Seniors

Representative Scott Peters Stands Up For Seniors

A member of the House Seniors Task Force, Scott Peters makes it a priority to stand up for our district’s seniors. He understands that the importance of financial security and access to Social Security and Medicare are programs that people have spent lifetimes paying into. For many of our seniors, they are a lifeline and need to be strengthened and protected. He is also committed to protecting seniors’ access to medical care of the highest quality and is working to ensure that our community can age with respect, dignity, and autonomy.

I. Protect and Strengthen Social Security and Medicare

Scott knows that Social Security and Medicare are a contract between the government and generations of Americans who have worked hard and paid into these programs. He and his office have secured over $150,000 in overdue benefits for people throughout San Diego.

• Scott voted to increase funding for the Social Security Administration by $651 million so that it is better able to serve the people of San Diego.
• Scott voted to increase funding for Community Services Block Grants by $39 million so that local, community-based organizations have the funding they need to deliver services to seniors.
• Scott cosponsors the Preventing and Reducing Improper Medicare and Medicaid Expenditures Act which takes steps to crack down on fraud and abuse in the Medicare and Medicaid system and ensures that these programs are able to provide help to the people who need them.
• Scott has consistently opposed efforts to cut Social Security and Medicare and helped author a letter urging the House to protect the programs in budget negotiations.

II. Guarantee that seniors can access the healthcare they need.

Scott knows that access to affordable and effective healthcare is a top priority for seniors. He has taken numerous steps to ensure that seniors are able to receive the best care possible. He and his office have held numerous seminars to help seniors understand and navigate the Affordable Care Act.

• Scott voted to ensure that doctors continue to receive reimbursements that allow them to provide Medicare recipients with high quality health care.
• Scott cosponsors the Seniors’ Tax Simplification Act that would provide a tax credit for seniors who purchase hearing aids.
• Scott cosponsors the Protecting Seniors from Health Care Fraud Act, which takes steps to prevent seniors from being preyed upon by criminals who would take advantage of the confusing and complex health care system to raid seniors’ retirement savings.
• Scott cosponsors the Elder Protection and Abuse Prevention Act which helps shed light on elder abuse and establishes protective legal measures to ensure that incidents of abuse are properly reported and reduced in San Diego and around the country.
• Scott cosponsors the Improving Access to Medicare Coverage Act which ensures that seniors and their families are able to be reimbursed by Medicare for skilled nursing services.

III. Support the seniors’ right to age with dignity.

Scott understands how important it is for Americans to be able to age in a way that maintains the dignity and reflects the respect that they have earned over the course of a remarkable lifetime. He is committed to increasing comfort, ensuring financial stability, and providing choices for our community as they get older.

• Scott voted to protect the reverse mortgage program for seniors by requiring that the Department of Housing and Urban Development improve its fiscal safety and soundness. 
• Scott sent a letter to his colleagues in the House Appropriations Committee urging them to provide funding for the Community Innovations for Aging in Place program. The program gives seniors the option to remain in their homes rather than being transferred to assisted living facilities where their lives and comfort may be disrupted.
• Scott cosponsors the Seniors’ Tax Simplification Act which simplifies the tax filing requirements for seniors. These forms and processes are far too complicated and need to be more accessible and less of a burden.
• Scott cosponsors the Personalize Your Care Act which ensures that seniors are able to make important personal decisions about their lives by requiring that Medicare cover advance planning consultations.

IV. Keep seniors informed about scams criminals use to target them.

Scott has heard from seniors throughout San Diego who are concerned with the prevalence of scams that target them. He has joined with Rep. Susan Davis and the California Contractors State License Board to educate our community about the most common tactics used by criminals who prey on seniors.

• Scott and his office have hosted eight Senior Scam Stopper Workshops throughout the community.
• Residents of La Jolla, Poway, Rancho Penasquitos, Coronado, and Downtown San Diego have hosted these events which have been well attended and provide crucial information for seniors.
• The workshops offer advice and assistance to seniors about how to protect themselves against fraud related to home repairs, auto repair, insurance, telecommunications, and identity theft.
• Previous participating agencies include, but are not limited to, the: CA Contractors State License Board, CA Bureau of Automotive Repair, San Diego County Aging & Independence Services, Coronado Police Department, CA Department of Insurance, San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the CA State Controller’s Office.

For more information concerning my work and views on Seniors issues, please contact me.