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That this Board supports the Don't Leave Seniors Behind Healthcare Campaign of the MA Senior Action Council.
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WHEREAS, Contrary to widely held belief, many if not most seniors struggle to pay for their healthcare, since Medicare, while providing a foundation for healthcare, still exposes seniors to premium payments, deductibles and co-payments (averaging $467.00 a month) even when seniors receive meager incomes; and
WHEREAS, People 65 and older spend on average three times more of their income than those 64 and younger (15% of income as opposed to 5%); and
WHEREAS, Medicare does not cover dental health, vision, hearing or podiatry, and seniors are likely to incur serious costs in addressing health concerns impacting these uncovered areas; and
WHEREAS, The Massachusetts healthcare reform and Affordable Care Act modeled on it have made many gains in making healthcare affordable by expanding Medicaid and offering subsidies to people under 65 who receive income up to 300% of the federal poverty line, but did not extend the same benefits to those aged 65 and over; and
WHEREAS, Eleven states, including Alabama, Arizona, Mississippi, and our neighboring states of New York and Connecticut have expanded utilization of federal programs designed to help make healthcare more affordable to seniors, but Massachusetts has not taken advantage of these opportunities provided by the U.S. Congress; and
WHEREAS, The application process to obtain assistance with the out-of-pocket costs of Medicare or to qualify for MassHealth as a senior is so cumbersome and confusing that many seniors who are eligible for benefits in Massachusetts do not receive them; and
WHEREAS, Assisting seniors to cover their onerous healthcare expenses will free them to expend more of their resources on purchases and activities in our city and thereby enjoy a richer life, while concurrently boosting the economic vitality of our community; NOW THEREFORE BE IT
RESOLVED, That the Somerville Board of Aldermen go on record supporting the Don't Leave Seniors Behind Healthcare Campaign of the Massachusetts Senior Action Council and in asking that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts eliminate the asset test for Medicare Savings Programs and raise the income eligibility level to 300% of poverty; AND BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED, That the Somerville Board of Aldermen urge the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to raise the qualifying level of assets to enable more seniors to become eligible for MassHealth and thereby receive comprehensive health coverage including for vision, hearing, dental, and podiatry; AND BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED, That the Somerville Board of Aldermen join with Massachusetts Senior Action Council in asking the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to simplify, streamline, and make more comprehensible the application process for assistance programs so as to ensure that the maximum number of seniors who are eligible for the programs become aware of them and able to successfully apply; AND BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED, That the City Clerk be, and hereby is, requested to forward suitably engrossed copies of this Resolution to John Ratliff of Massachusetts Senior Action, the Somerville Delegation to the State House, and to Governor Charles Baker on behalf of the entire Board of Aldermen.