Taking Our Message to the President 

On November 12, 2012, when the Obama Administration invited a small number of women's organizations to the White House to discuss the budget and other policy priorities, OWL was there.

Among those joining the President at the meeting were Valerie Jarrett, senior advisor to the president; Cecilia Munoz, director of the Domestic Policy Council; Gene Sperling, director of the National Economic Council, and Tina Tchen, chief of staff to the First Lady and executive director of the White House Council on Women and Girls.

After congratulating the president on his re-election, and thanking him for his leadership, OWL Executive Director Bobbie Brinegar shared that OWL was there on behalf of the nation's 'invisible women' - the midlife and older women who are economically insecure and worried about their families' futures. "Our message is that if we take care of the least of us, then we will have taken care of all of us," she said. 

The inclusion of leading women's organizations by the President and his senior staff is a welcome indication that the administration is listening. Because of our members and supporters, OWL has a seat at the table, advocating for the extension of tax cuts that help 98 percent of American families, and to preserve and strengthen Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security. 

However, it is just as important that your representatives hear from you. Let them know you support these programs and insist that the tax cuts for 98 percent of the nation's families continue.  

You can find out who your representative is by clicking here or you can contact them by calling the Capitol Hill switchboard to connect to their office: 

(202) 224-3121. 

Make that call today!

1. Contact the White House by and thank the Administration for taking a stand for Social Security by clicking here or calling (202) 456-1111
2. Contact Senator Durbin's office and thank him for his leadership on leaving Social Security out of the deficit discussions by clicking here or calling (202) 224-2152

The Medicare Rights Center is monitoring deficit reduction talks to assess potential impacts on Medicare. This month, they released a statement pointing out that even with Medicare, health care costs are already high: 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the 2013 Medicare Part B premium will be $104.90 per month, and the Part B deductible will be $147. Even though payment reforms enacted over the past few years, including those in the Affordable Care Act (ACA), have kept these costs lower than expected, the announcement offers a stark reminder to policymakers embroiled in deficit reduction negotiations: older adults and people with disabilities with Medicare already pay a high amount for their health care. 

For more information, visit the Medicare Rights Center deficit reduction webpage.

Need help with Medicare? Call the Medicare Rights Center helpline at (800) 333-4114 or visit Medicare Interactive to get your questions answered. 

Click here for more information and to access the Medicare Rights fact sheets.

To read the full press release, click here.

Americas most vulnerable need your voice now. 

According to the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare: 

• Older adults and people with disabilities account for two-thirds of all Medicaid spending
• Medicaid pays for about 62 percent of all long-term services and supports 
• Proposed cuts to Medicaid - including the establishment of a federal Medicaid "blended rate" - would affect older Americans by jeopardizing the availability and quality of long-term care both in nursing homes and in the community, and by impairing low-income seniors' ability to receive assistance through the Medicare Savings Programs to help pay their Medicare out-of-pocket costs.