Twitter icon
Facebook icon
Flickr icon
YouTube icon

Congressman Ron Barber

Representing the 2nd District of Arizona

Senior Citizens

 

Seniors have put in a lifetime of hard work, helping to make our economy grow and make our nation strong. They deserve a safe, healthy and secure retirement.  I am committed to protecting and preserving Social Security and Medicare for generations to come. That is a pledge I will never break. There have been a number of proposals to cut Medicare and Social Security. I absolutely oppose efforts to phase out Social Security and Medicare, and firmly oppose risky proposals to replace these programs with privatized systems that jeopardize the livelihood of the millions of seniors who depend on them.

For help with issues related to Social Security or Medicare, click here. You may also contact Congressman Barber’s office at 520-881-3588 for assistance with any questions or problems you may have.

Seniors Task Force

As a member of the Congressional Task Force on Seniors Congressman Barber works with his colleagues in Congress to advocate for older Americans in Southern Arizona and across the country. Together they support polices that improve the health and well-being of seniors. The Task Force also authored the Seniors Bill of Rights to ensure seniors have access to financial security; quality affordable healthcare; protection from abuse, scams and exploitation and safe livable communities.

Fighting Fraud, Waste, and Abuse

Medicare fraud, waste, and abuse costs taxpayers billions of dollars each year and threatens the future solvency of Medicare and benefits for seniors. Congressman Barber is working to strengthen Medicare protections and fight against these improper payments. That’s why he cosponsored the Medicare and Medicaid Fighting Fraud and Abuse to Save Taxpayer Dollars Act, also known as the FAST Act, a bipartisan bill that would enact stronger penalties for Medicare fraud; curb improper payments and establish stronger fraud and waste prevention strategies to help phase out the practice of "pay and chase"; curb the theft of physician identities; expand the fraud identification and reporting work of the Senior Medicare Patrol; take steps to help states identify and prevent Medicaid overpayments; improve the sharing of fraud data across agencies and programs and deploy cutting-edge technology to better identify and prevent fraud.

Resources for Seniors

A recent analysis of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Part D shows that there may be significant changes for seniors in 2013. Seniors will benefit by shopping around to find the plan that works best for them. 

For those in Tucson, the Pima Council on Aging can provide advice on picking the best plan. PCOA can be contacted at 520-790-7262.

Residents of Cochise County may contact SEAGO at 520-432-5301 for information on choosing the Medicare Part D plan best suited to their needs.

You can also visit Congressman Barber's Senior Citizen Resource page here.

More on Senior Citizens

Oct 27, 2014 Press Release
TUCSON – U.S. Rep. Ron Barber today continued his work to keep the Postal Service from closing its Tucson mail processing center, citing recent findings that studies of the impact of the closure were flawed and inadequate.
Oct 24, 2014 Press Release
TUCSON – U.S. Rep. Ron Barber will speak at the annual dinner of Friends of Saguaro National Park and also address attendees at the grand opening of a center to provide psychiatric services for seniors.
Oct 14, 2014 Press Release
TUCSON – U.S. Rep. Ron Barber, who has put his focus on bringing jobs to Southern Arizona, will speak this week to veterans seeking to enter the business world and also to attendees at a trade fair sponsored by the Arizona Technology Council.
Sep 19, 2014 Press Release
TUCSON – U.S. Rep. Ron Barber will observe the 65th anniversary of American Business Women’s Day next week by touring a local women-owned small business and attending a YWCA conference where his predecessor, former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, will be honored.
Sep 11, 2014 Press Release
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Ron Barber today joined a bipartisan majority of the House in voting for the second time to allow Americans to keep their health plans, saying Southern Arizonans must be able to keep the plan that is best for their budgets and families.
Sep 2, 2014 Press Release
TUCSON – U.S. Rep. Ron Barber will focus on Southern Arizona’s seniors this week as he speaks at several events that highlight issues of importance to older Americans.
Sep 2, 2014 Press Release
TUCSON – U.S. Rep. Ron Barber’s office recently came to the rescue of a Tucson woman and her disabled son who were one week away from losing their home, helping them obtain $46,000 in mortgage relief.
Aug 19, 2014 Press Release
TUCSON – U.S. Rep. Ron Barber is the most independent Arizonan in Congress and only three other members of the 435-member House vote against their party leadership more than Barber, according to a nonpartisan evaluation of congressional votes.
Aug 8, 2014 Press Release
TUCSON – U.S. Rep. Ron Barber will be in Green Valley on Monday to speak at a United Community Health Center celebration and later to attend a meeting of the Military Officers Association of America.
Jul 28, 2014 Press Release
TUCSON – U.S. Rep. Ron Barber’s constituent services team recently recovered more than $100,000 for two Southern Arizonans who had endured lengthy disputes with the Social Security Administration.