On October 29, there were 33 Grassroots Leaders and members of the 60 Plus Association attended a meeting with President Bush at the Old Executive Office Building next to the White House regarding Medicare Reform.

The 60 Plus Association lauded U.S. Rep. Chris Cox (R-CA) for introducing H.R. 1117, the Health Care Freedom of Choice Act, which will allow 100% tax deductibility for senior citizens’ out-of-pocket health expenses, including pharmaceutical and Medigap premiums.

President Bush met with over 200 senior citizens in the East Room of the White House this afternoon, among them many members of the 60 Plus Association.

The Honorable Tommy Thompson ,Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services “Dear Tommy:I really appreciated having the opportunity to present you as our honored guest Tuesday night at the 60 Plus Association’s 10th Anniversary dinner where we had an overflow crowd of 252 attendees; our goal was for 200.”

Given the litigious society we live in, Americans in recent years have become all too familiar with the various warnings we receive everyday. “Handle with care,” “keep out of reach of children,” and “don’t try this at home” have entered our lexicon.

Sadly we may soon be seeing another warning label that reads “This medication may be hazardous to your health” on packages of prescription drugs.

Recent radio, TV and newspaper accounts only lend credibility to what the 60 Plus Association has been saying for more than two years now: drugs that enter the United States from outside our borders and without the strict regulation of our Food and Drug Administration cannot be trusted.

Washington Times, May 1, 2003 article by James L. Martin “Enemies of Medicare modernization are just as adept at psychological warfare as the U.S. military — maybe even more so, since they have more actual field experience.

If there was some good reason, beyond nostalgia, for preventing reform of the creaking health-care system for America’s seniors, their behavior might be understandable. But Medicare is a financial catastrophe and human tragedy in the making. And blocking reform is a sure guarantee that today’s worst-case scenario will become tomorrow’s worst-case reality.”

The 60 Plus Association salutes the U.S. Administration on Aging (AoA) and Assistant Secretary on Aging Josefina G. Carbonell for support in findings released in a new book based on a study of respite care and Alzheimer’s disease.

Letter from James L. Martin to The Honorable Debbie A. Stabenow, United States Senate “Dear Senator Stabenow: Once again the issue of importation of prescription drugs has reared its ugly head– and it represents a danger to all Americans but especially senior citizens. In fact, reimportation of prescription drugs is, indeed, hazardous to the health of America’s seniors.”

Forced over-the-counter switches of prescription drugs will threaten the health of America’s senior citizens, unduly encourage dangerous self-medicating by seniors, and further imperil their financial livelihood, according to a letter issued today to the FDA commissioner by the 60 Plus Association.