AARP Tennessee is thrilled that the federal government has approved changes to the TennCare program that will allow the state to implement the Long-Term Care Community Choices Act in 2010. ``The approval of this TennCare waiver will allow us and our loved ones to age with dignity in our homes and communities,’’ said Margot Seay, president of AARP Tennessee, which spent years advocating for long-term care reforms.

``People from across this state have told us for well over a decade that they wanted a simpler system, one that allowed them to make decisions about where and how to receive long-term care services. We thank Gov. Phil Bredesen, the Tennessee Legislature and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for listening and giving us choices for our care.’’

U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen participated in a health care forum sponsored by the AARP chapter at the Lewis Center in Memphis. Despite a severe weather alert at the time of the event, more than 70 people came to hear Cohen and ask questions about health care reform legislation pending before Congress.

AARP is working to ensure that any health care reform bill approved by Congress guarantees acess to affordable coverage for Americans age 50 to 64; closes the doughnut hole; provides access to generic biologic drugs; prevents waste, fraud and abuse in Medicare while shoring up the program; and authorizes more home and community-based long-term care services. 

Two Tennessee newspapers published Sunday columns about AARP's views on the need for health care reform. The Knoxville News-Sentinel prominently featured a guest column by Knoxville Regional Impact Team Leader Bill Schall on the need for generic biologic drugs, while The Tennessean's opinion page about Medicare included a column by AARP Tennessee Communications Director Karin Miller. The Tennessean editorial from that page says: ``A sign of a strong and progressive nation is that it takes care of its elderly and disabled citizens. To fulfill that duty, America must keep Medicare solvent.''

 AARP believes that our health care system costs too much, wastes too much, makes too many mistakes and returns too little value for our money. All Americans deserve access to affordable health care and we can make it happen this year. We've already heard from people all across this state, but we need your help. Share your stories about the broken health care system with us at tnaarp@aarp.org or join our efforts at HealthActionNow.org.

AARP Tennessee staff and volunteer leaders spent three straight days briefing more than 70 volunteers from throughout the state on AARP’s priorities for health care reform.

There were sessions in Knoxville, Nashville and Jackson.

AARP State Director Rebecca Kelly and State President Margot Seay led each of the sessions, which also included four Executive Council members (Sam Lyles, Cleo Owens, John E. Strong Jr. and Bob Willis).

Nearly all the participants had stories about health care struggles touching them, their families or their friends and neighbors – and all agreed that the time for action is now.

AARP is collecting stories from Tennesseans struggling with this broken health care system. Read one here or go to www.healthactionnow.org and share your own, then tell our congressional representatives that the time for common-sense bipartisan solutions is now!

Patricia “Pat” Bryant, a retired insurance agency owner and dedicated AARP volunteer from Millington, has a new role. She is now the Tennessee Coordinator for AARP’s TaxAide program.  

 "It's fitting that one year after Gov. Phil Bredesen signed the Long-Term Care Community Choices Act, lawmakers gave us a new choice that allows us to remain in our communities when we cannot stay in our homes," said Rebecca Kelly, Tennessee's AARP director. "AARP looks forward to working with legislators next year to create more of these choices for care."  

In an interview with Bristol Rep. John Lundberg wrapping up the 2009 legislative session, the Kingsport Times-News cited AARP as ``one of the state's powerful lobbying groups. AARP opposed Lundberg’s bill to limit awards in lawsuits filed against nursing homes, which failed in a House subcommittee.

Lundberg said he’s not sure if he’ll resurrect the legislation next year. AARP intends to continue working with legislators and nursing home representatives on ways to improve the quality of care in institutions.

By the end of this summer, more than one million older Americans will have fallen into the “doughnut hole”—a coverage gap in Medicare’s prescription drug program that leaves individuals on the hook for all of their own drug costs while still paying premiums.  Some 28 percent of Tennessee Medicare recipients fell in the ``doughnut hole'' in 2007.