Richmond County Daily Journal - August 1, 2010

I have made it a priority in office to do all that I can to help senior citizens. As we get older, as a matter of necessity, we tend to rely more and more on the care and guidance of others for many of the challenges we once were able to handle on our own. This is normal and natural, and providing that assistance to seniors is a sign of respect and affection for their lives of work and service.

It is important we do all we can to make sure that our older citizens do not fall prey to people or companies attempting to take advantage of them and their trust. That is why this week, I was proud to support the passage of the Senior Financial Empowerment Act of 2009. This bill is intended to help stop mail, telemarketing, and Internet fraud that targets senior citizens.

This bill will help educate the public, seniors, their families, and caregivers on ways to identify and avoid being taken advantage of by such misguided efforts, whether financially or with misleading information. We cannot sit idly by and allow these less-than-honest individuals and groups to take advantage of the very people who mean so much to us. I will always vote to protect our seniors, and give them every resource they may need to preserve and enjoy their way of life. We owe it to them.

Unfortunately, whether it’s via mail, telemarketing, or even door-to-door sales or home repair efforts, there are efforts throughout our country designed to take advantage of senior citizens. We must do what we can to prevent them. It’s important to make sure there are protections in place against these bad business practices.

Sometimes these attempted scams on seniors go beyond personal finances, and center around health care or even Medicare prescription drug coverage. Such schemes are a direct threat to the health and safety of our loved ones. Whether it’s mailing seniors fake prescription drug cards or informing them of false changes to their existing plans, deceptive marketing and misinformation campaigns are another way of bad people attempting to abuse a system designed to help us.

Earlier this legislative session, I was proud to support the Medicare Fraud Enforcement and Prevention Act of 2010, a bill that identifies fraud and abuse in the Medicare program and returns any savings or penalties directly back into the solvency of Medicare. Friday marked the 45th anniversary of Medicare which is vital to the health of our most vulnerable citizens. It is important that we do all we can to prolong this reliable program that so many of our family members and friends rely on.

When my office started receiving calls and letters from seniors in our district concerned over information they had received regarding the CVS/Caremark merger, I called on the FTC to look into this merger and the information being distributed regarding it. Folks were contacting our office to question why they were being told that their existing plans had now changed, and they were being urged to receive their prescription drugs via a different means. I am happy the FTC has announced that they have launched an investigation into this issue, and I am confident that they will get to the bottom of any deliberate attempts to mislead our seniors or discourage business at local pharmacies. Our local businesses are important to our economy, and a lack of competition poses a direct threat to their livelihood.

Here in North Carolina, Attorney General Roy Cooper and his office have done a wonderful job of keeping residents updated on deceptive and fraudulent efforts statewide. Education is the most important aspect of this, and together we can make sure we’re aware of what is going on and how we can identify and help seniors avoid these efforts. If you ever have any questions about or are unsure about the intent of any mail or phone calls you receive, please contact local law enforcement, our office, or the Attorney General’s office and share your concerns. From local law enforcement to the Federal level, government works best when working together. Together, we can help safeguard our communities from these disingenuous and wrongful practices.

It’s important that we all remain cautious of deceptive scam techniques and fraud -- it can happen to any of us at any age. Please know I will remain vigilant and do all I can to protect you and your family.