Newsletter

AARP November Meeting … Paul Levine and Sharon Levine

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The speaker at our Nov. 17, 2020, meeting will be Nancy Nelson, a Speakers Bureau Volunteer for Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, a role she has held for many years.  Nancy is a human resource consultant and started volunteering in the 1990s with Second Harvest when she organized Food and Fund Drives as an HR Director.  Nancy is passionate about eliminating hunger in our community and believes that, when individuals, community partners and corporations work together, we can make this vision a reality.

Nancy will speak about the face of hunger in Silicon Valley, statistics on the number and type of clients served, how Second Harvest distributes food through community partners and direct services, the critical role volunteers play in meeting the need for food, Second Harvest’s focus on nutrition, and how you can help.

We will email invitations on Monday, November 16, for members to Zoom or call-in on the 17th.

Annual Luncheon Postponed

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The January luncheon for Chapter 5151, Campbell Area, of AARP has been postponed from January until the Spring.  We have made a reservation for May 18th at 11:30 AM at Mama Mia’s in Campbell.  Details will be available in the spring.  [Margaret Schieck, Social Committee]

Legislative News … Daniel Nnorth and Claudia Schott

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With the elections finally over, we will see what the future has in store for us.  (And be ever so glad all those political ads are done!)  But we’re not done.  Now we have new issues to look at and fight for, or against; with ongoing issues, such as this one:

AARP is asking us to help with the Stop Rx Greed Campaign:  U.S. Health & Human Service’s Final Importation Rule –This is a message for members of Congress and Senators:

•  There’s no reason why Americans should pay the highest drug prices in the world while drug companies rake in billions.

•  AARP has long supported the safe importation of prescription drugs, which could lower prices for many people over 50.

•  Importation of prescription drugs is overwhelmingly supported by Americans across party lines, with support from 81% of Republicans, 77% of Democrats, and 85% of independents.

•  The safe, legal importation of less expensive prescription drugs will help stop price gouging and lower costs. It will also help break up drug company monopolies by adding competitive pressure on drug makers to lower the prices they set in the U.S.

•  While there are still several stages before any importation can occur, we are pleased, that for the first time, an HHS Secretary has certified that importation can be done safely.

•  AARP strongly supported bipartisan legislation in Florida, Colorado, Maine, Vermont, New Mexico, and New Hampshire to allow importation in those states.  It is critical that the Administration works closely with those states to allow those laws to take effect and to ensure that the policy makes prescription drugs both affordable and accessible to older Americans.

In order to help, we can write our Representatives and Senators:

https://action.aarp.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=7577. The importation of prescription drugs is only good for certain drugs, not all, and definitely insulin, because it is a biologic drug. We also need to allow all states to participate in this, not just a few.  Go to

https://www.aarp.org/politics-society/advocacy/info-2020/canada-drug-importation-ruling.html to read more.

On other fronts:

The Supreme Court will be busy.  New Justice, Amy Coney Barrett, who was sworn in as a Justice last month, could play a pivotal role in any post-election legal fights, and will take part when the court hears a challenge to the Affordable Care Act a week after the election.

Coronavirus Update, as of October 29:  Coronavirus cases in the U.S.: 8,865,697, U.S. death toll: 227,774

For context: Three months ago today, 4,363,511 Americans had tested positive for the coronavirus and 149,407 had died. Please stay safe, wear your mask, wash your hands, and keep a safe distance from everyone!

Medicare and You – 2021 … Barbara Robinson

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In their booklet (with the above title, which you should have received by now) on Page 27:  The last paragraph.  “NOTE:  Starting January 1, 2021, hospitals are required to make public the standard charges for all of their items and services …”  More information on Page 28, also.

More Covid-10 Humor … Lynda Martinez

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They said a mask and gloves were enough to go to the grocery store.  They lied; everybody else had clothes on.

I never thought the comment “I wouldn’t touch him/her with a 6-foot pole” would become a national policy, but here we are.

I’m going to stay up on New Year’s Eve this year.  Not to see the New Year in, but to make sure this one leaves.

President’s Message … Ken Schieck

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National AARP continues to share current Covid-19 information every Thursday at 10:00 AM PDT; phone # is 855-274-9507.

Well, it’s that time of year again, when our chapter considers, nominates, and elects new officers for calendar years 2021 and 2022.  Our Zoom general meeting on October 20 is the first of three meetings relating to who will be on our board and committees for those two years.  We will nominate members at the October meeting, elect them in November; and city of Campbell board member — and AARP chapter member — Liz Gibbons will provide the installation in December.  Even though we cannot meet in person, the activities of the chapter will and must go on.  Please seriously consider attending these meetings.

I hope that many of you took advantage of the League of Women Voters (LWV) presentation on September 15.  I thought it was very informative and objective, and I was pleased that the LWV offered different times for their presentation.  Thanks again to Paul Levine for organizing this online event.

You may learn more about LWV’s voting information at < https://www.lwvsjsc.org/pros-and-cons > and < https://lwvc.org/vote/elections/ballot-measures >. Thanks to Lynda Martinez and Joy Walsh for their jokes in last month’s Dispatch and to all the people who have submitted other jokes and “observations.”  We will continue to publish more as space allows.