Issues facing seniors with Jimmie Lou Fisher

Former state treasurer Jimmie Lou Fisher was in Texarkana Thursday discussing issues facing Arkansas seniors in today's economic climate. Fisher is now heading up the "Senior Caucus" in Arkansas. Among the issues discussed were health care, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. While everyone wants to control spending, it's important that no cuts take place in state programs for public health, especially now that we're seeing the Medicaid Trust Fund being spent down right here in Arkansas. Fisher urged that state and federal budgets be balanced to avoid detriment to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, and veterans’ programs. A hallmark of Medicare, she said, is that all beneficiaries, even those in rural or underserved communities, have real access to dependable health care. While the ultimate goal, she said, is to ensure that all Arkansans have the opportunity to obtain affordable and accessible healthcare, it's critical that no senior citizen in this state be in the position to have to choose between medically necessary drugs and food or other necessities.