Regional News From the AARP Bulletin
By: Source: AARP.org Date Posted: 2006-11-09 10:27:19.805410-05:00
January/February 2008
Social hub – Volunteers from AARP Connecticut and Rebuilding Together recently renovated a senior center in Hartford. Funded by the AARP Foundation and Home Depot, the effort caps off a two-year Livable Communities project in the Asylum Hill neighborhood, where volunteers renovated 20 homes to make them safe for residents age 50 and older.
The new center will be a hub for social activities and a place where residents 55 and older can get information on programs that can help them save money, improve their lives and remain in their own homes as they age. AARP Benefits QuickLINK volunteers on-site will help residents determine if they qualify for benefits such as energy assistance.
For details, call AARP Connecticut toll free at 1-866-295-7279 or e-mail ctaarp@aarp.org.
December 2007
Make it happen – AARP Connecticut is seeking volunteers to help launch its long-term care campaign at the state Capitol next month.
AARP will lobby lawmakers to create a single place where residents can learn about and apply for all kinds of long-term care services. In addition, AARP wants the legislature to expand a program that allows some Medicaid beneficiaries to move out of nursing homes and receive care in their own homes.
To volunteer or to learn more, e-mail ctaarp@aarp.org or call 1-866-295-7279 toll free.
November 2007
Clear as mud – Many people eligible for ConnPACE, a state prescription drug plan that supplements Medicare Part D, have not yet enrolled, and some enrollees say it’s because of a question on the application form. The question screens ConnPACE applicants for federal Extra Help with the Medicare drug benefit, which could further reduce their drug costs but requires information about assets.
AARP Connecticut has received more than 750 calls from state residents who are eligible for ConnPACE but were worried they would be disqualified because of their assets. AARP has made the state aware of the problem and aims to clear up the confusion. To apply for ConnPACE, go to http://www.connpace.com or call 1-800-423-5026 — and don’t worry if your assets exceed the limits for Extra Help.
October 2007
Power play – AARP Connecticut aims to make lawmakers accountable for reining in electricity rates by posting their voting records on the issue online.
Connecticut has the second-highest electric rates in the country (behind Hawaii), and deregulation in 1998 failed to deliver savings to consumers. Since then, rates have risen 70 percent, hitting those with limited incomes particularly hard. Some customers now pay double what they paid only four years ago.
AARP Connecticut will continue to lobby for legislation that would return some oversight of power generation to the state to hold down costs. To find out how your legislator voted on electricity regulation, go to www.aarp.org/ct.
— Reports by Will Yandik
July 2007
Driver discounts... Gov. Jodi Rell, R, has signed a new law that lowers, from 62 to 60, the age at which motorists qualify for at least a 5 percent discount on auto insurance if they have completed a driver safety course approved by the state commissioner of motor vehicles. The law takes effect Oct. 1.
Volunteers representing AARP Connecticut and the state’s AARP Driver Safety program testified before the Assembly insurance committee, telling lawmakers the discount helps put safer drivers on state roads and highways.
To find an AARP Driver Safety class near you, call 1-888-227-7669 toll free or visit AARP Driver Safety online; be prepared to give your zip code.
June 2007
False sense of security... A recent study conducted by the University of Connecticut shows that nearly half of state residents ages 61 to 74 mistakenly assume Medicare covers long-term care costs, and many haven’t planned for such needs. AARP will use these findings, which back up its own research, to persuade state officials of the need for long-term care reforms, such as shifting more Medicaid dollars to in-home care.
AARP Connecticut will host forums this fall to inform state residents about long-term care options currently available and to ask people to share stories about their personal experiences with long-term care. For details, visit www.aarp.org/ct.
May 2007
Road trips... As part of the Transit for Connecticut Coalition, AARP Connecticut is asking lawmakers to fund a five-year plan to improve public transportation. The plan could increase bus ridership by as much as 80 percent by expanding hours and frequency of service on overcrowded routes, providing more weekend service, offering more Dial-a-Ride options and bus-to-rail connections, and expanding express service to major employment centers.
“Long-term care reforms that let older people continue to live independently in their own homes and communities can be successful only if residents have transportation to doctors’ offices, grocery stores and other destinations,” says Maury Johnson, an AARP Connecticut volunteer.
To tell AARP Connecticut what kind of transportation would best suit your needs, answer an online survey at www.aarp.org/ct.
March 2007
Home at last... A $24 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is expected to double the number of state residents able to move out of nursing homes and receive Medicaid-funded long-term care services in their own or a caregiver’s home. The Money Follows the Person program, which is expected to save taxpayer dollars, will move more than 700 nursing home residents who don’t need round-the-clock care into less restrictive settings over the next five years. Besides paying for in-home care, the funds can be used for such things as wheelchair ramps or medical equipment. AARP Connecticut helped the state apply for the grant last November and will lobby for legislation this year to increase the number of state residents allowed to participate in the program. For details about the program, visit www.aarp.org/ct.
February 2007
Rate relief...In an effort to hold down electric rates, AARP Connecticut and other consumer advocates have persuaded lawmakers to draft legislation that would return some regulatory oversight to the state’s electricity markets. The measure failed to come to a vote in 2006 but could be voted on this month.
Connecticut residents currently pay the highest electricity rates in the continental United States. Last year Connecticut Light & Power, the larger of the state’s two utility companies, raised rates 22.4 percent. The other company, United Illuminating, will phase in a 50 percent increase this year. Consumers currently struggling to pay their heating bills may be interested in a brochure called “Staying Warm This Winter,” which describes energy assistance programs and how to apply for benefits. For a free copy, call 1-877-926-8300 toll free or visit www.aarp.org/ct.
January 2007
The road ahead...Having successfully lobbied the legislature to allocate $10 million to expand municipal and regional Dial-a-Ride services in 2006–07, AARP Connecticut is now asking lawmakers to make such funding a permanent part of the state budget. Working with volunteers from the AARP Driver Safety Program and other groups, the state office is also urging lawmakers to provide start-up funds for low-cost, membership-based transportation networks.
About 28 percent of Connecticut residents age 65 and older don’t drive, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the percentage is likely to climb as the population ages. To support AARP’s effort to improve transportation alternatives, e-mail ctaarp@aarp.org.
December 2006
Going home... AARP Connecticut recently helped state officials apply for a federal grant that could double the number of Medicaid recipients eligible to move out of nursing homes and receive long-term care in their own or a caregiver’s home.
The grant would finance a pilot program called Money Follows the Person. AARP Connecticut wants some of the money to cover nontraditional services such as 24-hour home care and money management for those who are unable to balance their checkbooks and pay bills. Connecticut currently does not allow Medicaid dollars to pay for such services.
Brenda Kelly, AARP state director and a member of a statewide steering committee on long-term care, says lessons learned from the pilot project could guide the state toward making choices in long-term care available for everyone, regardless of age or type of disability.
November 2006
Extra help... AARP Connecticut urges state residents enrolling in a Medicare prescription drug plan—or switching plans—to look into whether they also qualify for ConnPACE, a state program that complements Medicare Part D.
Eligible residents can sign up for a Medicare drug plan during open enrollment, Nov. 15–Dec. 31, and for ConnPACE at any time.
Individuals with annual income of up to $22,300 and couples with income up to $30,100 may qualify for ConnPACE. The state program covers most prescriptions, has no premiums or deductibles, sets no limit on assets and poses no yearly dollar limit on prescriptions covered. To learn more about ConnPACE, call AARP Connecticut at 1-866-295-7279 toll free.
—Reports by Will Yandik
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