AARP: Fighting for Iowa

More than 62,000 AARP activists in are working to engage federal and state elected officials in legislating on issues of greatest importance to Iowans age 50+.  Members of AARP’s Grassroots Elections and Advocacy Team (GREAT) are represented in all congressional districts. These dedicated volunteers, through education and communication forums such as Tele-town halls, newsletters, emails, volunteer trainings, issue forums, and AARP publications, mobilize Iowans’ support for passage of critical legislation.

AARP has been instrumental in achieving bi-partisan state legislative action to enact significant health care reform, children’s coverage expansions, increased access to quality health care, and health information technology during the 2008-2009 legislative sessions.  In 2009, AARP secured state legislative passage of a Consumer Private Right of Action, which gives consumers the right to take action against consumer fraud.  held the dubious distinction for 10 years as the only state in the country that did not allow individual consumers to seek damages or injunctive relief when they had been victims of consumer fraud.  Iowans now have an avenue of relief when they are victims of fraudulent auto dealers, dishonest home improvement contractors, and other instances where consumers are vulnerable to fraud.

Iowa was one of the first states in the country to adopt so called state “Pay for Performance” system to improve incentive Medicaid payments for quality care in nursing homes.  In 2009, AARP Iowa staff and volunteers worked successfully with the nursing home industry, care providers, and other stakeholders on measures to improve the quality of long-term care staff, to reduce staff turnover, and to integrate Quality Improvements Measures where consensus research shows a direct correlation to quality.

AARP also worked to advance greater financial literacy for students with passage of legislation in 2008 requiring schools to include financial literacy as part of their new model core curriculum.

AARP Contact Information

Iowa:  Bruce Koeppl, Senior State Director; BKoeppl@aarp.org; (515) 697-1001

Washington, DC: Kristin Keckeisen, Senior Legislative Representative; KKeckeisen@aarp.org; (202) 434-3767

References

Strengthening Social Security: Social Security Administration, 2007. OASDI Beneficiaries by State and County.

Protecting Medicare: The Kaiser Family Foundation, 2008. State Health Facts. http://www.statehealthfacts.org/

Improving Health Care: Doughnut hole: AARP (PPI) Fact Sheet, 2009. “Closing the ‘Doughnut Hole’ Will Help Protect Over One-Third of Medicare Beneficiaries from High Drug Costs”

Improving Health Care: Uninsured 50-64: Census Bureau. Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplement, 2007 through 2009

Improving Health Care: Home and Community-Based Services: AARP PPI, 2009. Across the States: Profiles of Long-term Care and Independent Living.

Supporting Caregivers: AARP PPI, 2008. Valuing the Invaluable: The Economic Value of Caregiving, 2008 Update.

Promoting Retirement Savings: Based on data from the US Census, State and Patterns & Current Populations Survey statistics on Pension Coverage. 2004.