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.