• Older Voters Play Key Role in Presidential Primaries
• House Rejects Bush Medicaid Cuts
• Medicare Rx Benefit: Access Up, Sickest Down
• Golden Years Really Are the Happiest for Many Seniors
• New Ad Campaign Says 'Real Men Wear Gowns'
• McCain Opposes Employee Choice and Union Rights
• Quote of Note: 25th Anniversary of the Publication of A Nation at Risk
• Protect Yourself and Your Family with AFT + Long-Term Care Insurance
• Web site of the Week: www.medicare.gov/NHCompare

OLDER VOTERS PLAY KEY ROLE IN PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES

Older voters played an important role in Pennsylvania's Democratic presidential primary April 22, won by Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.). More than 200 AFT volunteers and staff from a number of states worked on the Clinton campaign, especially in a final grassroots effort to reach union members. The AFT's work in the state focused on Philadelphia and its suburbs, Pittsburgh and Scranton—all areas with strong concentrations of AFT and other union members. Retirees volunteered in large numbers, especially staffing phone banks during the day. Pennsylvania is second only to Florida for the greatest proportion of residents over 65, and 58 percent of registered Democrats are over 45, an age that has been a dividing line in the race. According to The New York Times, age has been a more reliable predictor of voter choice than gender, income or education; race has been the only stronger indicator, and then only if the voter is African American. Seniors have consistently favored the 60-year old Clinton over Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), age 46. Exit polls conducted by Edison/Mitofsky in the primary states before Pennsylvania have shown 57 percent of voters 65 and older supporting Clinton, with 36 percent supporting Obama. The reverse was true for those under 30, with 59 percent for Obama and 38 percent for Clinton.

HOUSE REJECTS BUSH MEDICAID CUTS

Less than a week after AFT Healthcare members lobbied members of Congress to support H.R. 5613, the bill passed by a resounding vote of 342-62, more than enough votes to overturn President Bush's threatened veto. The bill imposes a moratorium on CMS regulations proposed by the president that would cut Medicaid benefits by $15 billion to $50 billion over five years. Those most seriously hurt by the proposed cuts would be those most vulnerable and in need of health services. One of the seven proposed regulations would have a disproportionate impact on children with special healthcare needs, who have a high reliance on Medicaid as a primary source of coverage or as a supplement to private coverage. The cuts would affect schools that have special needs students eligible for Medicaid. The new rules would cost school systems more than $3 billion and would prevent schools from continuing to enroll eligible students in the SCHIP and Medicaid programs as well as providing health services necessary to remain in the school setting. The bill now moves to the Senate where it will face further scrutiny and opposition by Republican leadership.

MEDICARE Rx BENEFIT: ACCESS UP, SICKEST DOWN 

The percentage of seniors who said they skipped taking medications because of costs declined after the Medicare prescription drug benefit took effect in January 2006, but the sickest beneficiaries still skip prescriptions because they cannot afford to pay for them, according to a study published April 23 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Researchers from Harvard Medical School, analyzing data from a government survey of 24,234 Medicare beneficiaries from 2004-2006, found that 11.5 percent reported skipping medications in 2006, after the drug benefit was introduced, compared with 14.1 percent in 2005. The study also found that in 2006, 7.6 percent of beneficiaries cut back on spending for basic needs, such as food or housing, to afford medications, compared with 11.1 percent in 2005. Beneficiaries classified as the sickest reported no improvement in skipping prescriptions because of cost. These beneficiaries, who account for 27 percent of overall Medicare Part D enrollment, skipped pills at about twice the rate of healthier people in 2004 and 2005. A separate study also published in JAMA that day found that 36 percent of Medicare drug plan beneficiaries reported changing their behavior after enrolling in the drug benefit because of costs, including switching to a less-costly drug, not refilling a prescription or experiencing financial burden. Researchers also found that 60 percent were unaware their plans had the so-called "doughnut hole" coverage gap.

GOLDEN YEARS REALLY ARE THE HAPPIEST FOR MANY SENIORS 

New research from the University of Chicago finds the happiest Americans are the oldest, with life getting better in an individual's own perception as one ages. Sociologist Yang Yang's study found that, despite some drawbacks associated with old age, older people generally have learned to be more content with what they have than younger adults. Some may have learned to lower their expectations and accept their achievements. For example, an older person may realize that it's fine to be a schoolteacher and not a Nobel Prize winner, according to one aging expert. The findings are based on periodic face-to-face interviews with a nationally representative sample of Americans from 1972 to 2004. About 28,000 people ages 18 to 88 took part. In general, the odds of being happy increased 5 percent with every 10 years of age. Overall, about 33 percent of Americans reported being very happy at age 88, versus about 24 percent of those age 18 to their early 20s. Baby boomers were found to be the least happy, with higher aspirations than earlier generations. The study appears in April's American Sociological Review at www2.asanet.org/journals/asr/f.

NEW AD CAMPAIGN SAYS 'REAL MEN WEAR GOWNS' 

In April, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services joined with the Advertising Council to launch a national public service campaign designed to raise awareness among middle-aged men about the importance of preventive medical testing. Men are 25 percent less likely than women to have visited the doctor within the past year and are 38 percent more likely than women to have neglected their cholesterol tests. Furthermore, men are 1.5 times more likely than women to die from heart disease, cancer and chronic lower respiratory diseases. The public service advertising campaign includes new television, radio, print and Web advertising featuring the theme "Real Men Wear Gowns." The lighthearted ads incorporate family as a key motivating factor for men to take a more active role in preventive health. The campaign encourages men to visit a comprehensive Web site, www.ahrq.gov/realmen. The site provides the recommended ages for preventive testing (as well as a list of tests), a quiz designed to test your knowledge of preventive healthcare, tips for talking with your doctor, a glossary of consumer health terms and links to online resources to find more medical information.

McCAIN OPPOSES EMPLOYEE CHOICE AND UNION RIGHTS 

Sen. John McCain has spoken out against unions and consistently voted against collective bargaining rights for workers. McCain voted against the Employee Free Choice Act, which would have allowed workers to form unions when a majority signed a card asking for union representation. He voted for a National Right-to-Work Law that would attempt to eliminate unions altogether. On Feb. 27, he crossed the picket line of the Writers Guild of America to appear on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno." McCain voted against ending debate on a bill that would bar employers from hiring permanent replacements for striking workers. He has consistently opposed bargaining rights for public employees, voting against collective bargaining rights for state and local police and firefighters and airport screeners in the Transportation Security Administration.

QUOTE OF NOTE: 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PUBLICATION OF A NATION AT RISK 

"Our nation's economic inequities too often are reflected in our public schools. It's no secret that students in our lowest-performing schools tend to come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and communities. Teachers understand our role in helping all students reach high levels of achievement, but we know that we need significant and sustained assistance. That assistance may come in the form of health services, early childhood enrichment programs or improved school facilities—all of which can help level the playing field. Educators accept our responsibility for the children in our care, but we also demand their right to the keys to fulfill their potential."
Edward J. McElroy, President
April 25, 2008

PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY WITH AFT + LONG-TERM CARE INSURANCE 

Chances are that you or someone you love will need nursing home or in-home care someday. With costs on the rise, this kind of care can drain a lifetime of savings. Long-term care insurance helps protect your financial independence and your dignity by giving you the freedom of choice to receive care in your own home, if medically appropriate, or at a facility you select. Plan today so that you can be better prepared to spend tomorrow on your own terms. For more information, click here or call toll-free 866/253-1334. And remember: This AFT + insurance is available for family members, too.

WEB SITE OF THE WEEK: www.medicare.gov/NHCompare 

Medicaid beneficiaries and families can now find information about nursing homes on this site highlighting nursing homes with a history of poor performance or repeated violations of state and federal health and safety rules. Information about the homes (134 of about 16,000 nursing homes) includes performance scores on quality measures, staffing information and a three-year history of the home's health, safety and fire inspection reports.