Minnesota Senior Federation. Metropolitan Region

The Metropolitan Region of the Minnesota Senior Federation, known earlier as the Metropolitan Senior Federation, sprang from an August 11, 1972 meeting of the Greater Metropolitan Federation which recognized that, although there were a large number of Twin Cities senior citizens organizations, there was no single advocacy group "strong enough to exert sufficient pressure to accomplish needed changes to improve the lifestyle of the seniors." 1 To unite these various groups, the Metropolitan Senior Federation founding convention was held on January 31, 1973. In attendance were nearly 500 delegates from 47 senior citizen groups.

In its first year of activity, the Metropolitan Senior Federation lobbied for lower property tax rates and the repeal of Minnesota's Old Age Lien Law. It also established the first of its health programs by introducing a discount buying agreement with a national retail pharmacy chain and by negotiating a comprehensive health insurance program with Mt. Sinai Health Plan. In its second year, the Metropolitan Senior Federation opened an office headquarters, sponsored a rally protesting injustices in social security benefit adjustments, established a second health plan with Samaritan Hospital, and began efforts to organize a statewide organization which was formally founded in 1977 as the Minnesota Senior Federation.

In 1978 the Minnesota Senior Federation hired its first staff director when it contracted for one-quarter of the Metropolitan Region director's time. By 1980 the Minnesota Senior Federation was able to hire its first full-time staff director. Also in 1978 the Metropolitan Region's newspaper the Clarion became the Minnesota Senior Federation News which served as a statewide and regional publication until 1990 when the Metropolitan Region gave its edition up to become the basis for the later statewide newspaper. 2

In the 1980s and 1990s the state and regional organizations each continued to grow and to collaborate together. They cooperated in holding drug rallies, organized bus trips to Canada to buy prescription drugs, lobbied for legislative reforms to regulate drug prices and protect affordable housing, held accountability sessions regarding cutbacks in social security, Medicare, and transportation, advocated to reduce residential phone rates, and created both regional and statewide federation websites. Throughout this time the Federation and its regions continued to focus on topics concerning health maintenance organizations, long term care, nursing homes, home health care, retirement planning, retirement career options and job retraining, community service, housing, home ownership, public utilities, transportation, prescription drugs and physicians costs, social security, Medicare, living wills, taxes, and insurance.

In the late 1990s and into the 2000s the regional and state federations undertook a lengthy period of reorganization. Due to continuing internal tensions, unresolved long-standing conflicts, and economic recession, the Minnesota Senior Federation was dissolved in 2009. Other organizations continued to provide some of the programs and services previously administered by the Minnesota Senior Federation. Those that persisted included Senior Partners Care, Senior Rx Care, publication of the consumer guide Health Care Choices for Minnesotans on Medicare, and HealthPartners dental insurance program.

1 A Decade of Action-The Metropolitan Senior Federation, (St. Paul: the Federation, 1983), p. 3, in Anniversary Committee, General Files. Accession 15,213.

2 The Minnesota Senior Federation: A Brief History, in History, circa 1985-2000. Accession 16,599.

From the guide to the Federation records., 1972-2009., (Minnesota Historical Society)