Our Issues
Medicare
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Medicare Pilot Program ACO REACH What it REALLY Is
May 16, 2022: NYSARA President Barry Kaufmann, in response to concerns raised by NYSARA members and to untrue statements by organizations having motives other than to protect Medicare recipients, asked the ARA staff and leadership to address t Read More >
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2022 News on Part B Medicare Premiums and Deductibles from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
November 16, 2021: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said on Friday that the standard monthly Part B premium for next year will be $170.10. That’s an increase of 14.5%, or $21.60, from 2021. The annual Part B deductib Read More >
Medicaid
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Apple, Bose and Others Pump Up the Volume on Hearing Aid Options, Filling Void Left by FDA
August 31, 2021: Spurred by decades of complaints about the high cost of hearing aids, Congress passed a law in 2017 to allow over-the-counter sales, with hopes it would boost competition and lower prices. Four years later, federal regulato Read More >
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KHN: Biden Seeks $400 Billion to Buttress Long-Term Care. A Look at What’s at Stake.
April 12, 2021: There’s widespread agreement that it’s important to help older adults and people with disabilities remain independent as long as possible. But are we prepared to do what’s necessary, as a nation, to make this possible? Th Read More >
Social Security
Affordable Care Act
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Suit Challenging ACA Legally Suspect, But Threatens Loss of Coverage for Millions
January 20, 2020: A three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals will soon announce a decision in Texas v. United States, the lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The appeals court heard oral arg Read More >
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Trump-Backed Texas Lawsuit Would Devastate New Yorkers
July 11, 2019: President Trump is trying to rip away our health care by going to court to eliminate the Affordable Care Act in its entirety. If the Trump lawsuit is successful, it will strip coverage from millions of Americans, raise premiums, e Read More >
NYS State Issues
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NYSARA and the NYS Office for the Aging Survey on Services for Seniors 870 Surveys Now Completed
February 14, 2023: We asked you last week to take part in a survey on services for Seniors in New York. Thus far 870 people have taken part in the survey. For those of you that have NOT taken the survey we ask that you log on to and ta Read More >
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New York’s State of the State Address 2023
January 17, 2023: On Tuesday, January 10, 2023 New York Governor Kathy Hochul addressed the NYS Legislature and the people of New York State in the annual State of the State Address. Governor Hochul in her speech to the audience of l Read More >
Prescription Drugs
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KFF Health News: Save Billions or Stick With Humira? Drug Brokers Steer Americans to the Costly Choice
September 21, 2023: Tennessee last year spent $48 million on a single drug, Humira — about $62,000 for each of the 775 patients who were covered by its employee health insurance program and receiving the treatment. So when nine Humira knockoffs, kn Read More >
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Prescription Drug Insurance & Discount Programs for Seniors in New York State
December 06, 2022: Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage (EPIC) EPIC Helpline: 800-332-3742 (TTY 800-290-9138) https://www.health.ny.gov/health_care/epic/ EPIC is a NYS program for older adults 65 and above who need help payi Read More >
Pensions
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Pension Spending During Covid Pandemic Provided $1.3 Trillion to the Economy
January 11, 2023: Retirees who spent their public and private sector pension benefits in 2020 generated $1.3 trillion in total economic output, supporting nearly 6.8 million jobs across the nation, according to a report released Wedn Read More >
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Generational Views of Retirement in the United States
August 12, 2021: The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has presented extraordinary health and economic challenges across the globe, triggering yet another deep economic crisis. While the availability of several vaccines in late 2020 has begun to all Read More >