Vermonts

Emerging Healthcare System Whats Next?

Saturday, November 17, 2012
Montpelier Senior Activity Center 58 Barre Street, Montpelier Agenda
9:00 am Registration and Continental Breakfast 10:00 am Introduction of Speakers: Barbara J. Easterling - President, Alliance for Retired Americans Wendell Potter Consultant, Public Assets Institute, Montpelier Anya Rader Wallack Chair, Green Mountain Care Board 12:30 pm Lunch Sandwiches and Salad 1:00 pm Healthcare Advocate of the Year Award

Dr. Deborah Richter, MD

1:30 pm Annual Meeting Election of Officers 2:30 pm Adjourn Our Speakers

Barbara J. Easterling

As president of the 4 million-member Alliance for Retired Americans, Barbara J. Easterling leads a grassroots organization that educates and mobilizes retirees for progressive campaigns at the federal, state and local levels. Prior to joining the Alliance, Easterling was the first woman to serve as secretary-treasurer of the Communications Workers of America, its second highest office. In 1995, she became the first woman in history to serve as secretary-treasurer of the AFL-CIO, the 13-million-member federation of labor unions. Growing up in a Polish family of coal miners and rubber workers, she began her career in Akron, Ohio as an operator at Ohio Bell. Following a 20-year career as a corporate public relations executive, Wendell left his position as head of communications for CIGNA, one of the nations largest health insurers, to advocate for meaningful health care reform and to help socially responsible organizations achieve their goals. In widely covered Congressional hearings, Wendell disclosed how insurance companies, in order to boost profits, have engaged in practices that forced millions of Americans into the ranks of the uninsured and how they have used deceptive PR tactics to defeat health care reform. He consults with the Public Assets Institute on health care issues and serves as a seior analyst at the The Center for Public Integrity. His book, Deadly Spin: An Insurance Insider Speaks Out on How Corporate PR is Killing Health Care and Deceiving Americans, is a stark warning that corporate spin is distorting our Anya Rader Wallack, Chair of the Green Mountain Care Board, has worked in health care policy and reform for the past two decades. In January 2011, she

Wendell Potter

democracy.

joined Gov Shumlin as Special Assistant for Health Reform and was the chief architect of Act 48, the governors health reform plan. During the 1990s, Ms. Wallack served as Gov. Howard Deans Deputy Chief of Staff and on Hillary Clintons Health Reform Task Force. Subsequently she became the Executive Director of the Vermont Program for Quality in Health Care and a member of the Vermont Board of Medical Practice. She holds a Ph.D. in Social Policy from
Anya Rader Wallack

Brandeis University.

Health Care Advocate of the Year

Dr. Deb Richter left her family practice in Buffalo, New York to move to Vermont with the express purpose of organizing for Vermont Health Care for All. She felt that in 10 years she could talk to every voter in Vermont and persuade most of them that single payer (like an improved Medicare for all Vermonters) was both good for people and business. With the help of other like minded Vermonters, she was finally successful with the election of Governor Shumlin who ran his campaign on this approach to health reform and helped to persuade the Vermont legislature to support the governor in legislation to bring this to pass. The legislation setting the stage for this reform was passed and the process is underway to make Vermont the first state to cover everyone with health care. She
Deborah A. ealth Care Advocate of Year! is our H Richter, MD

2012 Convention Registration

Please Print

Name:_________________________________________Adress:________________________________________ Address 2:____________________________________ City:__________________________ State:___ Zip:__________ E-mail:________________________________________ Home Phone:( )________________ Cell:( )______________ I am enclosing my $10.00 conference fee (Registration fee includes lunch. Scholarships are available)

I am a current individual member of VT-ARA. (You must be a member to vote) I am a retired member of ___________ union. I am a member of a senior group:____________________________ I would like to join the VT-ARA and enclose my/our $10.00 membership dues.
Spouse:_________________________ I am also enclosing a contribution of $______________. VT-ARA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and is tax-exempt Make checks payable to: Vermont Alliance for Retired Americans; c/o Ed Hutchinson, Treasurer, VT- ARA 2053 East Hill Rd, Plainfield, VT 05667. RSVP: to 802-454-1131 or ehutch@gmavt.net

Who We Are
The Vermont Alliance for Retired Americans is the state-wide affiliate of the national Alliance for Retired Americans, a 4+ million-member voice for older Americans. We work with progressive activists and organizations to educate and mobilize retirees and the general public around local, state and, especially, national issues. We are working to preserve and strengthen Medicare and income security through Social Security and pensions.

Health Care for All Committed to Vermonts Single Payer Health Care Initiative and the work of the Green Mountain Care Board. Financial Security for Seniors o Preservation of Social Security Benefits o Funding for Medicaid o Funding for LIHEAP Independent Living/Expansion of Senior Services o Transportation, e.g. SSTA, GMTA o Senior Nutrition Programs Meals on Wheels, 3 Squares o Community Senior Centers o Home Share Affordable Housing Initiatives Enabling seniors to age in their communities of choice.

Our 2012 Legislative Priorities included:

We urge you to go to ARAs website, www.RetiredAmericans.org, to sign up for Friday Alert, a weekly e-newsletter delivering updates on key retiree issues from Washington and around the country.

P. O. Box 858 Montpelier, VT 05601