Indiana Voters' Choice: Sen. Coats or Sen. Ellsworth; Candidates on Is...
Sen Coats or Sen Ellsworth Your Choice
Where the Senate candidates stand on retirement health issues
On two issues of interest to older voters — and — Indiana's candidates for U.S. Senate say changes are needed. But they differ broadly on what those changes should be. Democrat and Republican are competing Nov. 2 for the seat left open by retiring , D. Ellsworth, 52, is a congressman serving Indiana's 8th District since 2007. Ellsworth's background is in law enforcement, and he was sheriff of from 1998 to 2006. Coats, 67, hopes to recapture his former Senate seat. A lawyer and Army veteran, he represented from 1981 to 1989, then served as senator until retiring in 1999. He was , and then for Google, Sprint Nextel, Roche Diagnostics, Amgen and others. On the issues: Ellsworth said some people have exaggerated the long-term woes of Social Security to "push ideologically driven changes to the program, such as privatization." He said the system will be able to meet its obligations in full for the next 27 years but said both parties need to work together to deal with the projected shortfall. Ellsworth opposes converting Social Security into private investment accounts because it would "expose seniors' financial security to the ups and downs of Wall Street." He opposes ending Social Security payments to high-income earners. He said would help workers save for retirement, and he supports tax credits to smaller companies to ease administrative costs. On Medicare, Ellsworth said Congress should devise a new payment formula for doctors to fix the recurring problem of threatened cuts in their reimbursements. Such a formula should reward physicians who provide quality care, he said. Ellsworth, who voted for the federal health care law, said it will spur economic growth, giving "billions in tax relief to businesses struggling to provide health insurance for their workers and families trying to afford quality coverage." Coats criticizes the increasing national debt and calls for repeal of the health care law. On his website, Coats said the law "will put America deeper in debt, cost Hoosier jobs and raise health care costs on families." After repealing the health care law, he said, "Republicans and conservative Democrats need to work together incrementally" to make affordable changes. includes: allowing health care providers to compete across state lines, encouraging states to create their own health insurance plans, capping liability awards that contribute to high insurance premiums, increasing coverage through association health plans, and expanding health savings accounts. Coats has said little specifically about Medicare and Social Security, although he calls for . He supports proposed by others who advocate privatizing both programs. Indiana experts cautioned against rushing into privatization. "As most democracies have done, we will need to subsidize health care and retirement security," said Eleanor DeArman Kinney of the . Added Fred Mittelstaedt of the at Notre Dame, "When people recommend privatizing Social Security, I worry about the safety net for low-income retirees." The candidates have agreed to three televised debates sponsored by the : Oct. 11 in Indianapolis, Oct. 22 in Fort Wayne, and Oct. 25 in Vincennes. For additional information, check out the . Nancy Johnson is a freelance journalist in South Bend, Ind. Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures
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