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How AARP Is Fighting to Make Health Care More Affordable
AARP advocates for and supports initiatives that ensure older Americans have the health care they need
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AARP advocates for lowering health care and prescription drug costs because high prices can strain fixed incomes and force older Americans to skip care. We helped advance Medicare drug price negotiation and continue pushing Congress and agencies to expand relief and protect affordable coverage.
AARP’s position on affordable health care
AARP fights to make health care more economical and accessible for people 50 and older. We work to reduce out-of-pocket costs, improve price transparency, lower prescription drug charges, protect access to Medicare and keep Medicaid and private health insurance coverage strong and reliable.
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Health care costs are a major concern for older Americans, particularly those living on fixed incomes. High prices for prescription drugs and medical services can force people to delay care, skip medications or make difficult financial trade-offs. AARP supports solutions that help people get the care they need without putting their health and independence at risk.
Why affordable health care matters to people 50-plus
People approaching or in retirement often face rising health care needs at the same time their income becomes limited. Even with Medicare, out-of-pocket costs can be significant.
The average person on Medicare spent about $6,663 a year in 2019 on premiums, deductibles and health care costs not covered, and the cost of medical care in the U.S. has since risen by about 20 percent, according to Consumer Price Index data.
Drug prices are a particular challenge. Nearly 9 in 10 older adults take prescription medications, and many take several. About 2 in 5 take five or more. That makes them especially vulnerable to price increases. Lowering drug costs and improving coverage can help people stay healthy, avoid complications and maintain self-sufficiency longer.
Access to affordable coverage is equally important for people not yet eligible for Medicare. Adults ages 50 to 64 without health insurance are seven times more likely to postpone or go without needed care because of cost compared with those who have coverage, and people who experience gaps in health coverage have more hospitalizations and emergency room visits than those with continuous insurance. Protecting access to reliable, affordable health insurance is central to helping people age with dignity and stability.
AARP was founded to make health care affordable
AARP was founded in 1958, in a time before Medicare, with roots in the National Retired Teachers Association, which Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus began in 1947. She created these organizations to help prevent poverty among older adults and to expand access to health care after retirement.
In the early 1950s, Andrus contacted 42 insurance companies before finding one that would offer coverage to retired teachers. She later extended access to group health plans for a broader population through AARP and helped lay the groundwork for Medicare in 1965.
AARP also endorsed the Older Americans Act of 1965, a law that passed Congress with only one dissenting vote but is under fire today. The law pays for services that help adults 60 and older live safely at home and stay independent as long as possible, as well as programs for healthy living that many adults take for granted, including:
- Home health care for those who need assistance with bathing, dressing and light housework.
- Meals on Wheels home delivery and lunches at senior centers.
- Ombudsmen to protect residents living in long-term care centers.
- Programs to prevent abuse, exploitation and neglect of older adults.
- Rides to doctor appointments or community centers.
- Support services for family caregivers.
How AARP keeps fighting to make health care affordable
AARP continues to advocate for Medicare drug price negotiation and other provisions designed to lower out-of-pocket prescription costs for Medicare enrollees, including caps on annual drug spending.
In May 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the pharmaceutical industry’s challenge to the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which authorized Medicare to bargain with drug companies to lower prices on expensive and widely used medications. The AARP Foundation had filed more than a dozen friend-of-the-court briefs in federal courts as drug companies fought to halt the program.
AARP has also pushed back on policy proposals that would weaken coverage options or increase costs for people purchasing insurance, including efforts affecting the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid coverage.
AARP calls on lawmakers nationwide to ensure affordable health care
AARP calls on Congress to pass the Medicare Cost Cap Act (S. 4886), which would limit original Medicare’s out-of-pocket expenses to $5,000 annually and streamline enrollment in Medicare Savings Programs to help with premiums, deductibles, copayments and coinsurance costs and the Part D Extra Help program for prescription coverage.
AARP calls on Congress to roll back a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) six-year pilot program that uses artificial intelligence to determine whether people who have original Medicare in six states will have to receive prior authorization before Medicare will pay for 13 procedures and services. The Government Accountability Office determined in May that the agency had overstepped its authority and must get congressional approval before the Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) program, which began Jan. 1, 2026, can start.
AARP calls on Congress to pass the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act (S. 1816 and H.R. 3514), which would provide greater CMS oversight and regulation of Medicare Advantage plans’ improper denials of prior authorization requests.
AARP calls on Congress to pass the No Unreasonable Payments, Coding or Diagnoses for the Elderly (No UPCODE) Act (S. 1105), which is designed to stop Medicare Advantage plans from inflating patient diagnoses to boost their payments from the federal government. AARP also is concerned about some Medicare Advantage plans’ deceptive marketing and supports greater consumer protections.
AARP calls on Congress to continue strengthening Medicare’s ability to lower prescription drug prices, not only through Medicare’s pilot programs for Part B and Part D medications but also by expanding negotiation authority and ensuring that savings are passed on to enrollees.
AARP calls on Congress to pass the Medication Affordability and Patient Integrity Act (S. 2658) to require drug manufacturers to provide consistent information to both the federal Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office so all consumers can have faster access to safe, affordable generic and biosimilar medicines at lower prices than brand-name drugs.
AARP calls on federal and state policymakers to strengthen price transparency in health care and protect coverage options under Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act so older Americans can maintain stable, affordable access to health insurance.
More than 60 years after the passage of the Older Americans Act, AARP calls on Congress to pass the bipartisan Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2025 (S. 2120), which remains in the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions a year after it was referred there. The affordable services financed through this law help older adults stay in their own homes, where numerous surveys show they want to be and where it often is most cost effective for society.
Frequently asked questions
What is AARP’s position on affordable health care?
AARP supports policies that lower health care and prescription drug costs while protecting access to coverage for people 50 and older. We advocate for lower out-of-pocket expenses, stronger price transparency and affordable coverage through the health insurance marketplace, Medicaid and Medicare.
What has AARP done on affordable health care?
AARP’s commitment to affordable health care dates back to the 1950s, when founder Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus contacted 42 insurance companies before finding one willing to offer coverage to retired teachers. AARP later supported the creation of Medicare and today continues to work to lower prescription drug prices, defend affordable coverage options and support reforms such as Medicare drug price negotiation.
Why does AARP prioritize affordable health care?
Health care costs can force older adults to delay care, skip medications or make difficult financial trade-offs. AARP believes that people should be able to get the care they need without putting their health, independence or financial stability at risk.
How does affordable health care affect people 50 and older?
Health care needs often increase with age, making affordability especially important. Nearly 9 in 10 older adults take prescription medications, and about 2 in 5 report using five or more prescriptions. High costs can make it harder to pay for needed medicines and treatment, causing some people to delay care or make tough choices based on cost.
What legislation is AARP supporting on this issue?
AARP supports legislation and policies that lower prescription drug prices, limit out-of-pocket costs and protect affordable health coverage. Current priorities for congressional action include the Medicare Cost Cap Act, the Medication Affordability and Patient Integrity Act and reauthorization of the Older Americans Act.
How can members get involved?
Anyone — not just members — can participate in AARP’s advocacy efforts by signing petitions, contacting elected officials and joining local and national campaigns focused on lowering health care costs, reducing prescription drug prices and protecting affordable coverage.
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