AARP Working for You at State Capitol

By: Source: AARP.org Date Posted: 2007-04-10 12:15:15.648406-04:00

During the 2007 Legislative Session, AARP is working on these key state issues that affect older Minnesotans and their families:

Long-Term Care
Consumers want and deserve greater access to quality long-term care in the setting of their choice. That's why AARP is working to improve staffing, wages, benefits and training throughout the long-term care system this Legislative session.

We are urging passage of the Seniors and Workers for Quality Care Act, a bill to provide a 5 percent cost of living adjustment (COLA) for workers for each year of the 2-year budget, and requires that 75 percent of the funding go directly to wages. And, the bill also opens up the Minnesota Care health insurance program to long-term care workers, to help caregivers obtain affordable drug coverage.

Family Caregivers
Unpaid family members provide the vast majority of the long-term care provided in society. These family caregivers are often juggling multiple roles at home and in the labor force. To better recognize the needs of family caregivers, AARP is urging passage of legislation allowing family members to legally use earned sick time to care for their loved ones. AARP also supports providing tax credits for informal family caregivers.

Older Workers
Many older Minnesotans remain in the workforce long past the traditional retirement age. Reductions in pension and retiree health care benefits and drastic increases in health care costs have made continued employment a necessity for many. Under current Minnesota law, workers who are collecting Social Security and lose their jobs must forfeit $1 of their unemployment compensation for every $2 they receive in Social Security benefits. Minnesota is one of only eight states that continue to deny full unemployment benefits to older workers. AARP is working with legislators to repeal Minnesota's Unemployment Insurance Social Security Offset.

And More…
AARP is also working on several other state legislative initiatives of interest to AARP members. These issues include:

  • The Community Care Act, which strengthens an array of home and community-based services, addresses barriers to accessing these services and supports family caregivers.
  • Health care reform that works towards giving all Minnesotans affordable coverage for, and access to, high quality health care.
  • Prescription drug legislation that offers low-income Minnesotans of all ages relief from the high costs of prescription drugs. We support a comprehensive state drug discount program. We also support allowing consumers without drug coverage to buy prescription drugs at the reduced Medicaid rate.
  • Property tax reform that takes some pressure off the often-regressive property tax and shifts it to taxes that are better correlated with ability to pay, such as the income tax.
  • Strengthening Minnesota consumer protection laws to protect consumers of wireless telephones.
  • Protection for mobile homeowners in danger of losing their homes when the park where they reside is sold.

Join us on these important issues. How have these issues affected your life? Drop us a note via email.

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