AARP Executive Vice President Nancy LeaMond issued this statement following today’s introduction of the Affordable Health Care for America Act in the House of Representatives:

“Today, the House brings us one step closer to a decades-long goal of repairing America’s broken health care system. AARP commends the leadership of Speaker Pelosi and the committee chairs for making progress on an issue that has ended in failure too many times before.

“The Affordable Health Care for America Act will strictly limit insurance companies from discriminating against older Americans because of their age, while making other critical reforms that will make insurance available to every American, regardless of gender or medical history. At the same time, this bill brings improvements to the Medicare program by closing the dreaded prescription drug doughnut hole and adding new benefits to make preventive care more affordable.

“In the coming days, AARP will carefully review this comprehensive bill to determine precisely how it will affect the health care of all older Americans. The urgency for health reform continues to grow, and we cannot afford to delay action.

“We look forward to continuing our work with members of the House and Senate to pass a health care bill this year that protects and improves Medicare and makes quality health coverage available to Americans of all ages.”

For more information on AARP’s health care reform effort, please visit http://www.aarp.org/health/articles/health_reform_get_the_facts.html .

###

There's been a lot of confusion about what's involved in health care reform, and even more confusion about who is supporting what. At AARP, our core goal remains the same. We are fighting for our members today, just as we've fought for them for the last 50 years. Today, that means we're fighting to protect the Medicare benefits you’ve earned. To guarantee that you’ll never be denied coverage because of your health or age. To prevent anyone from coming between you and your doctor. And to make sure patients don’t take a backseat to insurance companies.

 

The Walmart Foundation Teams Up with the AARP Foundation

 to Help Unemployed Women Get Back to Work

$1.5 Million Grant from the Walmart Foundation funds scholarships for 450 low-income women

The AARP Foundation Women’s Scholarship Program just announced a $1.5 million grant from the Walmart Foundation that will help 450 women aged 40 and up receive job training and educational opportunities that will help support themselves and their families.

“In this economy more than ever, workers need the right skills and training to increase their earnings potential. Women in particular don’t always have the resources in the second half of life to access the education they need,” said Robin Talbert, AARP Foundation president. “We are so pleased to work with the Walmart Foundation to provide underserved women with opportunities to expand their career options in later life.”

The AARP Foundation Women’s Scholarship Program provides scholarship funding to women with moderate-to-low-incomes and limited financial resources. Scholarships help women pay for public or private secondary school, including community colleges, technical/vocational schools and four-year universities. Winners can use funds for tuition, fees and books.

Nearly twice as many women as men will face poverty in their retirement years, according to data from AARP. AARP data also reports that women earn 77 cents on the dollar compared to men – which translates to an average of $250,000 less over their work lives to invest in retirement.

“The Walmart Foundation is committed to supporting workers in their efforts to gain access to job opportunities,” said Margaret McKenna, president of the Walmart Foundation. “We are pleased to be a part of this project, which gives mature women the opportunity to continue to play a vital role in the workforce while providing for themselves and their families.”

In 2008— the Women’s Scholarship Program’s first year—more than 100 scholarships ranging from $500 to $5,000 were awarded. This year, more than 1,000 applications are under review and winners will be announced later this month. To be eligible for the scholarships, applicants must be:

* Women aged 40 or over;

* Able to demonstrate financial need; and

* Enrolled in an accredited school or technical program within 6 months of the scholarship award date.

To apply, women can visit http://www.aarpfoundationwlc.org/.

For more information on the Walmart Foundation and its workforce development efforts, visit www.walmartfoundation.org.

###

 

AARP Reacts to President’s Health Care Town Hall

 
AARP Chief Operating Officer Tom Nelson issued this statement following remarks by the President at an August 11 town hall event in New Hampshire on health care reform. 
 
“AARP has been working with Democrats and Republicans to fix our broken health care system.
 
“While the President was correct that AARP will not endorse a health care reform bill that would reduce Medicare benefits, indications that we have endorsed any of the major health care reform bills currently under consideration in Congress are inaccurate. 
 
“AARP supports specific measures that would help older Americans and their families – including bipartisan proposals to create a new follow-up care benefit in Medicare that would help prevent hospital re-admissions, as well as to address the Medicare prescription drug coverage gap known as the ‘doughnut hole.’  We also support the need for lawmakers and the Administration to act this year to fix what doesn’t work in the health care system. 
 
“We share the President’s commitment to act this year, and our members appreciate his insistence that any final reform package will not reduce Medicare benefits for the millions of people that literally depend on that program as a lifeline."

 “We look forward to working with leaders of both parties, including the President, to build a final package we could endorse that addresses the concerns of the 50-plus population and brings quality, affordable health care choices to every American.”
 
For more information about AARP’s Health Action Now campaign, please visit www.healthactionnow.org.

 

 Health Action Now Weekly Update

Special Lobby Day Edition: July 31, 2009