Ami's Updates

Courtney lives in Folsom with her young family and came to my office looking for help.

Courtney's grandmother had sadly passed away in Canada and she wanted to take her infant daughter along to attend the funeral. She had earlier applied for new passports, but now she needed them much more quickly to go on her trip and she was concerned they wouldn't arrive in time. Needless to say, it was an emotional time for her family.

After hearing Courtney's story, my office got right to work. We followed up with the State Department and learned a mistake was made processing Courtney's request. We worked with the State Department to expedite Courtney's case and she received her passports just two days later.

She and her family were able to make the trip and pay their respects to her grandmother. My staff is here to help constituents in their time of need, and I am glad we could help Courtney and her family.

If you need help, always feel free to call us at (916) 635-0505 or visit bera.house.gov/gethelp to learn more.



Meet Virgilio: An Air Force veteran who was owed thousands of dollars in backlogged benefits

After serving his country in the Air Force for more than 22 years on Active Duty and for 10 years in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, Virgilio was ready for a well-deserved retirement in Elk Grove.

But for two years, Virgilio did not receive the disability benefits he'd been promised by the Department of Veterans Affairs. For two years, he contacted the VA repeatedly and was told to wait while his bills continued to pile up.

That's when he contacted my office for help. With our help, he began receiving his benefits within a few weeks -- including the tens of thousands of dollars in benefits that he was owed. It was the least my staff and I could do after Virgilio's service to our country.

We've now helped nearly 2,500 veterans and servicemembers in Sacramento County. Please visit bera.house.gov/helpforvets to learn more about how we can serve you.



Meet Rob: A senior whose Medicare supplemental insurance was cancelled.

Rob and his wife paid for a private insurance plan to supplement their Medicare coverage. But Rob began to receive notices from his insurance company claiming that he owed them money, even though he had set up automatic payments. He called his insurance agent repeatedly, and was assured he'd paid in full.

But then Rob and his wife received a cancellation notice. It turned out his insurance company was checking the wrong account all along, and his automatic payments had been turned off.

They were told their insurance policy could not be reinstated, and that they'd have to wait several months to get their coverage back. They worried that they'd have to pay for their medications with credit cards, piling up debts that'd place their whole retirement in jeopardy.

Then Rob called my office, and my staff got to work. Within a few weeks, we were able to help Rob and his wife get a Medicare exemption so their policy could be reinstated.

Rob asked my office that when we shared his story, that we share his advice: "Don't be afraid to call your representative for help – Stick to the facts and they will do everything they can."

We've now helped more than 1,500 residents with Social Security and Medicare issues. Please call us at (916) 635-0505 or visit bera.house.gov/helpforseniors to learn more.


Whether it's serving local veterans, seniors, or families, I'm very proud of the work our team has done. That's what Making Government Work for Sacramento County is all about. If you ever need help, call us at (916) 635-0505 or visit bera.house.gov/gethelp.

You can also always contact me to ask a question or to share your views.

Be well,