America owes its success to those who have come before us and we must take care of seniors who have given so much to our communities. Louise Slaughter is working to make sure seniors get the healthcare and financial support they deserve.

Social Security and Medicare among America’s greatest promises and Louise has led the fight in Congress to strengthen them and protect against cuts and privatization schemes.

Social Security

Louise opposes risky Republican plans that would privatize Social Security, risking seniors’ retirement in the stock market. Social Security was designed to be a safety net, providing older Americans with the supplemental income necessary to live a healthy, stable retirement. The program has dramatically reduced poverty in the US, and without Social Security, one out of every two seniors would fall into poverty.

Louise supports strengthening Social Security by lifting the cap on income subject to Social Security taxes. Currently, millionaires and billionaires only pay Social Security taxes on the first $118,500 in income. Louise also supports an increase in the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) to provide seniors relief from rising prices. She also supports a change in the formula that determines whether or not a COLA is provided so that it takes into account the costs seniors are more likely to pay, such as prescription drug prices, and not items seniors use less of, such as gasoline.

Medicare

Louise believes that seniors deserve access to quality, affordable healthcare. Medicare provides health insurance for Americans over 65 and Louise has worked to make sure seniors can safely rely on Medicare for their health needs. She has strongly opposed proposals that would end Medicare as we know it by turning it into a voucher program that leaves seniors on their own to find coverage in the health insurance market. Louise also supported changes the Affordable Care Act made to Medicare, such as offering free coverage of preventive services and annual wellness visits at no charge. The ACA is also working on closing the “donut hole” for prescription drugs, which has so far saved more than 9.8 million people with Medicare over $17.6 billion, for an average of $1,796 per beneficiary.

Protecting Seniors From Scams

Louise is also committed to protecting seniors from scams and fraud schemes by working with communities to raise awareness – her Congressional office provides direct assistance to seniors affected by fraud.