people with disabilities including meals on wheels which often provides the only meals that housebound seniors receive.
2. Cuts Medicare by 487 billion and increases premiums by 25%
   Raises Medicare eligibility age to 67 increasing out of pocket health costs by $2,200 per year for 5 million people age 65-66. Arriving at Medicare sicker and costing more to the system.
3. Voucherizes medicare ends guaranteed benefits.
4. Raises income related premiums more subject to means testing
   Budget reduces the income cap thus making more seniors subject to means testing.
5. Cuts Medicaid by $1 trillion in the name of “reforming” the program shifting costs to States – NY being impacted more than any other state.
6. Does not close any tax loopholes or require the wealthy to make any concessions.
7. Contains instructions for tax reform through reconciliation – 96% of cuts to people making more than $1 million.
8. Cuts Social Security penalizing disabled individuals who attempt to work part time but through no fault of their own lose their job and attempt to collect Unemployment cuts SSDI by 5.4 billion. OMB chair says its not social security.
9. Guts Non Defense discretionary spending – includes funding for veterans, environment, transportation and many older americans act program that provides assistance to seniors including meals on wheels. NDD funding for FY 2018 falls 20% below the 2010 levels.

Congress is back this week to consider, debt ceiling, budget, aid for Harvey relief among many other items. We must push back against this outrageous budget that rewards the very wealthy at the expense of the middle class and seniors.