CONGRESSMAN JOE MORELLE ANNOUNCES ACTION TO LOWER COSTS FOR SENIORS

(Rochester, NY) — Today, Congressman Joe Morelle highlighted action he has taken to lower costs for seniors, ensuring they have financial security and peace of mind in retirement. Congressman Morelle specifically highlighted his accomplishments to lower the cost of prescription medication and healthcare, reduce the cost of home heating, and help deliver the largest Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) increase in more than forty years.

“We’re facing challenging economic times, and older Americans who frequently rely on fixed incomes need our support more than ever. I’m proud to have taken meaningful action to lower costs and ease the financial burden on seniors in our community,” said Congressman Morelle. “From expanding critical healthcare subsidies, capping the cost of insulin at $35/month, providing support to lower home heating costs, and finally allowing Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices to successfully advocating for an historic COLA increase, we have helped put more money back in seniors’ pockets at a time when they need it most. But the work is not done, and I remain committed to continuing my efforts to protect programs like Social Security and Medicare so older Americans can continue to access the critical benefits they have earned.”

“This is very welcome news. We all feel the bite of inflation, but older adults are particularly affected by rising costs for health care, housing, and utilities,” said Ann Marie Cook, President and CEO of Lifespan.“Few people know that Social Security provides 90% or more of income for a significant portion of recipients. The increase, along with the decrease in the Part B premium, and extra help paying for heat this winter, will help older adults have enough money for their basic needs in the coming months.”

“I’m lucky to have good health care coverage from the VA, but I know people who live basically on Social Security, and any unexpected expense means they can’t afford to eat,” said Mick Cole, Monroe County Resident and Lifespan Client. “The Social Security increase is good news.”

“Critical work is being done every day across the YMCA of Greater Rochester to support youth in their development, engage in healthy lifestyle choices for families and empower seniors to live life to the fullest,” said Andrew Powers, Chief Development Officer, YMCA of Greater Rochester. “We know how important it is to provide access to spaces and programs for our seniors’ that benefit their physical and mental health, and we’re grateful to be able to do that with wonderful partners like Lifespan here at our Maplewood Family YMCA and beyond.”

Yesterday, the Social Security administration announced an 8.7% COLA increase for seniors, which Congressman Morelle has long advocated for. It marks the largest increase in over 40 years. Congressman Morelle has taken numerous actions to lower costs for older Americans this year alone, including passing legislation to:

• Allow Medicare to negotiate the cost of some of the most expensive prescription drugs, reducing costs across the board;
• Establish an annual cap on out-of-pocket expenses for prescription medications for Medicare beneficiaries;
• Cap the out-of-pocket insulin cost for Medicare beneficiaries at $35 for a 30-day supply;
• Investing $1 billion to bolster the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) which helps more than 70,000 families in Monroe County afford home heating bills;
• Extend expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies through 2025, saving millions of families an average of $800 a year.

Additionally, Congressman Morelle is a co-sponsor of the Social Security 2100 Act, legislation to bolster the Social Security program and ensure it remains solvent for decades to come--giving older Americans the peace of mind that they can retire with dignity and financial stability.

For more information on Congressman Morelle’s work to support older Americans, visit his website here.