Seniors

October 6, 2009 -- (WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Hailing it as a victory for seniors in rural America, Senator Jon Tester announced that the Senate passed a measure to preserve access to medical supplies.

Tester championed a Senate measure that postpones new regulations on the sale of medical supplies by community pharmacies.

Without the measure, community pharmacies would have to be accredited in order to sell certain medical supplies, including wheelchairs, walkers, canes, diabetes testing strips, and prosthetics. In rural communities, the local pharmacy is often the only option for seniors to purchase such health care supplies.    » read more »

WASHINGTON -- October 7, 2009 – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Tuesday chaired a hearing in which the Committee examined two Supreme Court decisions that have made it more difficult for workers to take employers to court for civil rights violations and, once there, more difficult for victims to prove workplace discrimination.

The hearing focused on Circuit City v. Adams, which extended the scope of the Federal Arbitration Act to cover employment contracts, and Gross v. FBL Financial Services, Inc., a recent decision that made it more difficult to prove age discrimination in the workplace. A narrowly divided Supreme Court issued 5-4 decisions in both cases.    » read more »

October 6, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, three Chairmen – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Congressman George Miller (D-CA), Chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, introduced landmark legislation that restores vital civil rights protections for older workers in the face of the Supreme Court’s decision in Gross v. FBL Financial.    » read more »

Announces Rural Health and Education Grants to Help Elderly Living in Rural Areas

WASHINGTON, Sept. 30, 2009 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced more than $1.5 million in grants to support the Rural Health and Safety Education Program, which helps rural families cope with aging, eldercare and caregiving, and rural healthcare. Vilsack also today noted the healthcare disparity that exists for those who live in rural America.    » read more »

Urges Congress to Pass Legislation Immediately to Address Lack of Social Security COLA

October 1, 2009 -- Washington, DC –With an expected announcement of no Social Security cost of living adjustment (COLA) in 2010, AARP CEO Barry Rand called on House and Senate leaders to provide $250 in emergency relief to millions of older Americans who are struggling in this economic climate.

AARP will work with members of Congress from both sides of the aisle to urge quick passage of legislation that will help combat rising health care and prescription drug costs that consume an increasing amount of seniors’ income each year.    » read more »

Data Shows Job Loss, Delaying Retirement, Sleep Deprivation and Paying for Necessities Weigh Heavy on Population

September 30, 2009 -- Washington, DC – AARP released a new survey today which shows that Americans age 45 and older are still struggling financially and are forced to make hard decisions about their economic security despite recent positive changes in the marketplace.    » read more »

Boomers Skipping Care, Likely Driving Up Future Costs; 1 in 5 People in Medicare Have Experienced Waste, Fraud or Abuse

September 30, 2009 -- WASHINGTON—As AARP continues to fight for health care reforms that will reduce costs and improve access to coverage, new survey data released today find many older Americans—particularly baby boomers—need help more than ever.

The AARP Closer LookSM survey finds more than one-third of boomers (36 percent) and nearly a quarter of people 65-plus (23 percent) are not confident their insurance and savings would cover the costs of a major illness.    » read more »

September, 2009 -- More than a full year after gas prices peaked above $4.00 a gallon, Americans still report changing driving habits and worrying about gas costs.

In AARP’s Closer Look poll, the first of a series of quarterly polls of boomers and older Americans planned for regular release by AARP, half (51%) of all Americans age 45+ reported having had trouble paying for gas or driving less to cut costs in the past year. In fact, more people age 45+ reported problems with gas prices than reported problems paying their medical bills or experiencing losses in the financial markets.    » read more »

New County-By-County Report Estimates More Than Half a Million New York Seniors Fall Victim to Consumer Fraud

September 16, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. - To combat fraud and protect seniors, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today unveiled her plan to crack down on financial fraud against seniors, increase penalties on those scamming seniors, increase awareness of criminal tactics, and hold workshops across New York on financial literacy to empower seniors to protect themselves and their life savings.

A new report from Senator Gillibrand's office estimates that over half a million New York seniors fall victim to consumer fraud each year.    » read more »

September 16, 2009 -- WASHINGTON -- AARP Executive Vice President John Rother released this statement following today’s introduction of health care reform legislation in the Senate Finance Committee:

“Today’s legislation moves the process forward and we hope the Chairman and his colleagues on both sides of the aisle can continue to have a rational, informed debate about its provisions as the committee’s markup process begins.    » read more »

New AARP Survey Shows Support For Increased Consumer Protections in Financial Industry

September 14, 2009 -- Washington, DC – AARP Executive Vice President, Nancy LeaMond released the following statement in response to President Obama’s speech today on Wall Street:

“Older Americans saw their retirement savings decimated by the economic crisis. AARP has long maintained that consumers must be armed with as much information as possible so that they can make sound financial decisions. In a world where individuals must plan for their own financial futures, information is imperative and greater protections are needed in the marketplace.    » read more »

September 15, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator John Kerry (D - Mass.), a senior member of the Finance Committee, introduced legislation today that would end Medicare discrimination by giving all seniors equal access to health care. The “Equal Access to Medicare Options Act of 2009” would give disabled beneficiaries and those with end-stage renal disease the same choices under Medicare as everyone else. The bill would prevent Medigap insurers from discriminating against beneficiaries with disabilities and seniors with end-stage renal diseases.    » read more »

Protecting Coverage and Strengthening Medicare

August 27, 2009 -- HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today issued a new report, America’s Seniors and Health Insurance Reform: Protecting Coverage and Strengthening Medicare. The report highlights the problems with the status quo that leave seniors paying escalating costs for their health care while outlining how health insurance reform will strengthen Medicare and protect coverage for seniors. The report is available at http://www.HealthReform.gov/reports/seniors/index.html.    » read more »

Seniors, People with Disabilities Can Apply Early for LIHEAP

CHICAGO – August 31, 2009. Illinois Governor Pat Quinn today urged seniors and people with disabilities to take advantage of tomorrow’s early application date for winter heating assistance through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).

“Seniors and individuals with disabilities are especially vulnerable to the cold weather,” said Governor Quinn. “I encourage people to apply for assistance through LIHEAP so that they can stay safe, warm and healthy this winter.”    » read more »

June 23, 2009 -- The world’s 65-and-older population is projected to triple by midcentury, from 516 million in 2009 to 1.53 billion in 2050, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In contrast, the population under 15 is expected to increase by only 6 percent during the same period, from 1.83 billion to 1.93 billion.

In the United States, the population 65 and older will more than double by 2050, rising from 39 million today to 89 million. While children are projected to still outnumber the older population worldwide in 2050, the under 15 population in the United States is expected to fall below the older population by that date, increasing from 62 million today to 85 million.    » read more »