In this week's edition of e-news...

Murphy Announces Important Medicare Enrollment Dates
Fire Safety Week Highlights ‘Two Way Out’ Plan
Seniors Weigh In On Murphy Legislation
Community Comes Together To Fix Flooding Problems

Murphy Announces Important Medicare Enrollment Dates
 
Congressman Murphy recently announced an important update for seniors on Medicare: Open enrollment for Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage begins Monday, October 15th and runs through December 7th, 2012. During open enrollment, all Medicare eligible individuals can join, switch, or drop a Medicare drug or Advantage plan for the upcoming year. Medicare Advantage plans are managed care offerings like Security Blue and UPMC for Life.
 
If you have questions or concerns about your Medicare plans or need assistance enrolling in a new plan, please contact Congressman Murphy’s Mt. Lebanon (412) 344-5583 or Greensburg (724) 850-7312 offices, where a member of his staff will assist you. You can also learn more about Medicare plans online by visiting www.medicare.gov.
 
To ask a question about your Medicare plan or to share your thoughts on Medicare issues, please click here.
 
Fire Safety Week Highlights ‘Two Way Out’ Plan

Home fires can happen at any time and can spread in just minutes, claiming lives and destroying property. In fact, 92% of all fire deaths result from home structure fires and cost billions on average.

During the week of October 7-12, Congressman Murphy, in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) encourages families to have a fire escape plan to protect their homes and loved ones from emergencies by making their homes safer now and throughout the year.

The best way to prepare for a fire is to plan in advance and practice your family’s response. The USFA recommends every residence be equipped with both ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms or dual sensor smoke alarms because almost two-thirds (62%) of reported home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. Cooking is the leading cause of home structure fires and home fire injuries.

Prepare to escape a fire by making sure there are two ways out of every room. Make a home fire plan and practice with family members, paying particular attention to children, older adults and individuals living with a disability so that every person knows how to use both ways to get to safety.
 
For more information about fire safety and prevention, visit the National Fire Protection Association, Ready.gov, or the U.S. Fire Administration. To view a USFA fire drill video, click here.

Seniors Weigh In On Murphy Legislation

With most seniors relying on multiple prescriptions to keep chronic conditions like high cholesterol or diabetes in check, finding ways to lower the cost of healthcare has been a top legislative priority for Congressman Murphy. Traveling throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania and the 18th congressional district this week, Rep. Murphy heard from countless seniors concerned with the rising cost of prescription drugs. On Friday morning, Murphy spoke with residents at the Waynesburg Senior Expo about his efforts to lower drug costs and strengthen Social Security and Medicare for current and future retirees.
 
Rep. Murphy authored the Generic Drug and Biosimilar User Fee Act, which was recently signed into law. Murphy’s legislation brings more life-saving affordable generic medications to market, and closes a major safety loophole in the global drug supply chain. Murphy's bill ensures generic drug companies, not taxpayers, bear the $300 million annual cost of application review and foreign factory inspections.
 
Most recently, Rep. Murphy’s bipartisan Strengthening Medicare and Repaying Taxpayers Act (SMART Act, H.R. 1063), was passed unanimously by the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The bill shores up the Medicare Trust Fund by collecting billions owed by private insurance companies to the taxpayers. Murphy’s bill also fixes problems within the Medicare agency so no senior ever loses their health insurance because of bureaucratic error.
 
Senior residents attending the expo also thanked Murphy for introducing the Social Security and Medicare Protection Act (H.R. 1630), which would stop Congress and the Administration from raiding the Trust Funds to pay for other earmarks and other programs.
 
To share your views on Rep. Murphy’s legislation to save and strengthen Social Security and Medicare while reducing healthcare costs for seniors, please click here.

Community Comes Together To Fix Flooding Problems

Ever since flooding from the remnants of Hurricane Ivan in 2004 caused $60 million in damages to homes and businesses within the Chartiers Creek watershed, Rep. Tim Murphy has been advancing flood control projects to protect property owners and local infrastructure. Mitigating the safety risks posed by flooding is a critical federal responsibility. Stopping floods from occurring is also essential for fostering growth and prosperity in towns like Carnegie and Bridgeville.

Rep. Murphy met with T.J. Fichera and Carnegie Mayor Jack Kobistek to assess flooding on Campbell's Run.

After the 2004 flood, Murphy worked to ensure funding from the Army Corps of Engineers was directed to dredging and the reconstruction of a secondary channel that redirects creekwater around Bridgeville during heavy rainfalls. The channel helps to reduce creek overflows downstream in Carnegie. In 2010, Murphy, along with the Corps, also secured emergency funds to stop erosion in Campbell’s Run, which is a tributary of Chartiers Creek, near Carnegie.

But more work needs to be done. Persistent flash floods of Campbell’s Run in Robinson have meant thousands of dollars in property damage and business owners spending hundreds of employee hours on clean up duties.

Last month, Murphy brought together the Army Corps, business owners, and officials with the state, Allegheny County, Carnegie, Collier, and Robinson to come up with a plan to stop the flooding. A local committee has been formed to work cooperatively on accessing resources and developing regional solutions to flooding problems.

Representatives at the meeting agreed the first step is an engineering study of current conditions within the Campbell’s Run watershed. Rep. Murphy pledged to continue working with all parties both in the near and long-term to eliminate the flooding. The Congressman asks any homeowners or business owners in the Campbell’s Run watershed area to contact his office and relay any information or supporting documentation that will be of value to this process – as well as to participate in this process.

To share your thoughts with Congressman Murphy on flooding within the Chartiers Creek/Campbell’s Run Watershed, or any other area, please click here.