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Seniors
Senator Rockefeller has worked hard throughout his career to safeguard and strengthen essential programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid for West Virginia seniors. With the Baby Boom generation set to retire, and millions more people expected to depend on these services, Rockefeller continues the fight to preserve Social Security and Medicare, and to create a viable long-term care system for the future. As a senior Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, the panel that oversees Social Security, Rockefeller has consistently fought to uphold the principles of the program - to provide a comprehensive social insurance system for seniors, the disabled, and families who lose a spouse or parent at a young age. Over 419,000 West Virginians, including 262,000 seniors, depend on these basic benefits that were earned by their contributions. When some attempted to privatize Social Security, an action that would have made Americans' retirement susceptible to the inevitable fluctuations of the stock market, Rockefeller fought vigorously against that proposal - and succeeded. Along with protecting retirement security for seniors, Rockefeller has worked to strengthen Medicare, a critical part of the nation's health care safety net. For the last two decades, Rockefeller has been dedicated to providing West Virginia seniors with a meaningful prescription drug benefit under Medicare. Unfortunately, the legislation enacted in 2003 did not achieve Senator Rockefeller's goals that a Medicare prescription drug benefit be comprehensive, voluntary, affordable, and accessible to all Medicare beneficiaries. As a result, he continues to fight to improve the drug benefit and strengthen the Medicare program for the future. Since his days as Governor of West Virginia, Rockefeller has worked hard to provide seniors with quality health care and basic services. With Rockefeller's help, all 55 counties have senior citizen centers that offer a wide range of services to seniors, including meals-on-wheels and transportation. Since becoming a U.S. Senator, Rockefeller has consistently fought for funding of the Older Americans Act to ensure that there is strong federal support to maintain the centers and their valuable services. Rockefeller has also focused his efforts on improving long-term care for seniors so that they can enjoy surroundings that are comfortable and familiar.More than forty years ago, Congress took action to provide a healthcare safety net for one of our most vulnerable populations, our seniors, by creating Medicare. Since coming to the U.S. Senate, Jay Rockefeller has fought to ensure that the Medicare Trust Fund continues to have the money it needs to meet that promise of health care for our seniors. More... Senator Rockefeller knows that end-of-life care decisions can be extremely difficult. In response, Senator Rockefeller is leading an effort that would develop standards for end-of-life care and facilitate opportunities for patients to discuss end-of-life issues. More... Senator Rockefeller knows that the impending retirement of the baby-boom generation poses a significant challenge to our health care system. By the year 2030, there will be 72 million people aged 65 years or older in America - more than twice the number today - with those aged 85 years and older becoming the fastest growing segment of the population. More...Pensions and Retirement Security Whether it is shoring up private pensions or ensuring that Social Security continues to remain the cornerstone of retirement, Senator Rockefeller believes that pensions should be protected. More... |
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