Issue Position: Seniors

Issue Position

Claire's mom, Betty Anne, lives at home with her, so Claire understands the headaches of wrestling with Medicare and finding affordable prescription drugs. That's why she's worked hard in the Senate to protect services that seniors rely on. Claire is committed to ensuring Medicare and Social Security are preserved for Missouri's seniors, without cutting benefits or raising the retirement age for current beneficiaries.

Accomplishments

Protecting Medicare for current beneficiaries and future generations

Claire has vowed to protect Medicare from attempts to dismantle it and has pledged to support reforms that will strengthen and preserve the program for future generations. In 2011, Claire:

Opposed the GOP's plan to end Medicare in 2011, and then when they tried again in 2012; and,

Empowered the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to increase their ability to fight fraud -- reducing the amount of money wasted on fraudulent claims and increasing the amount of money available to seniors for medical care.

Working to balance the budget while protecting Social Security

Claire believes the promises we made to our senior citizens through programs like Social Security and Medicare must be honored, but Claire also understands the importance of balancing our budget. That's why she:

Helped write a constitutional amendment that would require the federal government to balance its budget every year, while protecting Social Security by preventing politicians from raiding the program or cutting benefits.

Saving more than 111,000 Missouri seniors money on prescription drugs

Claire voted in favor of legislation in 2009 that closed the Medicare Part D "donut hole," which:

Put an average of $627 back in the pocket of 111,815 Missouri seniors on Medicare that would have otherwise gone to prescription drugs; and,

Saved Missouri seniors a total of $47 million on their prescription drugs in 2011.

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