Publications
Issue Brief: Health Care We Can Count On (November 2007)
This issue brief from the Alliance for Retired Americans Educational Fund (ARAEF) examines the stake that retirees have in the health care reform discussion and why their involvement is critical if there is to be universal coverage with an adequate benefits package. In particular, questions need to be raised and answered on prospective changes to Medicare, retiree health care, long-term care, and the health security of younger generations.
Outrageous Fortune (September 2007)
Through patent extensions, inflated price information, superficial lawsuits, political contributions, lobbying and marketing, and lucrative opportunities with the Medicare Modernization Act Part D benefit, the pharmaceutical industry has been able to increase as well as protect its profits while plundering the pockets of the American people.
Medicare Under Attack: Will Privatizing Measures Destroy the Program? (August 2007)
Since the 1965 enactment of Medicare, the program has provided hospital and outpatient health care coverage for persons over age 65 and younger adults with permanent disabilities. This issue brief from the Alliance for Retired Americans Educational Fund (ARAEF) outlines the evolution of the privatization of Medicare and what it means to the future of the program and well-being of Medicare beneficiaries.
Medicare Advantage: A Windfall For Insurers; Downfall for Beneficiaries (August 2007)
Nearly 44 million Americans are Medicare beneficiaries. Although 80 percent receive their health care services through the traditional Medicare program, about one in five - 8.7 million - receive care through Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. This issue brief from the Alliance for Retired Americans Educational Fund (ARAEF) provides an overview of the shortcomings of Medicare Advantage plans overall and of the fastest growing of MA plan types, the Private Fee-For-Service (PFFS) plans, in particular.
[Issue Brief] Understanding Medicare's Preventive Services (Aug 2006)
This report highlights the preventive care services and demonstration projects provided by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the federal agency that administers these programs.
[Issue Brief] How Medicare Part D Fares and What Lies Ahead (Aug 2006)
The new Medicare prescription drug law was created under great controversy and implemented with confusion and uncertainty. In this report, the Alliance for Retired Americans Educational Fund examines the issues seniors faced in enrolling in a drug plan, and the subsequent economic and health care ramifications of this new law.
[Issue Brief] Long-Term Care Policy: Its Time Has Come...Again (Nov 2005 - No. 8)
An increasing number of Americans will need long-term care in the future and the costs are expected to rise. Yet long-term care languishes in the health policy background despite widespread public support for action. This brief provides an overview of essential factors that should be considered in developing a long-term care policy for the nation.
[Issue Brief] Vanishing: Pensions and Savings (Sept 2005 - No. 7)
The movement away from guaranteed pension benefits creates the potential for economic hardship for millions of Americans during their retirement years. This report examines the shifting trends in employer-sponsored pension and retirement savings plans in the private sector and makes recommendations for protecting existing benefits and expanding coverage for those workers who are not participating in any plan.
[Issue Brief] An Affordable Home of One's Own (Aug 2005 - No. 6)
In an inflated housing market, many older Americans are finding it difficult to find or maintain homes that meet their physical and financial needs. As America ages, the need for affordable, quality housing is increasingly important. This report examines the housing needs of older Americans, the status of federal housing programs, and what actions may be taken on the federal, state, and local levels to address what has been characterized as a "quiet crisis in America."
[Issue Brief] Retiring Into Work (Jul 2005 - No. 5)
Working in later life often supplements other sources of retirement income, such as Social Security, pensions and savings, and it is likely to become even more important in the future. This report explores the advantages and disadvantages of working longer and the practices that can encourage continued participation in the labor force at older ages.
[Issue Brief] Medicare Rx Drug Benefit: Navigating Low-Income Assistance (Jun 2005 - No. 4)
Under the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act (MMA) of 2003, all Medicare beneficiaries who have Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) or Part B (Medical Insurance for doctor services and outpatient care) will have access to prescription drug benefits. Most individuals will obtain drug coverage through private plans. This report provides basic information for low-income beneficiaries, their families and their advocates about the application process for assistance and enrollment.
[Issue Brief] Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit: A Guide Through the Maze (May 2005 - No. 3)
This report provides basic information individuals need to understand the prescription drug benefit, the implementation process, the decisions and actions they must take, and the resources available to them.
[Issue Brief] Social Security for All Ages (Apr 2005 - No. 2)
This issue brief draws upon a report released earlier by the Alliance for Retired Americans Educational Fund, Social Security Under Attack. It highlights how the Social Security program works, the protections that it provides, key points about the effects of privatization and how minor adjustments will provide for promised benefits over the next 75 years.
[Report] Social Security Under Attack (PDF: 11MB - NOTE: This is a very large file*)
For nearly 70 years, Social Security has been the bedrock of income security for nearly all Americans, providing benefits to retirees, those with disabilities, and the survivors of retired and deceased workers. The program has never missed a benefits payment in its history. However, the program is threatened by proposals to divert a portion of payroll contributions from the Social Security Trust Fund into private accounts. This report examines the effects of privatization and offers better solutions. An appendix reviews how the program works and the protections that is provides. [*To request printed copies of the report, please call 1-888-633-4435.]
[Issue Brief] White House Conference on Aging 2005 (Feb 2005 - No. 1)
This report is the first in a series from the Alliance for Retired Americans Educational Fund, leading up to the White House Conference on Aging (WHCoA), tentatively scheduled for October 23-26, 2005 (this may change to a later date) in Washington, D.C. As a framework for the series, this brief presents background on the conference, a profile of the baby boom population, which will be a major focus of the October meeting, a history of WHCoAs, and the reflections of a federal official who participated in the first conference in 1961. Subsequent briefs will focus on issues and programs that must be considered at the WHCoA as the nation's boomers become retirees. These topics will include Social Security, Medicare, pensions, work and retirement, health care status and coverage, long-term care, housing, transportation and the Older Americans Act.
[Report] Broken Promises-Retiree Health Care
Health plans for retirees over and under age 65 in America today are not keeping pace with the needs of the nation's retirees. Most early retirees are without coverage and those who have it face increasing cost-sharing. For those over age 65, Medicare is typically the primary source of health insurance coverage but the program covers little more than half of health care costs. This report assesses current public and private approaches to retiree health care coverage.
