AARP Texas yesterday honored Houston-area Senator Rodney Ellis with an award for his work in the Legislature on behalf of the 50+ population.

“Senator Ellis assumed a leadership role in passing key legislation to protect the financial assets of seniors in Texas,” said AARP Texas State Director Bob Jackson. “Specifically, he co-authored several bills that strengthened consumer protection for older Texans purchasing annuities.”

Said Senator Ellis: "It is a real honor to receive the 2009 legislative achievement award. I know when Texas finally makes significant strides towards health care reform, energy regulation, and policy that protect our seniors, it will be in large part due to the hard work that AARP has done behind the scenes. I truly look forward to our continuing partnership."

Local AARP chapter members and volunteers presented the award to Senator Ellis in his Houston office in a special ceremony.

Awards are also being presented to the following members of the Texas Legislature: Senators Kip Averitt of Waco, Leticia Van De Putte of San Antonio, and Wendy Davis of Fort Worth; and Representatives John Smithee of Amarillo, Elliot Naishtat of Austin, and Craig Eiland of Texas City.

“We want to publicly recognize legislators who championed issues that benefit older Texans,” Jackson added.  “And, we want legislators to know that we will be informing our members of their positive efforts on our behalf.  We hope to improve our relationship with these legislators and encourage others to take leadership roles on our priority issues.”

AARP plans to present similar awards after the conclusion of the next legislative session in 2011.

Four cases reported in Fort Worth to date

AARP Texas warned its members and consumers generally today to immediately suspect anyone purporting to be with the organization and who is asking for personal information about assets over the telephone.  Four cases have been reported in Fort Worth to date in which a man representing himself to be with AARP in Houston inquired if the member had $50,000 in a bank account or the stock market.

“Don’t fall victim to a scam,” said AARP State Director Bob Jackson.  “AARP does not ask for this type of confidential information over the telephone.  It looks as if someone is using our good name and reputation to bilk unsuspecting people and separate them from their hard earned money.”

AARP has alerted the Consumer Protection Division at the Texas Office of the Attorney General.  Anyone receiving a call like this should file a complaint with the OAG at
http://www.oag.state.tx.us/consumer/complain.shtml or call 1 (800) 252-8011. If at all possible, it would be helpful to the OAG if the person receiving the call is able to obtain any additional information from the bogus callers, including their Caller ID number.

AARP has more than 2.4 million members in Texas, and 40 million nationally.

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.

More specifically, AARP is fighting to:

Protect Medicare Benefits: Medicare is a sacred promise that was made to seniors – because no one should be left to struggle with medical bills after a lifetime of hard work. We must protect the Medicare benefits seniors have earned and strengthen the program for future generations. We’re also working to fill in gaps in today’s benefit package, such as closing the Part D prescription drug coverage gap (the so-called “doughnut hole.”) and eliminate out-of-pocket costs for important preventive care like cancer screenings and diabetes tests.

Eliminate Waste: We must reduce waste in Medicare so we can ensure today’s seniors continue to get the benefits they’ve been promised.  Currently, Medicare hands out billions in subsidies to private insurance companies. These are tax dollars that should be going to seniors’ care not insurance company subsidies.  By eliminating this waste, we can protect senior benefits and fill in some of the gaps in Medicare.

Preserve Your Choice of Doctor:  AARP is fighting to ensure doctors get paid fairly so seniors will have the freedom to choose the doctors they need. Without health reform, Medicare doctors will be forced to take a 21 percent pay cut. 

Protect Your Right to Make Medical Decisions: AARP is fighting to ensure that all health decisions are made by you and your doctor, not your insurance company or the government.  No matter what your age, your care should be your choice.

Prevent Discrimination: Health reform must end insurance abuses, such as denials of coverage due to a person’s health history, or using age as an excuse to charge sky-high premiums. Such discrimination has become a serious problem for Americans age 50-plus who need insurance, and AARP is fighting to make sure needed protections are in a final health reform plan.

Protect Consumers: AARP is fighting to stop the high prices charged by drug companies by: enabling drug price negotiation; allowing safe, legal importation of lower-priced prescription drugs from abroad; and permitting the sale of generic versions of biologic drugs – costly medications for diseases such as cancer and multiple sclerosis.

AARP will continue to scrutinize health reform proposals, to determine whether they make sense for our members and their families. We are watching this process closely and will continue to work to make sure all Americans have the health coverage they need.

Stay informed. Read the latest news on how AARP is fighting for you at http://www.aarp.org/getthefacts

SAN ANTONIO, TX – The City of San Antonio and the Bexar County Commissioners Court – in collaboration with AARP Texas -- have proclaimed the week of September 21 as Fall Prevention Awareness Week.

Falls are a costly and preventable health problem among people over the age of fifty and the leading cause of death by accidental injury for people 65 plus.  Each year one out of every three Americans 65 and older falls, and over a third require medical treatment.  The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that $20 billion dollars is spent annually to treat older adults for injuries caused by falls.

Fortunately, there are simple steps people can take to reduce their risk of falling.  One-half of all falls are caused by poor home design.  Inexpensive measures can be taken to improve home safety. Removing scatter rugs to reduce tripping, using high-wattage lights to brighten rooms, and installing grab bars in bathrooms can all help reduce the risk of falling.

It’s also important to know how one’s health may contribute to the likelihood of falling.  Experts urge consulting a doctor or pharmacist to see if any medications may cause dizziness.  Also, it’s important to have a regular vision checkup and to make the time to exercise in order to maintain muscle strength, balance, and flexibility.

The proclamations will be presented at separate San Antonio ceremonies during the week, as well as in other Texas towns and cities.

AARP Texas is pleased to announce that Executive Council Member Dr. Beng T. Ho is the recipient of the Selenia E. & Joseph C. Valley Community Advocate of the Year Award from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

Dr. Ho has distinguished himself in both the scientific as well as the community-at-large. He is professor emeritus from the University of Houston and received his PhD in medicinal chemistry from the University of Washington. Dr. Ho has served as the chairman of the Area Planning Advisory Council to the Harris County Area Agency on Aging, President of the Asian American Senior Coalition of Houston and as a member of the Valley Memorial Fund Board of Directors.

AARP Texas has been lucky enough to have Dr. Ho as a member of our Executive Council for the past 5 years.  

Congratulations Dr. Ho! This award couldn’t be more deserved.

Last week, AARP Texas held a phone-based tele town hall on Health Care Reform. More than 6,400 people from Dallas and the surrounding areas joined the call in which State Director Bob Jackson and Federal Affairs Senior Legislative Representative Ahaviah Glaser fielded questions. Video and audio from the event will be posted when it becomes available.

Last night's debate in Marshall, Texas was front page news in this morning's Marshall News Messenger. Go to the newspaper's site to read: Health care is up for debate: Wiley College debate team takes up divisive issue in AARP-sponsored event.

Lawmakers recognized for their work on behalf of seniors

Austin, TX -- AARP Texas announced today that it will honor seven Texas lawmakers with a new award to commend their legislative achievements during the 2009 Texas legislative session on behalf of the 50-plus population.  

“While narrowing it down to seven was a very difficult task, these members assumed important leadership roles in passing key legislation to protect older Texans for years to come,” said AARP Texas State Director Bob Jackson.

Legislators recognized by AARP are:

• Senator Kip Averitt / Representative John Smithee for their leadership in improving the affordability of health insurance for older Texans (co-authored a bill creating a discount program for the high risk pool).
   
• Senator Leticia Van De Putte / Representative Elliot Naishtat for their leadership in ensuring Texas is prepared to meet the needs of a growing aging population (co-authored a bill that created the Texas Legislative Committee on Aging).
   
• Senator Rodney Ellis / Representative Craig Eiland for their leadership in protecting the financial assets of older Texans (co-authored several bills that strengthened consumer protections for older Texans purchasing annuities).
   
• Sen. Wendy Davis as “Freshman of the Year” for her efforts to improve the financial security of older Texans.

 Awards will be presented to each legislator at individual ceremonies in their respective hometowns. AARP plans to present similar awards every two years, following the conclusion of the regular legislative session.

WHAT:
The Wiley College debate team will argue the pros and cons of the most talked about domestic issue of the day – health care reform. Two members of the team will present a case for reforming the current system and two others arguing for the status quo.

WHEN:
Tuesday, September 15 from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

WHERE:
Caddo Hall in the Marshall Civic Center, 2501 East End Boulevard

COST:
Free.

MORE:
AARP will present a check for $2,500 to the Wiley College debate team.  A reception will conclude the evening’s activities, with light refreshments provided.

AARP CEO Barry Rand released this statement following President Barack Obama’s address to Congress:

“Over the last several weeks, the health care debate shifted from a conversation to a shouting match, and legitimate concerns about how we fix our health care system were drowned out by myths and mischaracterizations. It’s time to get back to the goal of fixing our system so everyone has quality, dependable health care they can afford. We are optimistic that tonight’s address will help move us toward an agreement on these important issues.

“At AARP, we’re fighting for reforms that protect and expand benefits for people in Medicare, prevent discrimination based on age or health, and ensure no one—not an insurance company or a government bureaucrat—can come between you and your doctor. We need to close the dreaded gap in Medicare drug coverage that forces many to stop taking the medicines that keep them healthy. And we need to ensure that older Americans can buy and keep affordable health coverage.

“AARP will fight on behalf of our 40 million members to ensure health care reform works for them by making coverage available and affordable and by improving the quality of care they receive.

“We applaud the president’s effort to keep health care reform moving forward. Tonight, he laid out thoughtful goals for health care reform. We share many of those goals and we will continue to work for our members and their families to ensure health care reform meets their needs.”