How AARP Is Working for You
Everyday, we’re advocating for our members — and for all older Americans
AARP has been advocating for what matters most to older Americans and to all families — with a focus on health security, financial stability, and personal fulfillment — for more than 60 years. From lobbying for federal resources to helping people where they live, here’s a running list of what we’re doing each day for our 38 million members and for all Americans age 50-plus.
6/2/2021
House Committee Clears Age Discrimination Bill
The Protecting Older Workers from Age Discrimination Act would restore certain age-discrimination protections for older workers that were wiped out by a 2009 Supreme Court decision. The AARP-backed bill cleared the House Education and Labor Committee on Wednesday. If passed, it would revise a court ruling that made workers prove that their age was a “decisive factor” in alleging illegal age-based discrimination against employers.
It’s not yet clear when the bill will advance to a full House vote. The legislation passed the House last year, but former President Donald Trump’s White House opposed it and it never received a vote in the Senate.
6/2/2021
Feds Abandon Proposed Food Stamp Restrictions
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has withdrawn a proposed food stamp overhaul that would have cut benefits to an estimated 3.1 million low-income Americans. The Trump administration had said the rule change would help it better target those in need, but AARP wrote to the USDA last year arguing it would end food stamp eligibility for more than one in eight households with elderly members. This week, the Biden administration scrapped the proposal.
More than 5 million people age 60 and older benefited from food stamps in 2019. AARP estimates that as many as 1 in 7 older Americans is food insecure, meaning they don’t have consistent access to enough food to maintain a healthy, active lifestyle
6/2/2021
Questions About Your Finances? Join Our Tele-town Hall
The call-in town hall on Thursday is aimed at helping older adults navigate their health and finances amid the lingering challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Anyone can call in and pose questions to a panel of experts that will include Dave Uejio, acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and Mark Rupp, chief of the infectious diseases division at the University of Nebraska Medical Center..
The “Coronavirus: Your Health, Finances & Housing” teletown hall is Thursday, June 3 at 1 p.m. Call 877-209-3531 to join.
6/1/2021
New York Advances State-Backed Savings Plans
The state legislature has passed a bill requiring companies with 10 or more employees to enroll workers in state-backed retirement savings plans. Employees would be automatically enrolled in the plans, which were previously voluntary, though workers can still opt out. The AARP-backed bill passed New York’s State Senate on Monday after earlier passing in the State Assembly and now goes to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who’s expected to sign it.
Workers are significantly more likely to save for retirement if their employer provides a savings plan, research shows. AARP New York estimates more than 3.5 million New Yorkers between ages 18 and 64 work for an employer that doesn’t currently offer a retirement savings plan.
6/1/2021
Clock Is Ticking to Get Health Insurance in Massachusetts
The state’s enrollment window to sign up for plans in its American Care Act health insurance exchange is set to close on July 23. State and federal ACA marketplaces have opened special sign-up periods because of the COVID-19 pandemic, for people who need coverage or who want to take advantage of new federal tax credits.
Read our guide to signing up for ACA health insurance in Massachusetts.
6/1/2021
Flawed Long-Term Care System Is ‘Killing Americans’
AARP chief advocacy and engagement officer Nancy LeaMond calls the system — which includes nursing homes, assisted living and other facilities — “fragmented, confusing, costly and under-regulated” in a new op-ed, arguing that it’s effectively killing vulnerable Americans. Nursing homes and long-term care facilities have accounted for about one-third of all U.S. COVID-19 deaths, even though residents represent less than 1 percent of the country’s total population.
LeaMond’s op-ed calls for more long-term care options in urban and rural areas, citing a need for better broadband infrastructure to support telehealth capabilities. She also pushes for more federal support for family caregivers and better pay and benefits for long-term care workers: “The goal should be to use the momentum spurred by COVID-19 to create a humane, sustainable system of care that works for everyone.”