One Florgate Road

Farmingdale. NY i 1735 TIME -VALUED NON-PROFIT ORG,

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PERNlIT #14
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED HUNTINGTON. NY

OFFICERS
President
Executive Vice Presidents:
Telecommunications Div.
Operator Services Div.
Education Div.
S ecretary/Treasurer
George K. Bloom
Thomas Benedetto
Kim Young
Kathleen Sims
Edward W. Connelly

Tel: (516) 420-1104 Nassau

Tape: (516) 420-1753
Tape: (516) 420-9126 Retirees
Fax: (5 l6) 420-8390
Tel.: (607) 762-1104 Binghamton
Fax: (60'7) 773-5475

o@sc

George Bloom to all of the business EnCOurageS OOCiLrr> ii ; - - :Jinale Care

Dan Parisi
THE RETIREES CORNER
CHAPTER CHATTER
By now, we are all hoping that spring
is jrist around the corner. This winter was
pretty bad for all of us, including many of
our chapter members living in the Mid-
Atlantic States. You thought )rou were
going to get away from the sno$'? Sorry
about that.
If you have read any of the articles in
this issue of Cro.rs Talk. from President
agents, you will know all about the surplus
declaration by Verizon currently on the
table. It is a disgrace how Verizon plans
on mnning this company. But then again.
when did they really plan anything that
was for the benefit of the employees or
the customer? I reaily don't know how
they plan on -uetting the work done, both
in the field and inside. But then again.
when did they really care about their
employees?
With the Senate passing the Health
Care Bill strictly across party lines, and
the opposition trying to sabotage it, along
with a dozen states appealing it in court,
one wonders what are we doing and where
is this country going. The Bill, as it
stands today, will have little effect on
retirees from Verizon at this time. Belou
are some of the things that will aid seniors:
Covers preventive services; in 201 I,
seniors in Medicare will receive free
annual check-ups with no co-payments
for mammograms, colonoscopies and
other preventive screenings:
Supports early retiree covelase.
providing linancial assistance t()
employer health plans that corer elrlr
retirees:
and improve qualitr. crcai:iS i::,intives
for providers to work together and reduce
wasteful care like repeated tests:
Removes obstacles to changing Part
D prescription drug plans, allowing Part
D enrollees to make a mid-year change in
their enrollment if their olan makes an
unexpected change;
Expands the Medicare Part D low-
income subsidy. which will significantly
help struggling seniors afford their health
care costs:
Enacts the CLASS Act, creatin-{ new
long-term assistance for seniors and the
disabled;
Enacts the Elder Justice Act.
authorizing new criminal background
checks on long-term care workers who
have access to residents or patients: and
Eliminates wasteful overpayments to
Medicare Advantage plans while creating
incentives for coordinated. high quality
care across the health care spectrum,
extending the solvency of the Medicare
Trust Fund by 9 l,ears and improving
Medicare for generations to come.
I t'otttirtued on page 9)