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No one needs to remind Boomers and seniors to vote—after all, we’re the largest voting bloc by percentage in the U.S. But despite our numbers, we’ve remained surprisingly quiet about our rights and needs. The urgency of the situation demands that we break this silence and act now. Back in 2021, I interviewed Miami Commissioner Raquel Regalado, and she made a striking point: seniors are the largest voting bloc, yet we are consistently ignored by politicians. She’s absolutely right! What has the government really done for those of us over 65 recently? The most notable example is allowing Medicare to negotiate the prices of just ten drugs. Ten! And even that won’t take effect until 2026.
Let’s look back at what’s been done for seniors over the years. President Roosevelt signed Social Security into law in 1935 in response to the Great Depression and its devastating impact on those over 65. Thirty years later, in 1965, President Johnson established Medicare as a compromise to President Truman’s National Health Insurance Bill for All Americans. Finally, there was insurance for seniors! Fast forward nearly 60 years, and the next so-called victory for seniors came in 2023 when Medicare was allowed to negotiate drug prices—but only for ten drugs. Am I wrong, or does this seem like a meager victory for a group as large and important as the Baby Boomers?
The latest data from the Census Bureau shows that seniors are the only age group experiencing an increase in poverty. A 2024 National Council on Aging analysis found that 80% of households with older adults—47 million—are either struggling financially or at risk of doing so as they age. And things are getting worse: between 2014 and 2016, 90% of older households decreased income and wealth. The pandemic was a brief exception, with $1.4 billion in American Rescue Plan funds directed toward programs like vaccine outreach, family caregiver support, and nutrition assistance. But even with that, the elderly are still getting poorer. And while programs like the Child Tax Credit helped lift 3 million children out of poverty, there’s been no such financial relief for those over 65. Where’s our tax credit? No Presidential candidate is promising the seniors anything!!!
As we head into another election, it’s time for Boomers to use our collective power. We can—and should—hold our elected officials accountable for delivering real results. Why aren’t we staging rallies, demanding lower drug prices and regulated hospital fees? The average cost of a five-day hospital stay is over $13,000, and a significant portion of those patients are seniors. It’s time for us to unite and demand the care we deserve. Has anyone we’ve voted for actually taken care of us? By my count, it’s happened just four times: in 1935, 1965, during the pandemic in 2021, and in 2023 when Medicare was allowed to negotiate those ten drug prices.
Our voting power is immense, but it’s being wasted if we don’t demand more from the politicians we elect. Where is the advocacy group that will stand up for seniors? Where is our 501 (c) (3)? (AARP is not a 501(c)3.)
We’ve been patient long enough. It’s time for Boomers to demand what’s rightfully ours—financial security, affordable healthcare, and dignity in aging. As the largest voting bloc in the country, we have the power to create real change—if we speak up.
About Frances Reaves
H. Frances Reaves, Esq. is an estate and Medicaid planning attorney in Miami, FL. She began her career as a litigator/lobbyist. After 15 years in Maryland politics, she moved back to Miami and began her practice, and founded Parent Your Parents, an Elder Advocacy Group. Her inspiration was her parents, whose battle with the ‘elder bureaucratic system’ made clear the pervasive discrimination against elders. Should you have any questions or comments, please contact her at hfrancesr@parentyourparents.
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