Health care, tax relief top concerns of seniors group

The Rhode Island Silver Haired Legislature is focusing its priorities for the 2005 legislative session on health care, tax relief, consumer protection and public transportation issues.

Andy Gauthier, a spokesman for the 76-member senior citizen advocacy group, and Madeline Earnest, a member of that and a number of other senior advocacy groups, met recently with Providence Business News to discuss issues important to seniors across the state.

The Silver Haired Legislature, a group of seniors from across the state, is a non-partisan organization modeled after the House of Representatives that advocates for the 152,000 seniors in the state – more than 18 percent of the Rhode Island population. The group prioritizes issues important to seniors each year and addresses them through legislation and testimony on bills affecting seniors.

The top of the priority list for 2005 is getting seniors affordable health care. The organization is pushing for the single-payer health care system, a system used in Western countries that has been pointed to for decades as a solution to health care inequities in the United States.

- Advertisement -

Single-payer (or universal) health care systems allow all members of a population access to health care by financing health expenditures through the government, with funds collected through taxation of citizens and businesses.

“This is an issue whose time has come. We have to make health care affordable and available to all people,” said Gauthier.

A bill to create a special House commission to study single -payer comprehensive health insurance was introduced in the 2004 session but did not make it past committee.

Affordable prescription medications will also be a front-line issue for the organization.

The group agrees with the legislation passed last session to allow certain Canadian pharmacies to obtain licenses to dispense medications to state residents, but wants a “better solution.”

“I agree with importing from Canada because it brings attention to the issue, but if every citizen in the U.S. were to do that, the Canadian market couldn’t handle it. We need a better answer to this problem,” Gauthier said.

Tax relief for seniors, many of whom are on fixed incomes, is also a priority issue.

“Property taxes keep increasing and it makes it difficult for seniors to stay in their homes,” Earnest said. “We need a property tax relief system.”

Consumer protection legislation is also on the priority list for the group for 2005, especially concerning contractors.

“We want to see some restrictions passed where a contractor has to explain clearly the terms of an agreement and has to make sure seniors understand those terms so they aren’t taken advantage of,” Gauthier said.

The final priority is transportation issues and retaining the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority public transportation routes.

RIPTA proposed cutting service to some areas of the state to deal with a $1.75 million budget shortfall recently, giving those who rely on public transportation a scare.

“We want to make the state and RIPTA aware that if it cuts routes, seniors in their 70s and 80s who aren’t able to drive won’t get where they need to go, to doctors appointments,” Gauthier said.

The Rhode Island General Assembly began filing bills Nov. 15. The Silver Haired Legislature will track issues through the legislative session and will begin drafting bills on issues that aren’t addressed in April, Gauthier said.

The group is constantly recruiting members.

No posts to display