Starting Monday, August 25, Grassley will lead 15 open forums in Harlan, Glenwood, Hamburg, Shenandoah, Red Oak, Perry, Greenfield, Corning, Creston, Bedford, Mount Ayr, Leon, Corydon, Chariton, and Osceola. During his week-long focus on aging and health care issues, Grassley also will conduct two field hearings of the Senate Aging Committee with his Nebraska colleague, Sen. Chuck Hagel, in Sioux City and Omaha.
"I look forward to an open exchange and strongly encourage Iowans to attend these important meetings," said Grassley. "Congress and the White House have reached a landmark agreement to balance the federal budget and keep Medicare solvent for 10 more years. However, it's very important we don't fall into any false sense of security. I'm working to build a consensus with all generations of Americans on how to prepare for the retirement of the baby boomers and beyond. I want to be able to bring Iowans' ideas to the table and make them part of the national debate."
Under Grassley's leadership, the Senate aging panel has focused on a host of issues affecting an aging 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.
Grassley also champions 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, pension plans; and, ahost of health-related issues including, maternal and child health care programs, home health care services, health insurance, and nursing care facilities.
Leading the charge for improved access to health care in rural America, Grassley this summer won passage of legislation to protect rural Medicare recipients and to help keep primary and emergency health care providers in rural areas.
In his crusade to guarantee Iowa taxpayers and Medicare recipients fair treatment under an "egregious" Medicare managed care reimbursement formula, Grassley also succeeded in narrowing the existing payment disparity. The Grassley legislation will put in place a more equitable treatment for Iowa Medicare beneficiaries and help make available valuable health benefits offered by Medicare managed care plans, including reduced co-pays, pharmaceuticals, hearing and dental benefits, and wellness programs.
"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 home health care fraud, study long-term health options, 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. "It's my goal to help ensure the income and health care security for Iowans in their retirement years," he said.
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. Since March, Grassley has led 54 open forums throughout the state to listen to Iowans voice their views and concerns about issues affecting an aging society.