AARP Eye Center
Maryland 2024 Senate Race: Alsobrooks, Hogan Talk Social Security, Medicare and More
Posted on 09/30/24
by Katherine Shaver
En español | Maryland voters will choose a replacement for retiring Sen. Ben Cardin (D) on Tuesday, Nov. 5, in a race between the leader of Prince George’s County and a former governor. Angela Alsobrooks (D) has been Prince George’s county executive since 2018. Larry Hogan (R) served two terms as Maryland governor, from 2015 to 2023. AARP spoke with both candidates about issues important to older Americans. Their answers have been edited for clarity and space.
AARP studies show 48 million family caregivers provide at least $600 billion in unpaid care a year, many helping their older loved ones continue to live independently. If elected, how would you support family caregivers, many of whom are juggling work and family?
ALSOBROOKS: This particular issue is really personal to me. I’m part of what they call the sandwich generation; I’m caring for not only a teenage daughter but also helping to care for two aging parents, and my father is my mother’s caregiver.... I’d continue to work to provide relief for [caregivers] in terms of housing, making sure we have policies that provide housing subsidies and housing support for seniors, and making sure that we support really important legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act, which capped both the cost of insulin and prescription medications.
HOGAN: I think it’s a really important issue and something that I cared about while I was governor. In the Senate, I’ll support initiatives to pay physicians to train family caregivers and eliminate the homebound requirement [for Medicare coverage].... While I was governor, we launched a senior call-check program, which provided free, automated daily phone calls to check in on Maryland residents 65 and older. We did things like a durable medical equipment program that was able to provide more mobility equipment to aging residents and allow individuals to stay at home longer.... That’s the kind of stuff I would continue to try to fight for on a federal level.
Social Security is expected to see a shortfall in approximately 10 years. If Congress doesn’t act, millions of Americans who are counting on Social Security may see cuts to the money they’ve earned. If elected, how would you protect Social Security benefits for the future?
HOGAN: I’ll always fight to protect Social Security. It’s so vital to the seniors that depend on it. They paid into the system. They earned these benefits, and they deserve to get their fair share.... I’m also the only candidate in this election who successfully fought to get tax relief for seniors.... I’ll make sure seniors get the relief and benefits they deserve.
ALSOBROOKS: I’ve supported bills like one that [would require] individuals to pay FICA taxes on earnings above $400,000. That would be really important to make sure we preserve Social Security.... I would never support raising the age for people to be eligible for Social Security, nor would I ever support cutting Social Security
benefits.
Medicare provides critical health coverage for older Americans. If elected, how will you protect it from benefit cuts, and how can the program be improved?
ALSOBROOKS: When we talk about Medicare cuts, we have to preserve the Inflation Reduction Act, because it caps the cost of insulin and prescription medications.
HOGAN: I’m going to fight to protect Medicare benefits. I also think I’m going to work to cut some of the cumbersome red tape. I’m now on Medicare, and it’s pretty confusing.
Older Americans often face age discrimination in getting or keeping jobs. If elected, how would you combat age discrimination and help older workers who need or want to continue working?
HOGAN: I’m an older worker that wants to keep working, and I know a lot of people have a lot to contribute and want to be a part of the workplace.... A big reason I ran was to ensure that residents who raise their families in Maryland won’t be priced out when they retire.... The same goes for seniors who want to continue working.
ALSOBROOKS: A lot of that has to do with making sure antidiscrimination laws are passed and that we have courts that support not discriminating. I would support judges who support civil rights and equal rights.... One of the things I’ve done as county executive is preserve the hiring of seniors. We do social impact hiring, so I literally set aside positions in county government for seniors. That’s one of the things that I would advocate we do, even in the federal government.
Americans pay some of the highest prescription drug prices in the world. If elected, how will you lower prescription drug prices for all Americans?
HOGAN: As governor, I enacted bipartisan legislation to reduce health care premiums for all Maryland residents by 30 percent.... We also injected greater transparency into the health care marketplace. A component of the legislation was to try to go after the prescription benefit managers — the middlemen who, in my estimation, are driving up much of the cost of prescription drugs. We wanted to hold them accountable.... I’m going to seek similar legislation at the federal level.
ALSOBROOKS: We have to build on what was done through the Inflation Reduction Act — to make sure that we are not only lowering the cost of insulin, but really lowering the cost of so many prescription drug medications for more and more Americans, especially senior Americans.
Millions of American workers have no way to save for retirement through their employers. If elected, what steps would you take to help American workers save for their retirement?
HOGAN: Not only should we encourage and provide ways for workers to save for retirement, but we should also stop taxing their retirement and taking money out of their pockets that they need in their later years.
ALSOBROOKS: I think part of what we have to do is preserve Social Security benefits, making sure that we are applying FICA taxes to [annual earnings] over $400,000 and making sure we are preserving all of the ways we can help people afford the cost of living.
If elected, what will you do to improve the lives of older Americans and their families?
ALSOBROOKS: We have to do a better job of educating younger people about the ways that they can save.... It’s also important ... to bring down the cost of living. The needs of seniors, especially here in our community, has a lot to do with affordable housing. We need policies that help preserve affordability in housing — that’s a huge issue for seniors.
HOGAN: I’ll try to do everything I can, just like I did as governor — [such as by] reducing the cost of their insurance and their health care, reducing the cost of prescriptions, by letting them keep more of their own money in their pockets, by trying to do something about inflation.
—Interviews by Katherine Shaver
Find more information on the candidates at angelaalsobrooks.com and larryhogan.com.
As a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, AARP does not endorse candidates or make political donations.
More on the 2024 Elections
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- Older Voters Will Decide the 2024 Elections
- 8 Things to Know About Election Disinformation in the Age of AI
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