Congressman Lynch Talks Senior Citizen Issues

Congressman Stephen Lynch joined West Roxbury residents , and , to speak about issues impacting senior citizens on Friday.

 hosted , co-sponsored with AgeWell West Roxbury, and the West Roxbury Business and Professional Association.

Lynch, D-9th, provided "a Washington update", discussing several issues that impact seniors. Lynch explained the logistics behind the Social Security COLA increases and the prospects for an increase in 2013.

He also discussed Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan's, R-1st, budget plan which would fundamentally change Medicare, essentially turning it into a voucher system, said Lynch. The proposed changes, if passed, would shift substantial costs to Medicare beneficiaries. Lynch then took questions from the audience on numerous topics, including protecting Medicare and Medicaid during budget negotiations and preserving funding for elderly programs, such as Adult Day Health programs.

"I thank Deutsches Altenheim, AgeWell West Roxbury and the West Roxbury Business and Professional Association for putting together such a wonderful event. Forums such as this are great opportunities to speak with seniors and listen to their concerns. In Washington, Congress has been grappling with reducing spending and trying to reduce the deficit. Going forward, we need to take a balanced approach to controlling our nation's spending; our seniors should not bear an unreasonable amount of that burden," said Lynch about the event. 

State Rep. Ed Coppinger provided a comment about the event: "It’s very important for me as an elected official to be out listening with constituents. The room was packed with seniors from the Parkway. The majority of their questions and concerns were focused on healthcare and the rising cost of health care coverage. I was glad to report that the Legislature recently passed a robust healthcare bill that deals specifically with bringing down the costs of healthcare for all."

Deutsches Altenheim invited the elected officials to come and speak. The event was open to the public and free to attend.