The 2012 Presidential Campaign has officially begun with the Iowa Caucuses.  As a senior living in Kimberton, regardless if you are a registered Republican, Democrat, or Independent, chances are you’ve seen the coverage of the GOP race on a daily basis.  You’ve seen the candidates bicker during debates about opposing opinions, previous voting histories, who is more conservative than who… but what about the IMPORTANT topics?  What about the issues that we face today and in the not so distant future?  The issues that directly affect the aging population of the US:  Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

AARP.com recently released profiles on all six GOP Presidential Candidates.  If you haven’t taken the time to learn where each candidate stands on the important issues facing the aging population of Pennsylvania this website is a great source of information.

Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid:  Where the Six Stand

Newt Gingrich :  “In his updated “Contract With America,” Gingrich proposes allowing private-sector alternatives for both Social Security and Medicare recipients. For the retirement program, Gingrich would allow younger Americans to put a portion of their Social Security payments into a personal account. Medicare recipients would have the option of using the government subsidy for a private insurance plan”

Jon Huntsman:  “On retirement issues, he has been walking a careful line, refusing to criticize his GOP colleagues for their more drastic proposals for Medicare while still suggesting that he might favor some tweaks.”

Ron Paul:  “Paul frequently targets the nation’s entitlement programs. He calls Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid unconstitutional, although he acknowledges that ending them would be politically implausible. In a 2008 debate, Paul said he would like to abolish Social Security, “but not overnight.” Instead, he would take care of those who already depend on the system but “allow the young people to just flat out get out of the system.”

Rick Perry:  “In his book Fed Up! Perry calls Social Security a “failure” that “we have been forced to accept for more than 70 years now.” On both Medicare and Medicaid, Perry has also called for more flexibility. In January, he signed an open letter to President Obama from governors calling for an end to the “one size fits all” approach to Medicaid. He does not favor getting rid of the Medicare prescription drug benefit.”

Mitt Romney:  On the campaign trail, Romney has advocated smaller benefits hikes for wealthier Social Security recipients. On Medicare, Romney wants to offer patients a “generous defined contribution” to buy either Medicare or private insurance. “Lower-income future retirees should receive the most assistance,” Romney said in an op-ed laying out the plan, and those now at or near retirement would not be affected. Like many in his party, Romney wants to cap spending for Medicaid, turn it into a block-grant program and give control of it to the states.”

Rick Santorum: “Santorum also has been a longtime voice on the reform of Social Security.  While exploring a presidential run, Santorum called for the repeal of the health care overhaul law and backed the plan by Rep. Paul Ryan to replace the current Medicare program with a voucher system, whereby citizens now 50 or younger would buy their own insurance. Medicaid, too, needs to be cut and converted into block grants to the states, he says. It should be reformed as welfare was in the mid-1990s.”

While personal care services are mainly private pay in the state of Pennsylvania, there are alternative programs to help make it more affordable.  If you are a senior living in Kimberton and are interested in learning more about the costs associated with living in a personal care home fill out a request for information below.