Protecting your privacy, income and health

Preventing Identity Theft

Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America. Victims number 9.9 million annually in the United States. Thieves target seniors because of their income and savings, often accessing their credit card accounts. Working together, we can stop this crime, keeping your money safe and your identity intact.

• Bing sponsored legislation that passed the Assembly and Senate requiring state agencies, persons or companies doing business in New York to disclose any security breach of private information to affected New York State residents (A.4254-A)

• Bing introduced legislation requiring private ATMs like those in grocery and convenience stores to register with the State Banking Department and provide the same safety features as bank ATMs to guard against identity theft (A.7270-A)

Protecting health care rights

Bing is working to protect seniors’ health care rights by sponsoring legislation that imposes penalties for managed care violations (A.8087). The fines will help prevent:

• denial of coverage for medically necessary, life-saving treatment

• requiring prior authorization for necessary emergency care

• denial of claims for lack of a referral when one was issued, and

• failure of HMOs to issue their handbooks and contracts upon request

Safeguarding shelter

Low-income seniors can qualify for the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption program (SCRIE) when the maximum rent or legal regulated rent of an apartment exceeds one-third of the household’s income.

To increase available housing for seniors, Bing sponsored legislation raising income eligibility under the program (A.6590, awaiting governor’s signature) from the current $24,000 to $29,000 over a five-year period by $1,000 annual increments.

Improving access to low-cost prescriptions, senior programs

The Legislature created a preferred drug list with the strongest consumer protections in the nation – ensuring that physicians will have the final say in prescribing medication. Bing also sponsored legislation to list drug prices on the Internet for easy access and comparison shopping (A.5403, awaiting governor’s signature).

The Assembly added money in this year’s budget for several senior initiatives including:

• a $2 million increase for Office for the Aging programs and services – a 6 percent rise over last year

• an additional $1 million for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and

• a $1.2 million increase for the Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities Program

This year’s state budget also furthered an Assembly priority by significantly reducing the Medicaid burden on local taxpayers – saving New York City nearly $524 million by 2006.