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AsIhavesaidmanytimestheimportanceoflegalanalysisandstrategicadvocacyonbehalfoflow-incomeolderadultsneverwanes.WiththeimplementationofnewlawsandregulationsthataffecttheirhealtheconomicsecurityandtheirrightsanorganizationlikeNSCLCmustbeevervigilantsothatlawsactuallyworkontheirbehalf.NAtioNALSeNioRCitizeNSLAwCeNteR2010ANNuALRepoRt3excvDrcrsCrnrOlderadultsespeciallywomenofcolorandmillionsofotherswithlimitedincomeandresourcesshouldbeabletolivewithdignityandindependenceforaslongaspossible.Thehealthreformlawcontainsmanyelementsthatwillmakethisvisioncometruebutseeingrealchangeimplementedwillnotbeeasy.NSCLCisworkingonseveralfrontstoensurethatthegoalsofthenewlawsuchasensuringthebestcoordinatedqualitycareforthosewhoareduallyeligibleforMedicareandMedicaidarerealized.InadditionourstaffcontinuestochampiontherightsofthosewhospeaklittleEnglishmakingsurethathealthplansandgovernmentagenciesbothnationallyandespeciallyinCalifornialiveuptotheirpledgetosharebenefitsinformationwithlimitedEnglishproficientplanmembersinlanguagetheycanunderstand.WithoutSocialSecurityorSupplementalSecurityIncomeitwouldbedifficultformillionsofmenandwomentopayforfoodamortgagerentenergyormedicalbills.Sadlyfartoomanyeldersrelyonfederalincomesecurityprogramsliketheseforallorthemajorityoftheireconomicsecurity.InclosecollaborationwithothersNSCLCisdeterminedtocombateffortsthatwouldcreateseriousfinancialhardshipsfortodayselderlypoororforthoseinthebabyboomgenerationwhohavelittleinsavingsorpensionsupport.Therehavebeenandcontinuetobeeffortstomovethefederalcourtstothepoliticalright.WithouttheFederalRightsProjectmuchofthebehindthescenesworkthatconservativejusticesandjudgesdotomoveananti-progressiveagendawouldneverseethelightofday.NSCLCwillcontinuetokeepupthepressureespeciallyinrelationtothespuriouslawsuitsthatseektooverturnhealthreform.Thestatesarestrugglingwithmountainsofdebtbutourjobistoensurethatstategovernmentsdonotinfringeontherightsoftheelderlypoortotheirbenefitswhiletryingtosaveabuck.OurstaffiscontinuouslymonitoringstateactionsthatcouldmeanhardshipandpainformillionsofolderAmericansandwhereappropriatewewilltakeactionwhetherthroughadvocacyorlitigation.Recentlyreleasedpovertymeasuresshowthattheproportionofseniorslivinginpovertyishigherthananyotheragegroupevenhigherthanthatforchildren.Thesepovertyfiguresconfirmthatthepicturefortheelderlypoorisevenmorebleakthanmostpeopleknow.AndthismeansthatNSCLCeffortstoworktopro-tecttheirrightsareneedednowmorethanever.PaulNathanso