Wednesday, March 6, 2002

AARP holds 'kitchen table' meetings

Seventy-two-year-old Irene Chandonet of Manchester, New Hampshire, addressed Rep. John Sununu (R-NH) last week at one of the five AARP "kitchen table" events where she emphasized the strain she feels when trying to manage her finances against just how much she spends monthly on prescription drugs.

Chandonet told the sympathetic congressman, "There are times I don't have enough money to pay for my medicine so I don't take any. I realize the potential consequences but I have no choice."

At packed "kitchen table" meetings held around the country during President's Day recess, AARP members watched important give-and-take between House Budget Committee members and Medicare beneficiaries as they discussed how the federal budget can best meet the demands for affordable drugs, a huge problem for millions of Medicare beneficiaries.

"These were no ordinary kitchen tables," said AARP CEO Bill Novelli, whose organization hosted the kitchen table meetings in five House districts over Congress's February recess. "They are symbolic of the American kitchen table where many important decisions are made, and we wanted members of Congress to understand that this is a critical issue affecting millions of older Americans and their families," he explained.

"Outside of a mortgage, the cost of prescription drugs can be the next biggest expense for many Medicare beneficiaries. Although people like Irene Chandonet feel like they have little choice, members of the House Budget Committee can provide that choice through a drug benefit in Medicare," Novelli added.

The choice Novelli referred to is the amount of money Congress must set aside to create a Medicare drug benefit that people can afford and that gives them the coverage they need. The kitchen table meetings were reminders to leaders in the House that voters want something to be done to help Medicare beneficiaries struggling with high drug costs.

Rep. Sununu already supports adding affordable prescription drug coverage to Medicare. "In the coming year, seniors in New Hampshire can be assured of my continued support for a prescription benefit under Medicare that is voluntary, affordable, and helps to modernize and strengthen the system," he said.

Sununu is not alone in his support, because this problem is a top-of-mind issue for an increasing number of voters. Novelli explained, "Voters want something to be done now and November is just around the corner. Members of Congress will be busy working on a solution. AARP will help them shape a sufficiently funded drug benefit that works for beneficiaries and works for Medicare."

The New Hampshire kitchen table rally was part of a week-long nationwide AARP tour. The organization held similar meetings in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Iowa, and California, in select districts with key members of the House Budget Committee. Len Helfand of Santa Clara, California, summed it up this way in a meeting in with his congressman, Michael Honda (D-CA).

"I never thought I'd be in a position to have to choose between groceries and medicine, but that's where things are going," said Helfand. "What's the point of buying medicine if you can't afford to eat properly? Congress and the President need to do something soon, because many of us are in desperate straits."

AARP is engaging in a variety of efforts to encourage the President, Congress, and the states to help Americans who lack coverage pay for their prescription drugs. In addition to holding the kitchen table conversations, AARP generated tens of thousands of calls to Congress and the White House as the Presidents Day recess approached. The AARP Bulletin, which goes to AARP's 35 million members, continues to cover the issue, most recently reprinting a letter from AARP to President Bush. Throughout the congressional session and the election year, AARP will continue to keep the public up to date with the latest information so they can question their candidates and elected leaders and make informed voting decisions. To further help in those decisions, AARP is launching "RX Fact Check," an ad watch program that will keep track of what candidates and other groups say about prescription drug coverage in Medicare and to point out any distortions and inaccuracies. In addition, AARP has sent a letter to the Senate and House Budget Committee members, encouraging them to act now to make Medicare drug coverage possible this year, and to set aside sufficient funding in the fiscal year 2003 budget to enact a Medicare drug benefit that beneficiaries will recognize as providing real value.

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization for people 50 and over. It provides information and resources; advocates on legislative, consumer, and legal issues; assists members to serve their communities; and offers a wide range of unique benefits, special products, and services for its members. These benefits include AARP Webplace at www.aarp.org, Modern Maturity and My Generation magazines, and the monthly AARP Bulletin. Active in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, AARP celebrates the attitude that age is just a number and life is what you make it.

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