Do you think that the Claims Conference should expand its work in negotiating payments from the German government to include other countries as well?

This simply has to change.

I think that reflects an institutional bias in programs that we have at the Federal level.

Surely, their unique needs deserve special consideration.

Thank you again, Senator Nelson. Thank you again, and Ranking Member Collins, for your efforts. We are depending on you.

Let me begin by thanking you for calling this hearing to focus on the unique health and social service needs of Holocaust survivors living in our country.

Not through any malice but just not understanding that this is supposed to be exempt.

I think it is even more likely that the Social Security personnel in states with very few survivors would not understand that those payments are not to be counted toward eligibility for programs like SSI.

I was shocked when you gave the statistic of more than 9,000 on the waiting list for services.

As Senator Collins mentioned, the inflexible routines, uniformed strangers, sudden loud noises, darkness and the loss of autonomy are experienced by survivors as intense post-traumatic stress disorder.

Let me emphasize that I have always been a strong proponent of home health care.

I hope my father's story helps illustrate the plight of the remaining 55,000 or so survivors in the U.S. living at or below poverty.

We need to make sure that everyone in the Social Security Administration and all the other government programs where this is applicable are aware of, and apply properly and expansively, this principle.

Vegetables are called specialty crops! Don't ask me to explain why.

About a decade ago, I authored legislation that became law to allow the Federal Government to provide a long-term care insurance program for Federal employees.

I continue to believe, though, that another issue is that people are under the misimpression that, somehow, the Medicare program is going to cover them.

Patients are more and more asked to participate in the decision-making, and this is a tool that can help them do this.

Well, count me as one who thinks that it is not a good idea.