AARP Volunteers Take Message to Lame Duck: Don't Throw Older Americans Over Economic Cliff

WASHINGTON, Dec. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today AARP volunteers and staff from across the nation met with key members of Congress involved in the lame duck discussions to avert a so-called "fiscal cliff" and urged them not to reduce Social Security or Medicare benefits in any end of year deal. With regard to both Medicare and Medicaid they told members of Congress that simply reducing government expenditures by shifting costs does not lower the cost of health care--it merely shifts the cost to beneficiaries and other payers.

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"Americans have spoken and they don't want Congress or the President to make changes to Social Security or Medicare in any last minute deficit deal," said AARP's volunteer President Rob Romasco. "In the long-term we need to strengthen Medicare, Social Security, and Medicaid, but shifting costs to the older and less fortunate among us is not going to make our country stronger. Instead, it would erode our economic security at a time when Americans need it the most."

Across Capitol Hill the volunteers and staff also reiterated AARP's positions against extending the Social Security payroll tax cut, against the Social Security COLA Reduction (Chained CPI), and against raising the Medicare eligibility age during fiscal cliff talks.