Senior Caucus members should know that Democrats Abroad members aged 65+ represent approximately 25% of membership, not including the many members who did not indicate their age. We are a large constituency. 

Another term for Trump would be devastating for American Seniors. Overall, anything that happens to undermine local economies will harm Seniors. All the expected assaults on human rights and protections would be to the detriment of the already most vulnerable segment - the Senior population. 

Trump’s Project 2025 would eliminate traditional Medicare, stop the federal government from negotiating drug prices, and would no longer penalize Big Pharma for raising drug prices more than

the rate of inflation. Even worse, it would allow cuts to health care coverage to those Seniors who need it most, by allowing states to eliminate or reduce Medicaid coverage for nursing home care.

Many aspects of Project 2025 would impact Seniors indirectly but significantly:  

• The overall impact on the Care Economy would be to reduce availability of carers and raise the cost of care.  Many Seniors will likely be called upon to provide care, financial support and perhaps schooling when Head Start and the Child Tax Credit are eliminated, insurance for pre-existing conditions is cut and the Department of Education no longer exists.
• Seniors will be disproportionately affected when emergency planning and services funding is cut, and temperatures continue to rise along with the frequency and severity of “natural disasters”.
• Changes to the tax structure could be dramatic for Seniors who have little room to adjust their financial strategy/reality.
• While social security may not be cut, it is highly likely that there would be moves to raise the retirement age as well as efforts to privatize, or make other radical changes which would effectively harm Seniors.

On Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Results, we know:

1. For the first time in history, the Biden-Harris Administration is announcing lower prescription prices for the first ten drugs that have been negotiated by Medicare.
2. For years, leaders tried to allow Medicare to negotiate directly with drug manufacturers to deliver lower prices for Seniors and people with disabilities, but Big Pharma blocked them.
3. President Biden finally got it done when he signed the Inflation Reduction Act – with Vice President Harris casting the tie-breaking vote.
4. These new, lower prices cut the cost of some of the most expensive and most commonly used drugs by nearly 40 to 80%. These drugs are used to treat everything from blood clots to diabetes, heart disease, cancers, and more.
5. The lower prices will go into effect in 2026 and will save Medicare beneficiaries $1.5 billion in out-of-pocket costs and American taxpayers $6 billion in the first year of the program alone.
6. This action builds on the progress the Biden-Harris Administration has already made lowering health care costs, including the Inflation Reduction Act’s $35 insulin cap, making recommended vaccines free for Seniors, and capping out-of-pocket prescription drug costs at $2,000 for Seniors and people with disabilities starting next year.
7. President Biden and Vice President Harris will not stop fighting to make prescription drugs more affordable for American families.

 

While most Seniors living outside the U.S. may currently not be directly affected by changes to Medicare because they cannot access it, Democrats in Congress are moving the ball forward on Medicare Portability (access outside of the US), and Medicare will benefit from a Democratic President and Congress in making this a reality. 

We think it is important that we are all aware of the facts and issues that are being raised during this election which negatively impact Seniors back home. We know you’ll be voting Democrat up and down your ballot in November’s election.

— Betsy Ettorre, Chair of the Seniors Caucus

Many thanks to Marnie Delaney (Global Disability Caucus) and Art Schankler (Medical Portability Task Force) for discussing these issues with members of the Global Seniors Caucus.

¹ AFSCME retiree: Project 2025 and Trump will wreak havoc on retirement security | American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME).

² From: Susan Lauer of National Deputy Director Progressives and Grassroots Engagement and National Deputy Director Seniors Engagement in her email of Aug. 15, 2024.

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