AARP Online Community: AARPin - My Journals & Blogs

June 30 Phone-A-Thon Will Combat Foreclosure

Contact: Martin DeAgostino For Immediate Release

(317) 423-7105 June 12, 2009

mdeagostino@aarp.org

Foreclosure Prevention Network Schedules June 30 Phone-A-Thon

Event will connect at-risk borrowers with counselors, other resources

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Foreclosure Prevention Network will host a statewide Phone-A-Thon on June 30 to connect homeowners with the help they need to avoid foreclosure or to minimize its financial fallout.

Homeowners who call a toll-free number on June 30 will talk to trained volunteers who can refer the callers to certified foreclosure counselors, lawyers or other foreclosure prevention resources. All assistance is free.

The event is geared toward homeowners who are behind on their house payments, who are already in foreclosure, or even those merely worried about keeping up with their payments.

“Foreclosure is devastating to families and their long-term financial security, but it also sends a ripple effect through entire neighborhoods and communities,” Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman said. “Because the threat of foreclosure affects us all, we all benefit from finding ways to combat the problem.

“You are not alone. Help is available. Make the call on June 30 to learn how to Get Help and Get Hope.”

Callers may join the Phone-A-Thon from 5pm to 10 p.m. EDT by calling one of three toll-free numbers. In northern Indiana call 1-800-274-5961. The central Indiana number is 1-800-233-0020. In southern Indiana call 1-800-987-9848.

Before you call, please have this information with you: Your loan account number; a brief description of your situation; recent documents that state your income; a list of household expenses. (If you are self-employed, consult your tax returns or a year-to-date profit and loss statement.)

Foreclosures continue to hit Indiana hard. More than 35,000 Indiana homes are in foreclosure, according to the latest data from the Mortgage Bankers Association. That compares to 30,801 last year.

Indiana also has experienced a troubling increase in foreclosures among people with prime, fixed rate loans – the kind lenders provide to their most credit-worthy customers.

Mortgage delinquencies (late payments) also remain high, which analysts attribute to lost jobs and wages instead of to unmanageable loan payments associated with adjustable rate mortgages.

The Indiana Foreclosure Prevention Network is a consortium of government, private-sector and nonprofit organizations, including AARP Indiana. IFPN operates a toll-free help line and Web site and conducts a range of foreclosure prevention activities.

For more information, phone 1-877-GET-HOPE or visit www.ifpn.info.

Added: June 12, 2009
Views: 78 | Comments: 0 | Bookmarks: 0

Complete Streets Seminar is Prelude to Advocacy

Contact: Martin DeAgostino For Immediate Release

AARP Indiana May 29, 2009

mdeagostino@aarp.org

Complete Streets Seminar is Prelude to Advocacy

INDIANAPOLIS – AARP Indiana will sponsor a two-part seminar on “Complete Streets” concepts for transportation professionals, community planners and the general public on June 29 and 30 at the Indiana Government Center South in downtown Indianapolis.

The free event is part of the Urban Planning Scholar Series, an official education program of Health By Design.

Part One is a presentation on “Complete Streets Basics” by Randy Neufeld, chief strategy officer for the Chicago-based Active Transportation Alliance. The presentation will build a common understanding of Complete Streets concepts and how they can help achieve multiple transportation, health and community goals.

Part Two involves hands-on exercises about the decision-making processes for routinely including and balancing the needs of all street users. Ultimately, participants will develop action plans to assess community readiness for Complete Streets, to identify needed changes in existing transportation policies, and to implement an advocacy campaign for Complete Streets policies at the state and local levels.

What are Complete Streets? Check out this description from our AARP Indiana home page. For now, let’s just say that highway and street designs should be easier to navigate, that roadways should include sidewalks and bike paths, and that road signs and designs should make it easy for people to see and respond to visual cues about traffic flow and safety.

That won’t happen automatically or by chance. It will take significant public education and legislative advocacy to make the Complete Streets principles part and parcel of government policy.

That’s why AARP Indiana will make complete Streets a central focus of our 2010 legislative agenda, building on groundwork laid at the Urban Planning Scholar Series. If you can’t attend both days of the event, at least attend the Part One presentation on Complete Streets concepts.

Part One: Monday, June 29 from 9:30-11:30 a.m.

Part Two: Monday, June 29 from 1-4 p.m. and Tuesday, June 30 from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

All activities will be in Conference Room B of the Indiana Government Center South, 402 W. Washington St., Indianapolis.

To register for this free event, e-mail your name and the sessions you’ll attend to events@healthbydesignonline.org or call 317-352-3844.

# # #

Added: May 29, 2009
Views: 100 | Comments: 0 | Bookmarks: 0

Stay Healthy with AARP/Walgreens Wellness Tour

The AARP/Walgreens Wellness Tour will make 28 stops in 13 Indiana cities this summer. Tour buses offer free opportunities for health education and screenings, including total cholesterol, blood pressure, bone density, blood sugar and body mass index.

Results are instantly provided and consumers are encouraged to visit a doctor or health care provider to discuss them. Visitors also have access to free educational information in both English and Spanish on a variety of health and wellness issues.

Free, one-year AARP memberships will be given to all adults who receive screenings. Participants under age 50 can give the free membership to an age-eligible adult, and current AARP members will receive a 1-year membership extension.

For the latest tour schedule, please follow the Web link below or call toll free 1-866-484-TOUR.

www.walgreens.com/dmi/bustour/schedule.jsp

Added: May 29, 2009
Views: 84 | Comments: 0 | Bookmarks: 0

AARP praises federal crackdown on health care fraud

WASHINGTON—AARP Executive Vice President Nancy LeaMond released the following statement on today’s announcement on the creation of the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team by the departments of Health and Human Services and Justice.

“The skyrocketing costs of health care are hurting Americans’ wallets and the bedrock programs like Medicare that millions of Americans depend on. Too much of that spending is lost to health care fraud. We simply cannot afford to pay for care that is never delivered and equipment that is not needed.

“AARP applauds Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Attorney General Eric Holder for their new effort to crack down on health care fraud throughout Medicare and Medicaid. The Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team will help stop the fraud and prosecute the criminals that are costing consumers and our public health programs billions of dollars each year.”

As a part of its Health Action Now campaign, AARP is fighting to strengthen and improve Medicare for the millions of Americans who depend on it. That effort includes cutting the billions of dollars lost annually to Medicare fraud, waste and abuse.

For details on AARP’s health reform priorities, visit http://www.aarp.org/governmentwatch.

# # #

Added: May 20, 2009
Views: 96 | Comments: 0 | Bookmarks: 0

AARP Board Chair Bonnie Cramer Speaks at Long Term Care Expo

For Immediate Release: Contact: Martin DeAgostino

April 23, 2009 (317) 242-8328

mdeagostino@aarp.org

AARP National Board Chair Bonnie Cramer

Slated for Keynote Speech at Indiana Convention

Cramer to address nexus of health reform and long term care

INDIANAPOLIS – AARP National Board Chair Bonnie Cramer will visit Indianapolis on Wednesday, May 6, to deliver a keynote address at the 2009 Indiana Long Term Care Convention and Expo. Ms. Cramer’s topic will be “Long Term Care: A High Priority in Health Reform.”

The focus of the 2009 Indiana Long Term Care Convention and Expo is to strengthen the relationships between those working in long term care by providing keynote presentations from experts in the long term care industry; networking opportunities; and educational workshops.

The Convention is hosted by Indiana organizations across the spectrum of long term care, including the Indiana Health Care Association, AARP Indiana, the Indiana Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, Ivy Tech Community College, Indiana Association of Adult Day Services and several others.

“No serious health reform plan can ignore the importance of quality and choice in long term care,” said June Lyle, AARP Indiana State Director. “Few people can frame that connection as well as Bonnie, based on her long experience crafting both health policy and budgets.”

Ms. Cramer, an experienced budget and human services expert, will also join a plenary session on May 6 from 2:30pm – 3:45pm. The plenary session, titled “The Current State of Long Term Care in Indiana,” will address the future of long term care services and funding and improvements to the continuum of care by the creation of more care choices, reduction of hospitalization time and improvement of post-admission conditions.

Those interested in attending the 2009 Indiana Long Term Care Convention and Expo should visit http://www.ihca.org/TradeShow.aspx or call 1-800-466-IHCA (or 4422).

About Bonnie Cramer

Bonnie M. Cramer, M.S.W., of Raleigh, NC, was elected by the Board to serve as Board Chair for the 2008-2010 biennium. In that capacity she also chairs the Board Governance Committee, the Governance Review Committee and the CEO Evaluation Committee. Previously she was vice chair and headed the Board Membership Committee. Ms. Cramer, an experienced budget and human services expert, retired from a 30-year career with the North Carolina state government's Department of Health and Human Services and the Governor's Office of State Budget and Management, where she served as assistant state budget officer for Health and Human Services. Ms. Cramer also was the director of the Office of Long-Term Care Policy and the assistant director of the Division of Facility Services, which regulates health and long-term care services and providers in the state. She also held several other director positions within the Division of Aging and the Division of Social Services and was a practicing social worker in child protective services.

# # #

Added: April 23, 2009
Views: 143 | Comments: 0 | Bookmarks: 0

Looking to Save on Drugs? Go Generic

April 16, 2009

AARP report: patients taking three brand name prescriptions saw average cost climb $550 last year

WASHINGTON—Consumers looking to save in today’s tough economy should start by talking to their doctors about their prescription drugs, according to a new report by AARP. The latest AARP “Rx Watchdog Report” finds that manufacturer prices for widely used brand name prescription drugs jumped by nearly nine percent in 2008, marking the largest average annual increase in six years and far exceeding the general inflation rate of just 3.8 percent.

“A person taking three brand name prescription drugs could see his or her annual costs climb by more than $550 in just one year,” said AARP Public Policy Director John Rother. “Switching to generic drugs whenever possible is one of the quickest and easiest ways to drastically reduce your health care bills.”

In contrast, the study by AARP’s Public Policy Institute found that the manufacturer prices of widely used generic drugs continued to decrease in 2008, falling by an average of 10.6 percent. The vast majority of generics (83 percent) did not change in price in 2008, despite an increase in general inflation. Many of the generics that did drop in price saw drastic decreases. While the manufacturer price for the brand name antidepressant Zoloft (50 and 100 mg tablets) increased by 12.3 percent in 2008, the manufacturer price for generic sertraline made by Teva Pharmaceuticals decreased by 45.1 percent.

Even for those with prescription drug coverage, switching to generics can mean substantial savings. Cost sharing for generics remains dramatically lower than for many brand name drugs. In 2007, generic drug copayments averaged less than $8, while average copayments for “preferred” and “non-preferred” brand name drugs were $19 and $28 according to a report by Express Scripts.

AARP’s report also examined the manufacturer prices of widely used specialty prescription drugs, which treat serious illnesses like cancer, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. These drugs had even larger price increases than traditional brand name drugs, rising an average of 9.3 percent in the last year.

The average annual increase in the cost of therapy for a specialty drug grew from $2,297 to $2,860 between 2007 and 2008. Thirty-one of the widely used specialty drugs were biologic drugs, which are made from living organisms. There currently is no FDA pathway for the approval of less expensive generic versions of biologic drugs, leaving manufacturers free to continue charging the same or even higher prices.

Rother added, “Specialty drugs are already expensive because of their development costs, so it doesn’t help that many are biologic drugs that don’t face generic competition. That’s why we need health reform now. Bringing generic biologic drugs to the market can dramatically lower costs for the millions of Americans who can’t afford the life-saving drugs they need.”

As a part of its health reform campaign, AARP is urging Congress to address the rising cost of prescription drugs, particularly through policies that will bring more generic competition to the marketplace.

Cost saving measures include allowing Medicare to negotiate directly with drug makers, closing loopholes that allow brand name drug makers to pay off generic drug producers, allowing for the legal importation of safe prescription drugs from abroad, and creating a pathway for the approval of generic versions of biologic drugs.

The list of prescription drugs analyzed in the AARP “Rx Watchdog Report” is based on the drugs most widely prescribed to Medicare Part D beneficiaries. Price changes are measured using changes in the wholesale acquisition cost (WAC) as published by the Medi-Span Price-Chek PC database.

The complete AARP “Rx Watchdog Report” is available at http://www.aarp.org/research/health/drugs/rx_watchdog.html.

For more information, visit AARP.org and HealthActionNow.org.

# # #

Added: April 16, 2009
Views: 157 | Comments: 0 | Bookmarks: 0

Take Our Fat 2 Fit Challenge!

“Join the AARP Fat 2 Fit Community Weight-Loss Challenge April 15—and be ready for bathing suit season. We'll track our weight loss and see how much we can collectively drop by June 15. Visit www.aarp.org/fat2fit daily to get ready and find tips. Trade stories in the Fat 2 Fit Community. Your coach, Carole Carson, will award weekly prizes for best practices.”

Added: April 10, 2009
Views: 173 | Comments: 0 | Bookmarks: 0

AARP Deplores Backward Step on Age Discrimination

April 8, 2009

INDIANAPOLIS – A bill protecting Hoosiers from age discrimination in employment was gutted by a Senate committee today despite compelling testimony for the bill from older workers.

The workers told of losing jobs and promotions while less experienced colleagues kept their jobs. They also said that prospective employers consistently devalued their skills and experience during the job application and interview process.

“I never thought with my background, work history, skills, and education I would be passed over for job opportunity after job opportunity because of my age,” said Jim Hand, 54, a former autoworker from Columbus who testified last week before the Senate Pensions and Labor Committee in support of HB 1014. “And the frustrating part is there is nothing I can do about it and nobody seems interested in helping in any meaningful way.”

As passed by the House, HB 1014 transferred jurisdiction for age discrimination claims from the state Labor Department, where enforcement authority is limited to findings of fact, to the Indiana Civil Rights Commission.

The Civil Rights Commission could impose such remedies as job reinstatement, back pay and injunctive relief – but not fines, damages or an automatic right to sue in state court as often mischaracterized by the bill’s opponents. The proposed remedies are the same remedies the commission can order for discrimination based on race, sex, national origin and religion.

HB 1014 also would have removed Indiana’s age-69 cap on discrimination claims, an important step as people live longer and healthier lives.

But committee Chairman Sen. Dennis Kruse, R-Auburn, pushed through two amendments that deprive workers of any meaningful remedies and ignore the reality that many people both want and need to work as long as they are able.

The amendments cap discrimination claims at age 74 and maintain Labor Department jurisdiction over age-discrimination claims.

Kruse also rejected the idea of adding fining authority for the Labor Department, yielding instead to business demands for financial impunity even when discrimination is proven.

“The committee’s version of the bill does nothing and stands for nothing,” said Paul Chase, public policy director at AARP Indiana. “It provides no remedies and no deterrents, while telling older workers they are on their own in the most difficult job market in decades.”

Chase said federal age-discrimination law only applies to companies with at least 20 workers – just 14 percent of all Indiana businesses. “Elected officials talk a lot about vision,” Chase said, “but they seem blind to the realities of age discrimination and an appropriate state role in deterring it.”

# # #

Added: April 8, 2009
Views: 266 | Comments: 2 | Bookmarks: 0

Seven Deadly Myths of Health Care Reform

For Immediate Release (March 18, 2009)

The Seven Deadly Myths of Health Care Reform

It’s not always easy to get people who have health insurance to see any value in health care reform. To dispel the negative myths that always rear their heads when the topic comes up, AARP Executive Vice President of Policy and Strategy John Rother offers this perspective on the facts and myths of health care reform.

“I use the term ‘myths’ because there’s a great deal of misunderstanding, both about the health care system, and about the proposals to change it. I use the term “deadly” because some kind of reform is coming and the stakes are really quite high ... for individual patients, for families, for the entire country.

As the debate heats up, you’re likely to hear all kinds of things about health care reform. A lot of the criticisms will be way off the mark and only distract us from the real issues. I call these criticisms the Seven Deadly Myths of Health Care Reform.

Myth 1: It will lead us down the road to socialized medicine.

The concern is that government will take control of the health care system ... that bureaucrats will call all the shots, and people will lose their freedom to choose doctors and hospitals and treatments.

This is a scare tactic. Powerful financial interests have profits dependent on the money flow of the current system. They want no change. Let’s be clear: The leading proposals in Washington would not give government control of the health care system. What we’re really talking about is a mixed public-private system—much like the federal employee system, or Medicare.

Another fear about federal power is that the government would put limits on the care you qualify for – rationing. It’s another scare tactic. There’s nothing in the proposals that would give the government the power to override the judgment of your doctor.

President Obama would create a new public insurance option for millions of people. But we believe this would enhance the system, by adding competition to the marketplace and giving more choice – not less – to the public.

Myth 2: We can’t afford to do it in the midst of a recession and budget deficit.

We can’t afford not to. The cost of doing nothing is too high ... for patients, for families, for the U.S. economy.

Health care spending already takes up 16% of the U.S. economy. And that is projected to grow and grow and grow. There are upfront costs to health care reform ... [but] the benefits go beyond the federal budget. Containing costs will not only help working families pay their bills, but will help business compete internationally. And health costs are the key to controlling federal deficits over time.

Myth 3: No matter what happens, the baby boomers will bankrupt the system as they get older.

The research actually shows that the ever-rising cost of health care – not the size of the boomer generation – is the real threat. So if you buy into the boomer myth, you’re misdiagnosing the problem.

The problem is that health care costs continue to rise two to three times faster than overall inflation, and take up a growing share of the economy. We need strategies to increase efficiency and value.

Cutting back on Medicare and Medicaid benefits may strike some as the answer. But it won’t get to the root of the problems – not as long as health care costs continue to rise.

Myth 4: Giving people a lot more responsibility for their care is the answer to the cost problem.

AARP believes in shared responsibility. Individuals should pay a fair share. But it’s a myth that this can be the whole answer. The problem is that when we shift too much cost to patients, they stop buying the care they do need.

People refrain from important treatments or don’t buy prescriptions or don’t keep up with them, in order to save money. And this really backfires if their untreated conditions get worse.

Myth 5: We will pay more for care that already costs too much.

Nothing in health care reform should force you to pay more. Over time, the proposals should help us get a handle on costs, and lower everyone’s costs.

Depending where you live, there’s a tremendous variation in the ordering of medical services. Extensive research tells us that areas with greater use of services do not get better health results. ... We also need to pursue strategies to wring out waste and inefficiency. Better management, of chronic conditions in particular, could help add value – not add cost.

Proposals for change will spark resistance. One proposed reform is that we collect more scientific evidence on the effectiveness of medical therapies, so we have a better idea of what works best. It's called “comparative effectiveness.”

But a lot of business interests—like pharmaceuticals and medical devices—don’t want their products to be compared objectively. We think that basing decisions on sound evidence will lead to smarter spending.

Myth 6: Universal coverage will not benefit people who already have insurance.

We’re already paying money for the uninsured, through higher premiums and out-of-pocket charges, and higher hospital bills to make up for the uncompensated care that happens now. One way we can look at broader coverage is that it gives people a way into the system. It gives people a chance to take responsibility for themselves.

Another way we're all affected by the uninsured is that they rely so heavily on emergency rooms for care that could be given in physician offices. [That makes the wait longer for everyone.] We're all affected by strains on the system.

Myth 7: The U.S. has the best health care system in the world.

We have the most advanced technology, state-of-the-art research, and in some “Centers of Excellence” around the nation, the best care. But the quality of your care depends a lot on where you live. And your opinion of the system depends a great deal on where you sit – politically. So this may or may not be a myth, depending on many factors.

Where we all can agree is that the U.S. is No. 1 by far, when it comes to spending the most money on health care. And that’s not something to be proud of.

Riddled with Misunderstanding

Those are my Seven Deadly Myths of Health Care Reform. I think they get to the heart of the debate. They also underscore the challenge we face in addressing the problems in the system, because so much of the political rhetoric is riddled with misunderstanding. Health care reform is a great opportunity. We should not allow myths to sidetrack this important debate."

– John Rother, Executive Vice President of Policy and Strategy

Added: March 18, 2009
Views: 297 | Comments: 3 | Bookmarks: 0

AARP Applauds Obama's Commitment to Health Care Reform

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 26, 2009

AARP Applauds President’s Commitment to Health Reform in 2009, Tells Congress It’s Time to Act

WASHINGTON — AARP today announced the next phase of its campaign to reform America’s health care system, capitalizing on an eventful week in Washington – including the release of President Obama’s budget plan – to build more momentum across the country.

“President Obama used his bully pulpit earlier this week at the Fiscal Responsibility Summit and in his speech to Congress to highlight the importance of health care reform,” said AARP CEO Bill Novelli. “We also saw key health reform champions, like Senators Max Baucus and Ted Kennedy – as well as other leaders from both parties and both chambers of Congress – discuss the urgency of action and begin to consider the hard choices on funding reform.

“We applaud their commitment to pass reform legislation this year,” said Novelli. “It’s now time for all our elected officials to follow these leads.

Novelli responded to today’s release of President Obama’s budget plan for the coming year, which AARP had asked to include a commitment to health care reform in 2009.

“The president’s budget plan includes an important down-payment on health care reform,” said Novelli. “As he said, however, he will need bipartisan action from Congress this year to get the whole job done. It’s time for Congress to put its own solutions forward.”

AARP is launching the next phase of its health care reform campaign. Wrapping up a week in which Washington focused heavily on the toll of our health care crisis, teams of AARP volunteers are visiting state offices of members of key Congressional committees with a simple message: “It’s your turn – do it right.”

“We are making it clear to our leaders that they need to work with the president in a bipartisan fashion to complete the plan for reform and finance reform in a fiscally and morally responsible way,” said Novelli. “They must make sure that any savings from Medicare and Medicaid are dedicated to reforms that strengthen the quality, efficiency and performance of our health care system, including these critical lifeline programs.”

AARP also announced key priorities to be included in health reform legislation in 2009, including:

Making affordable health care coverage options available to everyone, especially people ages 50-64 who are among the fastest growing group of uninsured;
Keeping Medicare affordable by rewarding doctors and hospitals for quality rather than the quantity of care;
Promoting prevention and healthy behaviors;
Eliminating fraud, waste and abuse; and
Improving care coordination for people with chronic conditions and helping them stay in their homes and out of institutions.

# # #

Added: February 26, 2009
Views: 163 | Comments: 0 | Bookmarks: 0

My Journals (59)