Starting Tuesday, March 25, Grassley will spend two weeks on the road meeting with Iowans in Waverly, Fort Dodge, Rockwell City, Emmetsburg, Forest City, Northwood, Cresco, Decorah, Waukon, Elkader, West Union, New Hampton, Osage, Charles City, Cedar Falls/Waterloo, Cedar Rapids, Anamosa, Tipton, Maquoketa, Muscatine, Wapello, Burlington, Keosauqua, Mount Pleasant, Iowa City, Davenport, and Des Moines. At the final scheduled event, Grassley will address the Gerontology Society of Iowa, on Friday, April 4, in Des Moines.
Under Grassley's leadership, the Senate aging panel will study issues affecting every generation in American society. At his inaugural hearing on March 6, Chairman Grassley focused on meeting the challenges of the baby boomer retirement. "Starting in 12 years, America will experience the greatest demographic shift in the history of the country," he said. "It's critical we are prepared."
Seizing the opportunity to maximize his leadership role and make a difference for Iowans, Grassley notes Iowa maintains a special position among the 50 states. Home to the nation's third largest percentage of residents age 65 and older, Iowa also ranks first in the U.S. with the highest percentage of citizens age 85 and older.
"I look forward to an open exchange and strongly encourage Iowans to attend these important meetings," said Grassley. "As Congress considers proposals to save Medicare from insolvency and studies ways to prepare for the retirement of the baby boomers, I want to be able to bring Iowans' ideas to the table and make them part of the national debate."
Although the Aging Committee does not have legislative authority or jurisdiction, Grassley also can champion the concerns of older citizens through his senior position on the Senate Finance Committee. In fact, as a member of the powerful tax-writing committee, Grassley bears direct legislative authority over Social Security; Medicare; Medicaid, aging research, pension plans; and, a host of health-related issues including, maternal and child health care programs, home health care services, health care insurance, and nursing care facilities.
Recognizing services made possible by the Older Americans Act directly affect thousands of older Iowans, Grassley noted that his series of open forums also coincide with the 25th anniversary of the senior nutrition programs authorized by the law. According to Grassley, 94,486 older Iowans were served in 1995 by congregate meal sites and home-delivered nutrition services, including Meals on Wheels. "I applaud the thousands of dedicated volunteers and Iowa's 16 Area Agencies on Aging for the good work they do to facilitate services for older residents in our local communities," said Grassley.
Leading the charge for improved access to health care in rural America, Grassley this month introduced five legislative measures designed to help Iowa Medicare recipients and protect primary and emergency health care services in rural areas. In his crusade to guarantee Iowa taxpayers and Medicare recipients fair treatment under an "egregious" Medicare reimbursement formula, Grassley is pushing to narrow the existing payment disparity and replace it with a common sense correction.
"Even though all Americans pay the same 2.9 percent payroll tax to the Medicare Trust Fund," Grassley said, "Iowa health care providers are being penalized for practicing cost-efficient medicine and Iowa Medicare patients are getting the short end of the stick."
As chairman of the Aging Committee, Grassley's goals include plans to work aggressively to curb health care fraud, review long-term health care insurance, encourage private savings for retirement, and keep tabs on the Social Security Administration.
Continuing his promise to keep communication lines open with his constituents, Grassley asks Iowans to take this opportunity and help make representative government work. "Armed with valuable input from Iowans will help me make important policy decisions," Grassley said. "It's my goal to help ensure the income and health care security for Iowans in their retirement years."
A charter member of the Aging Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives, Grassley has served as an active member of the Senate Aging Committee since 1981. The following schedule provides specific information on Grassley's events in Iowa.
Tuesday, March 25, 1997
1:00-2:00 p.m.
Waverly
Host: Waverly Municipal Hospital
Hospital Cafeteria
312 Ninth St., S.W.
4:30-5:30 p.m.
Fort Dodge
Host: Trinity Regional Hospital
Oleson Conference Room
802 S. Kenyon Rd.
6:30-8:00 p.m.
Rockwell City
Rockwell City-Lytton FFA Banquet
Rockwell City-Lytton High School
1000 W. Tonawanda
Grassley is the guest speaker.
Wednesday, March 26, 1997
7:30-8:30 a.m.
Emmetsburg
Host: Palo Alto County Hospital
Health Education Room
3201 W. First St.
10:15-11:15 a.m.
Forest City
Host: Forest City Regional Medical Center
Medical Building/Lower Level; Lecture Hall
635 East Hwy. 9
12:00-1:00 p.m.
Northwood
Host: Mercy Family Care, Northwood
First Lutheran Church
309 Ninth St., N.
2:45-3:45 p.m.
Cresco
Host: Howard County Hospital
Laura Rose Lobby
235 Eighth Ave., West
4:15-5:15 p.m.
Decorah
Host: Northland Area Agency on Aging
Interstate Power Company
Meeting Room
219 W. Water St.
6:00-7:00 p.m.
Waukon
Host: Veterans Memorial Hospital
Veterans Memorial Hospital
Large Conference Room
40 First St., S.E.
Thursday, March 27, 1997
8:00-9:00 a.m.
Elkader
Host: Northland Area Agency on Aging
Elkader Senior Center/Congregate Meal Site
105 First St., NW
9:45-10:45 a.m.
West Union
Host: Northland Area Agency on Aging
West Union Senior Center
107 Armour St.
12:00-1:00 p.m.
New Hampton
New Hampton Rotary Ag Day
Pinicon Restaurant
Hwy. 63 South
2:15-3:15 p.m.
Osage
Host: Osage Senior Center
Senior Center
615 State St.
4:00-5:00 p.m.
Charles City
Host: Floyd County Memorial Hospital
Veterans Room
800 11th St.
Tuesday, April 1, 1997
7:30-8:30 a.m.
Cedar Falls
Host: Hawkeye Valley Area Agency on Aging
Cedar Falls Senior Citizens Center
121 Fifth St.
10:15-11:15 a.m.
Cedar Rapids
Host: Heritage Area Agency on Aging
Heritage Resource Center
Kirkwood Community College
6301 Kirkwood Blvd.
12:15-1:15 p.m.
Anamosa
Host: Jones County Senior Dining Program
Jones County Senior Center
112 N. Ford St
2:15-3:15 p.m.
Tipton
Host: Cedar County Senior Citizens Organization
Cedar County Senior Center
111 Orange St.
4:15-5:15 p.m.
Maquoketa
Hosts: Jackson County Senior Center and Scenic Valley Area Agency on Aging
Jackson County Senior Center
1000 E. Quarry
Wednesday, April 2, 1997
8:30-9:30 a.m.
Muscatine
Hosts: Great River Bend Area Agency on Aging and Muscatine Commission on Aging
Clark House
117 W. Third St.
10:15-11:15 a.m.
Wapello
CC's Place
325 Van Buren
12:30-1:30 p.m.
Burlington
Autumn Heights
2830 Winegard Dr.
3:30-4:30 p.m.
Keosauqua
Host: Van Buren County Hospital
Public Health Conference Room
Hwy. 1, North
5:30-6:30 pm.
Mount Pleasant
Host: Henry County Retired and Senior Volunteer Program
Henry County Senior Citizens Center
300 W. Monroe
Thursday, April 3, 1997
8:00-9:00 a.m.
Iowa City
Host: University of Iowa
University of Iowa, Memorial Union
Madison St.
10:45-11:45 a.m.
Davenport
Host: Palmer College of Chiropractic
Campus Center, Room 104 (4th Floor)
1000 Brady St.
12:00-1:00 p.m.
Davenport
Kiwanis Ag Day Luncheon
Blackhawk Hotel
200 E. Third St.
7:00-8:00 p.m.
Des Moines
Host: Drake University Seminar Series on Aging
Olmsted Center, Building Theater
29th & University
Friday, April 4, 1997
8:30-9:30 a.m.
Des Moines
Gerontology Society of Iowa
Holiday Inn at Airport
*Open to Society members only