Staying Fit
AARP Montana is teaming up with the Office on Aging and a coalition of groups focused on senior issues to sponsor the Governor’s Conference on Aging. With the spotlight of this year’s event on healthy aging, AARP and a host of authorities from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Social Security Administration and national aging experts will present a forum to educate attendees about the future of Social Security and Medicare and to capture the opinions and ideas of Montanans about these vital programs.
See also: How you would strengthen Medicare and Social Security?
Topics covered will include the history and current state of the programs, the impact of the programs in Montana, the short-term outlook for the programs and options for keeping the programs strong going forward. The forum will explore these topics during panel discussions and will be open for questions from the audience. Part of the presentation will include a session where audience members will have the chance to vote on ways to strengthen Social Security and Medicare. Using a state-of-the art audience response system, answers to poll questions will be displayed in real-time.
“The Governor’s Conference on Aging is a perfect opportunity to shine a spotlight on the issue of the future of Medicare and Social Security,” said Joy Bruck, AARP Montana State President. “Throughout Washington’s budget debate over the last year, AARP members and Montanans 50-plus urged AARP to prevent cuts in Social Security and Medicare benefits. People recognize that these programs need to be strengthened and are tired of politicians in Washington proposing cuts to these vital programs to close Washington's budget gap. AARP agrees it’s time to bring this debate out from behind the closed doors in Washington and help the people who pay into Medicare and Social Security make their voices heard. Together, we need to start a public discussion on strengthening health and retirement security for hard-working Montanans.”
In addition to sponsoring the future of Medicare and Social Security forum, AARP Montana will sponsor a welcome reception the evening before the event that is free and open to the public. AARP members, volunteers, community partners, opinion leaders, Montana’s Congressional delegation and statewide and local elected officeholders will be invited as well.
This year’s Governor’s Conference on Aging marks the 44th year of the annual event. The conference was first established to more closely examine the needs of older Montanans and shape actions to address those needs. Today, it is the largest gathering in the state of senior citizens, aging advocacy leaders, healthcare providers, government officials and agencies.
Find conference details, including registration information on the AARP Montana page, and express your ideas and opinions about the future of Social Security and Medicare.
AARP Membership— $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal
Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine.
More on politics-society
Get Yourself Ready for the 2020 Election
Expect rough-and-tumble campaigns in which issues take a back seat and social media dominates