Draft 1-Pager for Lobby Day - AARP



Senior Lobby Day Message to Lawmakers:

Washington is a great place to live, work and retire. Let’s keep it that way! AARP urges state lawmakers to take a balanced approach to the budget shortfall. In a bad economy, deep cuts to health care and education will only make things worse. Legislators should identify new revenues so that we can protect the most vulnerable among us and put our state’s economy on the track to recovery. 

Preserve Health and Long Term Care Services and Supports

• The Basic Health Plan (BHP): The BHP provides state subsidized private health coverage to low-income Washingtonians. It is a rare source of affordable coverage for people 50+ but not yet on Medicare. We urge lawmakers preserve the BHP.

• Medicaid “Optional” Benefits: Proposals to eliminate adult hearing, dental, and vision benefits for Medicaid beneficiaries would reduce the quality of life and threaten the health status of more than 207,000 vulnerable adults who rely on these services each month.

• Medicare Part D Co-Pay Program: This program helps nearly 85,000 low-income Medicare beneficiaries cover the cost of their prescriptions. If cut, these seniors would feel pressure to skip or skimp on medications.

• Home & Community Based Long Term Care: These services save money by keeping people out of expensive nursing home care. We oppose any cuts to home care hours or eligibility, reductions to Adult Day Health programs and cuts to family caregivers supports.

• Senior Citizens Services Act (SCSA) Funding: Cutting this funding would impact more than 300,000 seniors across our state who benefit from the Senior Information and Assistance Program in addition to transportation and congregate meal services.

Identify New Revenues to Prevent Cuts

➢ Suspend Initiative 960: Pass SB 6130 so common sense proposals don’t require a super majority.

➢ Close Tax Loopholes: Support HB 3176 to prevent abusive tax avoidance and tax preferences that don’t make sense.

➢ Support Targeted “Sin” Taxes & Make Polluters Pay: Raise revenue by taxing things that pollute our environment and make people sick.

AARP Washington, 9750 3rd Ave. NE, Suite 450, Seattle, WA 98115

206-517-2324, wa

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