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The Employment Situation—March 2013

No increase in the employment of older workers, even though their unemployment rate fell from 5.8 percent to 5.5 percent. read

Weaving It Together: A Tapestry of Transportation Funding for Older Adults

Human service and public transportation providers are weaving together and leveraging scarce funding sources for transportation serving older adults and persons with disabilities. read

States Seek to Coordinate Medicare, Medicaid Services

Two thirds of the states have or will soon launch new initiatives to better coordinate care for people dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid services. read

Uphill Climb for Women Seeking Retirement Security

Women live longer than men, have lower earnings, and are more likely to outlive some sources of retirement income. read

Recent Medicare Initiatives to Improve Chronic Care

The Affordable Care Act is supporting Medicare efforts to improve care for beneficiaries with chronic conditions. read

State Studies Show Home and Community-Based Services are Cost-Effective

This report reviews 38 state evaluations of publicly funded HCBS programs. It shows states have been able to contain costs as they have expanded HCBS. read

Sequester May Reduce Federal Funding to Low-Income Heating Assistance

Heating bills remain higher for many older consumers this winter, but federal assistance for low-income households may decline. read

Work Related Travel in an Era of Extended Employment

This paper explores emerging trends as older workers extend employment and presents recommendations for transportation planners and policymakers to consider. read

Inflation Indexation in Major Federal Benefit Programs: Impact of the Chained CPI

This Fact Sheet discusses how using the chained CPI would affect Social Security beneficiaries, as well as beneficiaries of other programs such as Supplemental Security Income, Medicaid, Medicare, veterans’ retirement and disability programs, and poverty-prevention programs. read

Getting Older Americans Connected

High-speed Internet connectivity promises major benefits for many older Americans. However, implementation of a federal plan to connect more older adults is lagging. read

How Expanding Medicaid Can Help Uninsured Adults

Health reform gives states the option to expand Medicaid to cover an additional 4 million low-income uninsured adults age 45-64. read

Utility Expenditures Go Up Most for Americans 65 and older

Latest data shows total utility expenditures rising for all consumers, with the oldest seeing the largest increase. read

Quick Health Facts 2012: State Data on Older Americans

Comparable state level data for 70 health care indicators, including health expenditures and financing, health status, Medicare enrollment, utilization and quality of services, and access to care. read

Social Security: Primary Retirement Income Source for Older Minorities

About 80 percent of older African Americans and Hispanics and 70 percent of older Asians depend on Social Security for part of their family income. read

Impact of Baby Boomers on U.S. Travel, 1969 to 2009

The boomer generation has driven the growth of travel over the last 20 years. Where is it headed now? read

Leisure travel of the 50+

More older Americans are driving to leisure destinations. What are the implications for safety? read

Medicare Part D Benefits Improve, But Costs Rise for Many Popular Plans

Premiums for many popular Medicare drug plans will be considerably higher than they were in 2012 and cost sharing is increasing. read

New Ways to Promote Retirement Saving

Leading experts propose public and private sector reforms designed to help boost saving among low- and middle-income households read

Changing Social Security’s Cost of Living Adjustment

What would proposed changes in the Social Security COLA mean for beneficiaries? How would they impact solvency of the program? read

Understanding the Impact of Family Caregiving on Work

The number of workers with eldercare responsibilities is on the rise. This fact sheet highlights research to better understand the impact of family caregiving on work, and how working caregivers can better manage their work and caregiving responsibilities. read

Increasing Demand for Annuities

A unique experiment looks at how to make annuities more attractive options for providing lifetime income. read

Boomer Women Feeling More Financially Insecure than Men

PPI research shows boomer women more concerned than men about their current financial situation and what the future may hold. read

Private Pay Affordability of Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS)

This paper presents data on the costs of private pay LTSS in every state and in more than 400 markets in the United States. read

Home Alone: Family Caregivers Providing Complex Chronic Care

The role of many family caregivers has dramatically expanded to include performing medical/nursing tasks once only provided in hospitals. read

Boomers and the Great Recession: Struggling to Recover

The recession and its aftermath have left many Boomers without jobs or savings, and with homes they can neither afford nor sell. Many are uncertain about the future as they move toward retirement. read

Across the States 2012: Profiles of Long-Term Services and Supports

The ninth edition of PPI’s state LTSS reference report presents comparable state and national data for more than 140 indicators, drawn from a wide variety of sources. read

Meeting the Needs of Diverse Family Caregivers

Addressing the needs of racially and ethnically diverse family caregivers can help reduce unnecessary hospitalizations and nursing home care, and improve transitions between care settings. This report finds many needs not being met. read

Protecting Family Caregivers from Employment Discrimination

This paper calls for developing public and private solutions to ensure that workers with eldercare responsibilities receive equal employment opportunity and are protected from workplace discrimination. read

Improving State Oversight of Medicaid Managed Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS)

Interviews with officials in eight states provide insight into the specific capacities Medicaid agencies need to monitor the performance of Medicaid managed LTSS. read

Removing Barriers to APRN Care: Home Health and Hospice Services

Allowing Advanced Practice Registered Nurses to certify home health and hospice services would benefit consumers, physicians, and the health care system. read

Mortgage Crisis Hit Older Americans Hard

This groundbreaking study shows more than 1.5 million older Americans have lost their homes since 2007 and millions more remain at risk. read

Assisted Living and Residential Care in the States

Discussion of assisted living and residential care and new data on state capacity. read

Measuring Respite Care

The latest available data on the main sources of publicly funded respite care. read

Assessing Family Caregiver Needs

Why it’s important to assess and respond to family caregiver needs—and what states are doing to address these needs. read

What Medicare Beneficiaries Spend Out-of-Pocket on Health Care

Most beneficiaries spend more than $3000 of their own money each year on health care. The oldest and poorest spend about a quarter of their incomes. read

Long-Term Care Insurance: 2012 Update

Long-term care insurance (LTCI) plays an important role covering overall long-term care costs but high premiums keep most people from purchasing it. read

Older Americans' Ambivalence Toward Annuities

Annuitizing some or all of the assets in a 401(k) can help reduce the risk of running out of money in old age. Yet, many Americans remain reluctant to purchase annuities. read

Medicare Part D’s Medication Therapy Management (MTM)

This paper examines current Medicare MTM program requirements, shifting program parameters, and success in several MTM programs outside of Part D. read

Chronic Conditions Among Older Americans

Prevalence of the top chronic health conditions among the over 50 population by race and ethnicity read

Congressional Testimony on Reverse Mortgages

Lori Trawinski presented “Oversight of the FHA Reverse Mortgage Program for Seniors” at a May 9 hearing of the Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and Community Opportunity, U.S. House Committee on Financial Services read

Flu and Pneumonia Immunization: Disparities Persist

Medicare beneficiaries can get flu and pneumonia vaccines at no cost, but many don’t. Immunization rates among older African Americans and Hispanics are lower than those for whites. read

Creating Neighborhoods Around Transit

A new PPI video shows how transit-oriented development facilitates the independence and mobility of older adults. Watch

Social Security: A Brief Overview

Key facts on Social Security coverage, benefits and financing—and a look at future prospects for the program. read

The Medicare Program: A Brief Overview

Who benefits from Medicare and what services does the program cover? This fact sheet provides an overview, along with a look at how services are delivered and how Medicare is financed. read

Moving Toward Person- and Family-Centered Care

The advantages of delivering health care and long-term services and supports in ways that address individual goals and preferences, and support family caregivers. read

Social Security: A Key Resource for Women

Social Security is particularly helpful for women who have lower lifetime earnings and, on average, tend to live longer than men. The program currently keeps almost 38 percent of older women out of poverty. read

Rx Price Watch: Retail Drug Prices Outpace Inflation

This AARP Public Policy Institute report by Stephen Schondelmeyer and AARP’s Leigh Purvis finds that the cumulative change in retail prices for a combined set of widely used prescription drugs was almost double the rate of inflation between 2005 and 2009. read

The Case for the Auto IRA

New research from economists at the Brookings Institution and the Urban Institute shows adopting the Auto IRA would greatly expand retirement savings opportunities for an estimated one-quarter of the US workforce. read

Setting the Record Straight about Medicare

As the nation considers the future of Medicare, it is important to separate the facts from misconceptions about Medicare coverage, costs to beneficiaries, and efficiency of the program. read

A Call to Action: Meeting the Challenges of Family Caregiving

Ten prominent authors offer recommendations on policies and practices to improve support for family caregivers. read

Money, pill bottle, stethoscope-Health insurance for Americans 50-64

Health Insurance Coverage for 50-to 64-Year-Olds

Adults 50 to 64 face higher health care out-of-pocket costs and declining access to employer-sponsored coverage. read

On the Verge: The Transformation of Long-Term Services and Supports

Many states are turning to managed care for older Americans who need LTSS. This and other trends are revealed in a new report from PPI, NASUAD, and Health Management Associates. read

See All »

In
Focus

50+ and Worried

This report by Sara Rix highlights growing concerns about current and future financial well-being. read

How Many Older Americans Live: Ten Facts to Consider

This AARP Public Policy Institute fact sheet by Gary Koenig and Lina Walker provides ten statistics to describe the economic security of persons age 65 and older. read

Recovering from the Great Recession: Long Struggle Ahead for Older Americans

The recent recession has caused high unemployment, loss of income and savings, and lower home values. Four in ten of older Americans surveyed expect a lower standard of living in retirement than that of their parents. An Insight on the Issues report by Sara E. Rix read

More From
PPI

Winter Heating Costs Burden Many Older Consumers

Heating bills remain high for many older consumers this winter, especially those using fuel oil for heat read

Expanding Clinical Trials

Including older, sicker patients in clinical trials would make medical research more relevant for treating these people. read

What Care Works Best For Dual Eligibles?

A report on focus groups held with older Americans who receive Medicare and Medicaid. read

Aging in Place: State Livability Policies and Practices

A survey of state land use, housing and transportation policies and practices that promote aging in place. Written jointly with the National Conference of State Legislatures. read

Protecting Older Investors with Diminished Capacity

This report by Naomi Karp and Ryan Wilson reviews current financial services industry practices and recommends ways to improve protection of older investors. read

Removing Barriers to Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Care: Hospital Privileges

Consumers benefit when advanced practice registered nurses have hospital privileges read

Valuing the Invaluable: 2011 Update - The Growing Contributions and Costs of Family Caregiving

This report estimates the economic value of family caregiving at $450 billion in 2009, up from $375 billion in 2007. The report also details the costs of providing family care, and provides policy recommendations to better support caregiving. read

Protecting Investors—Establishing the SEC Fiduciary Duty Standard

This research report explains how the SEC can strengthen federal guidelines for protecting older investors. read

Housing for Older Adults: The Impacts of the Recession

This report highlights a drop in the percentage of homeowners over 50 who own their homes free and clear and shows rising costs for those who rent or still pay mortgages. An AARP Public Policy Institute Insight on the Issues by Rodney Harrell, PhD. read

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