Information provided here is not the position of NARVRE but is the proposal by the White House to be discussed Thursday, February 25, 2010 covered by CSPAN from 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 EST.  The major changes between the House and Senate passed bills are listed below.  It includes a targeted set of changes to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the Senate-passed health insurance reform bill.  The President's Proposal  reflects policies from the House-passed bill and the President's priorities.  Key changes include:

       1.  Eliminating the Nebraska FMAP (Medicaid) provision and providing significant additional Federal financing to all States for the expansion of Medicaid;

       2.  Closing the Medicare prescription drug "donut hole" coverage gap; 

       3.  Strengthening the Senate's bill provisions that make insurance affordable for individuals and families;  

      4.  Strengthening the provision to prevent fraud, waste and abuse in Medicare and Medicaid;      

      5.  Increasing the threshold for the excise tax on the most expensive health care plans from $23,000 for a family plan to $27,500 and starting it in 2018 for all plans;      

     6.  Improving insurance protections for consumers and creating a new Health Insurance Rate Authority to provide Federal assistance and oversight to States in conducting reviews of unreasonable rate increases and other unfair practices of insurance plans.       Note:  There is no proposal for a public option in the President's plan although there is a movement in the Senate to do so.  Source:  www.whitehouse.gov          

     In March forms will be sent out on the 2010 Census and it is imperative for many reasons that we fill out these forms and return to the proper authority.  Many seniors are not home during the winter months and are in southern climates.  When you fill out the Census form you are reflecting on your community for many reasons.  Accurate data reflecting changes in your community are critical  in apportioning seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and deciding how more than $400 billion per year is allocated for projects like new hospitals and schools.  Looking over a 10 year period that amounts to approximately $4 trillion for things like new roads, schools, bridges and public facilities.  Redistricting is required every 10 years by the U.S. Constitution.  Redistricting is the process of changing electoral district and constituency boundaries, usually in response to periodic census results.  While the census does provide information to the U.S. states on population in order for the states to redistrict appropriately, the census is not actually responsible for the act of redistricting.  State legislatures or independent bi-partisan commissions (depending on the state) are the bodies that actually redraw district lines.  

     Looking at the Quarterly Report for the Period Ending December 31, 2009, the National Railroad Retirement Investment Trust indicates the Railroad Retirement Fund to be in a positive light.  As of February 1, 2002 Trust Inception there was $20.7 Billion in the fund and as of December 31, 2009 assets showed $24.8 Billion