AARP CEO Barry Rand released the following statement today on the passing of Senator Edward Kennedy:

“Early this morning older Americans lost a champion and this nation lost a role model.  Senator Kennedy was a tireless fighter for the poor and the working class and the programs they relied upon, especially Medicare and Social Security.  His life will stand as a shining example of what it meant to serve the public good.  His loss will be deeply felt by our members and all Americans.

“Regardless of the issue, Senator Kennedy seemed to have one guiding principle: how will this help average Americans?  He pushed his colleagues to ask themselves the same question and he challenged us all to make this nation an example for the world.

“His passing is especially devastating considering his lifelong goal to improve health care for this nation.  As Congress seems poised to act this fall, Senator Kennedy will no doubt be watching with hope that this goal will be achieved.  While his voice on this issue, and so many others, will be absent, his passion and wisdom must carry on.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Kennedy family on their great loss.”

Want to let AARP know what is on your mind?  Are you confused by some of the things you are hearing - or not hearing - about health care reform, long-term care services, Michigan's budget shortfall, or how Michigan will care for its vulnerable citizens?

If so, please join AARP Michigan for a community conversation and let your voice be heard.  To register for one of the Community Conversations listed below, call (517) 267-8915.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009
6:30 - 8:30 pm
Hannah Community Center
819 Abbot Road
East Lansing, MI

Wednesday, August 26, 2009
6:30 - 8:30 pm
Foster Community Center
200 N. Foster
Lansing, MI

Thursday, August 27, 2009
6:30 - 8:30 pm
Lett's Community Center
1220 W. Kalamazoo St.
Lansing, MI

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 today 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.

Throughout the debate on how to fix what’s broken about our health care system, AARP pledges to help you cut through the noise and find the facts about what health care reform means for you and your family.  When we see special interests using scare tactics, we’ll make sure you’re given the facts so you can make informed decisions about health care reform. Check out AARP’s blog at http://blog.aarp.org/shaarpsession this week, which is highlighting some of the most common myths being spread about health care reform and the facts that prove them wrong.

AARP to Congress: Don’t Make Medicare More Expensive

Association fighting proposals that would unfairly burden people in Medicare

AARP CEO Barry Rand recently wrote to House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, urging Congress to find ways to pay for comprehensive health care reforms beyond the Medicare savings already announced that will improve the program’s efficiency.  In a letter to Chairman Waxman, Rand applauded the committee’s reported compromise agreement for “hold[ing] the line on additional Medicare savings.”  Rand emphasized that AARP members would not support legislation that finances reform through higher out-of-pocket costs or reduced benefits for people in Medicare.

“AARP cannot support any efforts to target Medicare beneficiaries for increased cost-sharing or other benefit cuts,” Rand wrote.  “In addition, we cannot support backdoor attempts to finance health care reform through increases in beneficiary costs or reductions in benefits, for example, through use of commissions or other process mechanisms.”

Rand noted that people in Medicare today already spend, on average, nearly 30 percent of their income on out-of-pocket health care costs, restating the Association’s fight against proposals that would unfairly burden people in Medicare.

Rand added: “We know you share the position, expressed by the President in his July 22 press conference—and reiterated this week in AARP’s own tele-town hall—that health reform will not result in less generous Medicare benefits.”

AARP has reassured its members that proposals it has reviewed so far to save money in Medicare will not raise their out-of-pocket costs or reduce access to care.  AARP has urged Congress to find smart Medicare savings, such as reducing payments to private insurers in Medicare, lowering drug costs and preventing avoidable hospital readmissions.

In the letter, Rand applauded the Energy and Commerce Committee’s compromise agreement, which reportedly retains many of the key priorities of AARP’s members, including closing the Part D doughnut hole, strictly limiting age-rating and creating subsidies to help more Americans purchase their choice of coverage.

“We are pleased the House bill retains a stricter 2 to 1 limit on how much more insurers can charge older Americans for premiums,” Rand wrote.  “In addition, we are pleased that the House Energy and Commerce bill still provides sliding-scale subsidies up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level.  These subsidies are essential to making certain our members can afford coverage and not pay an unfair percentage of their incomes for health care expenses.”

For a complete copy of Rand’s letter to Chairman Waxman, please contact AARP Media Relations at the number above.

For more information about AARP’s Health Action Now campaign, please visit www.healthactionnow.org.

In reaction to conflicting reports on AARP’s support for different measures in the House TriComittee health care reform bill that would help millions of older Americans in Medicare afford prescription drugs, AARP Executive Vice President Nancy LeaMond issued the statement below. Specifically, AARP is urging lawmakers NOT to remove Subtitle E Section 1181 from the current legislation being considered.

“As Congress continues its work on health care reform, we strongly encourage lawmakers to support measures that will completely close the Medicare Part D ‘doughnut hole’ over time.

“Last month, AARP endorsed an agreement by the pharmaceutical drug industry and the Senate Finance Committee to cut brand name drug prices in half for people who fall into the doughnut hole.  We believe this deal will provide important help in the short term for millions of people who find themselves in this coverage gap—who are currently responsible for paying the full price of their prescription drugs while also paying their insurance premiums—and we hope it will be included in any final health care reform package.

“However, as we have for years, AARP and our members continue to push for a long term solution that closes the doughnut hole entirely. 

“These measures are part of our broader efforts to lower the cost of prescription drugs for all Americans, including our fight to bring generic versions of important biologic drugs to market in a safe and timely way.  We will also keep pushing for measures that allow for the safe and legal importation of lower cost prescription drugs from abroad and give the HHS Secretary the power to negotiate prescription drug prices.

“For the millions of Americans who struggle with skyrocketing prescription drug costs, and particularly for those affected by the Medicare doughnut hole, these solutions are not mutually exclusive.”

AARP CEO Barry Rand released this statement following the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee’s passage of the Affordable Health Choices Act:

“Today’s vote brings us one big step closer to comprehensive health care reform that ensures every American has a choice of quality, affordable coverage.  We are proud of the committee’s leadership on this issue and their commitment to passing legislation this year, but we remain concerned with some of the bill’s specifics.

“The bill passed today includes several smart provisions that will help Americans get affordable health care.  By strictly limiting insurers’ discriminatory practices, the bill ensures Americans can purchase affordable health coverage, regardless of age or health status.  It also helps struggling middle-class families by limiting premiums and out-of-pocket expenses, providing true relief from rising health costs.

“The bill’s long-term care provisions will put more people on track to get the health and long-term care services and supports they need throughout their lives and take some of the burden off of struggling Medicaid programs.  The bill also takes needed steps to strengthen the health care workforce and prepare it to meet the needs of an aging population, particularly in the critical fields of primary care and nursing.

“However, we remain concerned about the bill’s unreasonable exclusivity period for brand name biologic drugs, which will keep less costly generic versions from the people who need them and result in billions of dollars of profit for the brand name drug industry.

“AARP thanks Chairman Kennedy, Senator Dodd and their colleagues for their strong commitment to health care reform.  With their help, America is closer to finally achieving the goal of quality, affordable health care for all.”

Calling Traverse City Residents:  Talk with AARP About Why All Americans Should Be Guaranteed Affordable Health Care Choices

 AARP Michigan today urged older Michiganians and those who care for them to take advantage of the state’s Food Assistance Program benefit (formerly known as the Food Stamp Program), which can help put food on the table during tough economic times.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Michigan continues to lead the Midwest in food assistance participation with a rate of 80 percent.  However, nationally, only about 34 percent of eligible older Americans participate.

While the Michigan Department of Human Services (DHS) is proud of its high food assistance participation rate, it wants to maximize its outreach to seniors regarding food assistance.  To that end, in December 2008, DHS launched a program that allows as many as 80,000 Michigan seniors and adults with disabilities to automatically get help with their food budgets under a federal pilot project.

The USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service granted Michigan a series of waivers allowing the state to implement the Michigan Combined Application Project (MiCAP).  Under this project, adults who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and who live independently can receive at least $60 each month in food assistance.

“We are the first state in the Midwest to be approved for this demonstration project, which we estimate will generate an additional $47 million to the state’s economy,” Ismael Ahmed, Michigan Department of Human Services director, said.  “Under MiCAP, we will be able to provide increased access to nutritious food for a vulnerable population, senior citizens and people who have disabilities.”

Despite DHS’s efforts, there are still seniors in Michigan not taking advantage of the Food Assistance Program.

“Today in Michigan, an estimated 1.2 million people over age 65 are living in poverty,” said AARP Michigan state director Steve Gools. “Many have to choose between going to the grocery store and paying their bills – this isn’t a choice anyone should have to make. Michigan’s Food Assistance Program can help make ends meet.”

How it works

Participants get a special debit card, called a Bridge card, to use at most grocery stores, certain senior centers, farmer’s markets and meal delivery services.  The cost of groceries is deducted from the account balance and new benefits are added automatically every month.

Who should apply

People who are 60 or older may qualify for food assistance if:

• Their net monthly income (after subtracting certain expenses, i.e., housing and medical costs, child care, and eldercare) is around $903 for a single person or around $1,214 for a married couple.

• They have no more than $3,000 in countable resources, like a bank account.
• They get SSI.
• They live in federally subsidized housing for the elderly even if they receive their meals at the facility.

How to get started

Older Americans and those who care for them can find everything they need to get started in any state by visiting AARP’s Benefits QuickLINK Web site: www.aarp.org/snap.  AARP’s SNAP Map is a one-stop resource to:

• Fill out a quick on-line survey to determine if people are eligible.
• Find the local office that gives out food benefits.
• Get a list of required documents
• Print out the state application or apply on-line.

For more information about food assistance and the MiCAP program, visit www.michigan.gov/dhs-food