New York State Senate
Albany, NY 12247
New York State Senator
JOSEPH P.
ADDABBO, JR.
15th Senate District
District Office: 159-53 102nd Street
Howard Beach, NY 11414 • Phone: (718) 738-1111
Satellite Office: 66-85 73rd Place
Middle Village, NY 11379 • Phone: (718) 497-1630
Email: Addabbo@nysenate.gov • Website: addabbo.nysenate.gov
SPOTLIGHT ON SENIORS
September, 2012
Dear Friend:
As a member of the New York
State Senate Committee on
Aging, I am committed to fighting
for legislation and services to
improve the overall quality of life
for seniors living here in Queens
and throughout the state. Right
now, New York is third in the
nation in terms of its 65-and-
older population, and the U.S.
Census Bureau projects that the
number of people in this age
group will rise to almost four
million by the year 2030.
Come to think of it: I’ll be one
of those people 65-and-older
by 2030! It’s really not that far
away, and the work we do today
on behalf of our seniors creates
the foundation for how we will all
fare in the years to come.
In this light, I hope you find this
update on news and programs
for senior citizens in New York
State interesting and useful. As
always, please accept my best
wishes for good health and
happiness and please do not
hesitate to contact me if I may
ever be of any assistance to you
in the community.
Sincerely,
Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr.
15th Senatorial District
EPIC RESTORATIONS: HELPING SENIORS
AFFORD PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
One of the biggest victories we
won for seniors this year was the
restoration of tens of millions of
dollars in cuts to New York’s Elderly
Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage
(EPIC) program, which helps older
people enrolled in Medicare Part D
afford the high cost of prescription
drugs. As part of the 2012-2013
State Budget, $34.1 million was
restored to the EPIC program and
action was taken to once again roll
back co-payments to a maximum
of $20 for participating seniors by
January, 2013.
These changes were needed to
address the economic hardships
imposed on EPIC participants
when severe cuts were made to
the program in the 2011-2012 state
fiscal year to help close a yawning
multi-billion dollar state budget
gap. As a member of the Senate
Aging Committee, I was pleased and
relieved that we were able to restore
necessary funding for EPIC this
year and help seniors 65 and older
in need of this prescription drug
assistance.
I also sponsor several bills to
improve EPIC that I hope will
be taken up by the Senate and
Assembly in 2013: one (S254) to
ensure that current enrollees
don’t lose eligibility for EPIC if they
receive cost of living increases in
Social Security or their pensions,
and another (S984) to increase
income ceilings for participation
so that more seniors can take
advantage of lower medicine costs.
PRSRT-STD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
NEW YORK SENATE
Right now, single seniors enrolled in
EPIC may have annual incomes of up
to $35,000, and married couples may
earn up to $50,000.
Seniors who are already participating
in EPIC will be receiving letters from
the program later this year to explain
changes that have been made, but I
would also like to invite interested
constituents to take advantage
of a series of EPIC lectures I am
sponsoring. Come prepared with
questions and find out how EPIC
might be able to save you money on
necessary medications.
Here is the schedule of free lectures,
which are in addition to similar
events I’ve already held in Howard
Beach, Ozone Park & Woodhaven:
• 9/18/12 @ 11:00 AM,
Peter Cardella Senior Center,
68-52 Fresh Pond Rd.,
Ridgewood
• 9/19/12 @ 1:00 PM,
Elmhurst AARP,
69-60 Grand Ave., Maspeth
• 10/2/12 @ 11:00 AM,
Ridgewood Older Adults,
59-14 70th Ave., Ridgewood
• 10/11/12 @ Noon, Sacred
Heart Golden Age, 83-17
78th Ave., Glendale
• 10/16/12 @11:00 AM, Middle
Village Senior Center,
69-10 75th St., Middle Village
In the meantime, if you have any
questions about EPIC, you may
call my office or the State EPIC
hotline at 1-800-332-3742 (TTY
1-800-290-9138).
 Senator Addabbo
joins representatives
of the Elderly
Pharmaceutical
Insurance Coverage
(EPIC) program at a
lecture he sponsored
at the Woodhaven
Richmond Hill Senior
Center to help seniors
learn more about
changes
to EPIC.
FREE PRESCRIPTION DRUG
DISCOUNT CARD AVAILABLE
If you aren’t eligible for EPIC, and are having trouble
affording expensive prescription drugs, help may just
be a mouse click or a phone call away! The New York
RX Card program is free for everyone and provides
pharmacy discounts for both brand and generic
medications that average about 30 percent. There
are no age or income restrictions, no waiting periods,
no limits, no claim forms, and the card is accepted
at more than 56,000 pharmacies around the country,
including most major chains.
To learn more about the program and to sign up,
interested consumers may call 1-800-931-2297 or
visit the website at www.newyorkrxcard.com. Those
who visit the website are offered the opportunity to
create and print their new discount card online.
Please note: this is a discount card, not prescription
drug insurance, although it can be used to
supplement most health insurance plans.
2012 SESSION HIGHLIGHTS FOR SENIORS
In addition to the restorations made to the Elderly
Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage (EPIC) program,
the Legislature took some other actions to benefit
seniors over the course of the 2012 session. Here are a
few items of interest:
—A total of $46.8 million, including an increase of
more than $800,000, was provided in the State Budget
for the Expanded In-Home Services for the Elderly
Program (EISEP), which helps older people who need
non-medical assistance stay in their homes;
—$325,150 was added in the State Budget for the
Community Services for the Elderly (CSE) program,
which helps communities throughout New York better
respond to the needs of local senior citizens. The
program will now receive a total of $15.6 million;
—The Naturally Occurring Communities (NOCs) and
Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs)
programs had cuts restored, and will be funded at
$2.02 million each. These programs are designed to
help groups of seniors “age in place” with supportive
services and avoid unnecessary institutional care.
—A new law (Chapter 40) adds the Director of the State
Office for the Aging to the New York State Emergency
Services Council. In the event of an emergency, the
Aging Director would advise the Governor on how best
to address the needs of New York’s senior population.
—In anticipation of the implementation of federal
health care reform in New York, Governor Cuomo
issued an Executive Order earlier this year to establish
a New York State Health Benefit Exchange, which
is required under federal law and goes into effect
in January, 2014. Basically, the Exchange creates
an organized health insurance marketplace where
consumers and small businesses will be able to shop
for coverage and easily compare different health plan
options and receive certain tax credits.
—A new law seeks to significantly expand taxi service
in all five boroughs of New York City and increase the
number of cabs that are equipped to be accessible for
people with disabilities. (Signed into law, Chapter 9)
—Legislation seeks to ensure that access aisles
around handicapped parking spaces are at least eight
feet wide in order to accommodate wheelchairs and
other mobility devices used by the disabled. (Signed
into law, Chapter 274)
—A new Protection of People with Special Needs Act
is designed to overhaul and improve the state’s system
of providing care for people with special needs and
disabilities. The measure seeks to better protect and
serve more than one million vulnerable children and
adults in state operated, certified or licensed facilities
and programs. (S.7749/A10721, will be sent
to Governor for review)
Senator Addabbo joins with other Queens public officials
and advocates for the elderly in protesting proposed
budget cuts to senior centers in the borough.
SENIOR BILLS WAITING IN THE WINGS
As a member of the Senate Aging Committee, I have
sponsored or co-sponsored a number of bills to help
older New Yorkers afford their homes, receive good
health care, find employment and otherwise meet
their most pressing needs. Here are a few pieces of
legislation I’ve been advocating and would like to see
approved by the Senate and Assembly:
S1251: This bill would exclude Social Security
payments and Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
from being counted as income for the Senior Citizen
Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE) program, enabling
more elderly tenants to save money on their housing
expenses.
S2407: This legislation seeks to improve health care for
all patients in hospitals and other health care facilities
in New York by implementing the “Safe Patient
Handling Act.” The bill requires that a statewide plan
be adopted to ensure that all patients are handled
safely, using new technologies and best practices.
Such a policy would help reduce injuries for patients
and health care staff alike.
S4553: This bill would implement the “Safe Staffing treatment, discharged too soon, denied admission,
for Quality Care Act” to improve the ratio of patients transferred unsafely, kept in a nursing home against
to nurses and direct care staff in hospitals and nursing your will or have other serious concerns about your
homes. Increasing the number of staff available to hospital, nursing home or home health care.
serve patients could improve the overall quality of care
Medicare:
and help prevent “burnout” among overworked health
1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227)
care professionals.
www.medicare.gov
Official government Medicare helpline operates 24
S288: Given the enormous growth in the 65-plus
hours a day and provides information and counseling
population, and the extremely high cost of long-term
about this health insurance program for seniors 65
care – whether at home or in an institution – this
and older.
legislation creates a task force to devise a plan to
provide long-term care insurance for all elderly New Medicare Rights Center Helpline:
Yorkers in need. 1-800-333-4114
www.medicarerights.org
S4108: To encourage employers to provide jobs for Provides information, counseling and advocacy
older New York residents, this legislation would for people receiving Medicare and those who are
provide tax credits to small businesses who hire having trouble understanding the complexities of the
workers who are 55 years of age or older. Each hire, as program.
long as the employee works at least 35 hours a week
Social Security Administration:
for a full year, would qualify the business for a $5000
1-800-772-1213 (TTY: 1-800-325-0778)
tax credit, up to a maximum of $25,000.
www.ssa.gov
S7547: This legislation would provide needed Official government Social Security Administration
assistance for families who need to take off time helpline for Social Security beneficiaries; provides
from work to care for newborn babies or sick family information and assistance with the program.
members. People shouldn’t have to choose between
leaving their jobs and caring for their loved ones. To
address this issue, the bill would establish family care
insurance under our state’s workers’ compensation
and insurance laws to enable New Yorkers to care for
loved ones without wiping themselves out financially
and emotionally.

HELPFUL CONTACTS
FOR AGING INFORMATION
New York State Senior Citizen Helpline:
1-800-342-9871
www.aging.ny.gov
Operated by State Office for the Aging. Provides
general information about programs and services for
seniors, offers referrals to local resources.
New York City Department for the Aging: Senator Addabbo joins with Ed Shusterich, an active
1-212-442-1100 Middle Village resident, to celebrate the placement of a
www.nyc.gov/aging/ plaque in Juniper Park commemorating 9/11 heroes and
Offers information, referrals and assistance about victims.
services and benefits available to seniors in New
York City, including food stamps, Medicaid, reduced
fare programs, tax exemptions and public assistance.
SAFE AND SOUND AT HOME
If you have Internet access, you can follow this link To help seniors live safely and independently in their
to read and print out a booklet called “Benefits for own residences, the New York Foundation for Senior
Older New Yorkers at a Glance”: Citizens sponsors two programs to identify at-home
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dfta/downloads/pdf/ safety hazards and assist qualified seniors with free
publications/benefits_eng_22412.pdf home repairs. The Home Repair Program operates in
all five boroughs of New York City, and assists senior
Kinship Navigator:
owners of private homes, condos and co-ops – who
1-877-454-6463
have limited finances – with free home maintenance
www.nysnavigator.org
and repairs including minor plumbing, gutter cleaning,
Offers information and referrals to services for
carpentry, and some emergency services. Under the
grandparents and other older relatives who find
Home Safety Audit Program, volunteer specialists
themselves caring for their grandchildren and other
aged 55 and older visit and inspect the homes of
related children because of death, substance abuse,
seniors to pinpoint and help address potential safety
mental illness, incarceration, military deployment
hazards.
and other reasons.
To learn more about these programs, and to see if you
Patients’ Rights Helpline:
qualify for assistance, you may call the Foundation
1-800-333-4374
for Senior Citizens at 1-212-962-7559 or visit the
www.nysenior.org
Foundation’s website at www.nyfsc.org. In addition
Operated by Statewide Senior Action Council and
to its home safety programs, this group also offers
provides information about patients’ health care
assistance with home sharing, respite care and other
rights. Call if you have been denied emergency
services for seniors.
FREE LECTURES COMING UP
ON MEDICARE, PROBATE
& PREVENTING FALLS
For those of you who might be interested, I am
sponsoring these free lectures:
• “Preventing Falls” with the Visiting Nurses of
the State of New York (VNSNY). Wednesday,
October 3rd, 1 p.m. AARP Elmhurst/Rego
Park Chapter at 69-60 Grand Avenue in
Maspeth.
• “Avoiding Probate” with Brady & Marshak.
Tuesday, October 16th, at 10:30 a.m. Howard
Beach Senior Center, 156-45 84th Street,
Howard Beach.
• “What Medicare Plan is Best for You?”
Thursday, October 25th, 11:15 a.m.
Middle Village Senior Center, 69-10
75th Street, Middle Village.
STARS AND STRIPES:
NEWS FOR NEW YORK’S VETERANS
Senator Addabbo speaks at a ceremony to mark the
arrival of the mobile Vietnam War Memorial Wall to
Juniper Park in Middle Village.
As the ranking Minority member on the State Senate
Committee on Veterans, Homeland Security and
Military Affairs, I am committed to meeting the
needs of our servicemen and servicewomen of
all ages – whether their battles were in Iwo Jima,
Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan or anywhere
in between. We owe all of our veterans a debt of
gratitude for their sacrifices and bravery and we
have a responsibility to safeguard their well-being.
I have sponsored, co-sponsored and otherwise
supported many bills of importance to veterans.
HELP FOR VETERANS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS
NYS Division of Veterans’ Affairs
Information on job opportunities, education, counseling, benefits and other services
1-888-838-7697 (1-888-VETSNYS)
www.veterans.ny.gov
PROTECT YOURSELF
FROM FRAUD AND SCAMMERS
Earlier this year, my staff and I had the pleasure of
assisting a local senior citizen from Howard Beach
who was targeted for an extensive and expensive mail
fraud scam. The woman received an “official notice”
with Irish postage that she had won an international
sweepstakes, was in line to collect $245,000, and
was mailed a check for $4,685 to help cover the
“processing fee.”
Knowing something wasn’t right, this woman turned
to my office, and we were able to track down the
scam, which involved a number of different company
names and addresses operating in several different
states. In the end, we reported the mail scheme to the
Attorneys General in both New York State and Oregon
for investigation.
The happy ending to this story is that my constituent
wasn’t taken in by this scheme. But there are
many different scams that are specifically targeted
at senior citizens, and it can be easy to be fooled.
Billions of dollars are lost each year to fraud against
older Americans and the heartache for victims is
incalculable.
To help you learn how to protect yourself against a
number of scams – including identity theft, Internet
fraud, and financial and health care schemes – I’ve
included a link below to a very informative “Smart
Seniors” booklet prepared by the Office of the New
York State Attorney General. It provides a lot of useful
tips, describes a number of common scams and offers
advice on how not to be taken in by these criminals. If
you do not have access to the Internet, please contact
my office and we would be happy to send you a copy in
the mail.
http://www.ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/pdfs/
publications/Smart-Seniors.pdf
For example, I am a champion of legislation that
would:
-- Establish a New York State Veterans Cemetery,
crack down on those who wrongly sell commemorative
property from the graves of veterans, and ensure that
unclaimed cremated remains of deceased veterans
are treated with dignity;
-- Help to provide new job and business opportunities
for service-disabled veterans, and provide a tax credit
for businesses that hire unemployed veterans;
-- Reduce civil service examination fees for veterans
and otherwise aid veterans seeking public and private
employment;
-- Expand veteran tuition awards programs, provide
new educational opportunities at state colleges and
universities, and provide tax breaks for those with
service-related disabilities.