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RetireSafe History
Who We Are
RetireSafe Achievements
RetireSafe History
RetireSafe started as a project of the Council for Government Reform, a grassroots action network promoting dynamic, pro-growth solutions to America's retirement security challenges. The goal of the Council, which began in 1991, was to seek retirement security through policies that encourage economic growth, wealth creation, and individual choice
and control. The Council produced letters, newsletters, and booklets each year responding to its members and prospective members throughout the country on the concerns about the policies and practices of the government.
In September 2004, RetireSafe replaced the Council for Government Reform and launched its "Medicare Extension Campaign." The campaign was developed as a grassroots effort to raise awareness among legislators about supporting Medicare benefits. The campaign grew and broader issues were uncovered which broadened the focus of RetireSafe. Since 2004, RetireSafe, with its broader focus on various aspects of senior education and advocacy, has grown to include over 400,000 supporters nationwide. RetireSafe has evolved from an organization dedicated to the single issue of Medicare, to one that encompasses multiple issues such as the protection of health, Social Security, personal and national security, finances, and personal freedom for all senior Americans.
The Senior Center for Health and Security
Due to the increased interest in enhancing the health of the growing population of older Americans, the Senior Center for Health and Security, a sister educational foundation, was launched in 2004. The role of the Center is to promote the promise and potential of innovative medical research and development and to highlight its critical importance in ensuring seniors live longer, healthier lives. In-depth health information about innovations in cardiac care, Medicare, prescription drugs, hospitals, and other health issues can be found on the website,
http://seniorsforcures.org.
Personnel
Thair Phillips, President
Al Cors, Jr., Vice President, Public Affairs
Contact information
RetireSafe.org
1662 H Street, NW Suite 902
Washington, D.C. 20006
202-628-5095
Website: http://www.retiresafe.org
Who We Are
Thair Phillips is president of RetireSafe. Phillips is responsible for providing leadership in multiple areas that engage all facets of the organization, including Congressional relations, communications, grassroots advocacy and expanding the supporter base.
Phillips is dedicated to ensuring that legislative agendas protect the quality of life and economic well-being of older Americans while supporting common sense solutions to the challenges of the future. As president, Phillips goals are to establish RetireSafe as the key voice for and about those issues that affect retiring and retired Americans nationwide, and to put RetireSafe’s stamp on legislation affecting those Americans.
Phillips career includes a range of expertise in both the public and private arenas. He was former CEO of the Seniors Coalition, a three million member seniors organization, where he oversaw legislative efforts, funding, grassroots activities, member recruitment and education, and communications. Phillips also served as executive director of the National Subacute Care Association, an organization for promoting the use of subacute care facilities to offset the high cost of prolonged stays in hospitals.
His background includes stints as a B-52 crew member and a war planning specialist in the Air Force and later as a computer systems consultant where he served as a contractor on projects for the Department of Labor, GSA, and the EPA.
Al Cors, Jr. is RetireSafe's Vice President, Public Affairs. Cors is a 40-year plus veteran of legislative campaigns on Capitol Hill and in most of the 50 state capitols. Since early 2004, he has served as the lead legislative advocate for RetireSafe's nearly 400,000 plus supporters. His daily mission is to protect the Social Security and Medicare benefits of every older American. He manages RetireSafe's legislative issues on these critical programs, as well as on tax, retirement, and consumer issues.
Cors is an outspoken advocate for the research and development of new treatments and cures needed to address heart disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer's disease. In coalition with America's leading patient advocate groups, Cors works continuously to enhance the lives of older Americans. Concurrently, for the past five years, Cors has served as Policy Director for the Senior Center for Health and Security, a separate, but related, educational foundation. In this capacity he speaks frequently on health care, prescription drug safety, financial and consumer issues of great importance to seniors.
Previous posts for Cors include the National Taxpayers Union (Vice President for Government Affairs), the National Tax Limitation Committee (Director of Legislative and Political Affairs), and the National Rifle Association of America (Federal Lobbyist and State Liaison). In the mid-1970s, he served as Administrative Assistant for the Assistant House Majority Leader of the Indiana House of Representatives.
RetireSafe Achievements
Open Letters To Government Officials. Since 2004, RetireSafe has sent 110 open letters and dozens of statements and communications to members of Congress, federal agencies, and various state legislators since 2004. RetireSafe has made its voice heard for and against legislation important to older Americans such as:
Protect Medicare and Social Security benefits * oppose tax increases *
repeal the tax on Social Security benefits * eliminate the Social
Security earnings test * repeal earnings limits on Roth Individual
Retirement Accounts (IRAs) * support the Motor Vehicle Owners'
Right-to-Repair Act * support measures to spur the research and development of new therapies and cures * stop the importation of unsafe foreign drugs * make it harder for illegal aliens to collect Social Security * support Physician-owned Hospitals and other quality health care options * support the Pickens Plan on Energy and many others.
Senior Expos. Since its beginning, RetireSafe has exhibited in 21 Senior Expos, getting its message before a targeted audience of over 3,000 seniors per Expo in Virginia and Pennsylvania.
Surveys and Petitions.
Annual COLA Survey. Findings from RetireSafe’s 2009 Annual Cost-Of-Living Adjustment (COLA) survey taken in May of this year, shows that 100% of respondents believe the COLAs do not keep up with their rising costs of living. And, 78% of those surveyed believe a special CPI should be established exclusively for Seniors.
Health Care Survey. A survey this spring about universal health care found that the overwhelming majority of respondents were opposed to government- run healthcare, and over 98% stated they would be concerned if a cost-effectiveness standard were to be set by the Federal government. The two issues mentioned most frequently as of greatest importance would be the loss of freedom in the doctor-patient relationship (74%), and the rationing of health care (77%). Five percent stated they were not concerned about health care at all.
Here are some comments from the survey:
“My health care won't be the government’s utmost concern. Saving money will be more important, and their aim of providing a little care for everyone will cost me my doctor patient relationship.”
“It chips a little more of our freedom. Those of us who are seniors have had taxes taken from our income for these services.”
“I am concerned that I will not get my meds and that some treatments may be restricted.”
“I do not want increased government interference in my life in any shape or form.”
Medicare Satisfaction Survey. A 2008 RetireSafe survey showed that 92% of seniors enrolled in Part D were satisfied with their coverage.
Petitions. Approximately 290,351 petitions were delivered electronically, by district, to members of Congress to urge the guarantee of Social Security benefits. The petitions, representing 2008 and 2007 direct mail and website signatures, were sent in January of 2009.
The RetireSafe Fair COLA Calculator. In 2009, RetireSafe launched the first online COLA Calculator to estimate how much more recipients would receive in benefits using a senior specific Consumer Price Index for the Elderly (CPI-E), instead of the current method using the Consumer Price Index for Workers (CPI-W), to determine the annual increase in their benefits.
Senior Life Saver Award. RetireSafe has presented awards to numerous members of Congress, including New Mexico Rep. Heather Wilson, Sens. Orrin Hatch and Bob Bennett, and Rep. Jim Matheson and others, for their efforts to protect the benefits of older people.
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