2018 Archives: Health and Family

On November 14, 2018, AARP sent a letter to the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry, and the House Committee on Agriculture expressing specific views on the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018.  Specifically, AARP stressed the importance of protecting older Americans from food insecurity, and opposed any effort that would make it harder for older Americans to access the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

September

C: On September 26, 2018 AARP submitted a comment letter to CMS Administrator Seema Verma concerning the South Dakota Medicaid 1115 Waiver Demonstration proposal.  In the letter, AARP expressed concerns that South Dakota’s Medicaid proposal will apply to an estimated 1,300 “parents and caretaker relatives eligibility group” who have very low incomes, up to 57 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). As such, many of the changes proposed in South Dakota’s 1115 waiver proposal would adversely impact a significant number of Medicaid enrollees. (PDF)

C: On September 24, 2018 AARP submitted a comment letter to CMS Administrator Seema Verma concerning the proposed changes to the Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment Systems and Quality Reporting Programs for calendar year 2019.  (PDF)

L: On September 21, 2018 AARP sent a letter to congressional leaders in opposition to efforts to roll back the Medicare Part D donut hole provisions included in the recently enacted Bipartisan Budget Act (BBA) of 2018.  AARP is very concerned that there are attempts to weaken these donut hole improvements in upcoming opioid legislation. Reversing the progress made under current law will increase prescription drug costs for older Americans while providing a windfall of billions of dollars to the drug industry. (PDF)

L: On September 13, 2018, AARP sent a letter to Chairman Kevin Brady of the U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Ways and Means concerning the medical expense deduction.  AARP thanked the Chairman for including an extension of the current 7.5 percent threshold for the medical expense deduction in the Protecting Family and Small Business Tax Cuts Act (H.R. 6760).  AARP also indicated that a short extension seems inconsistent with the committee’s overall efforts to make individual tax reforms permanent. In that regard, AARP asked that, like all other individual income tax provisions in your proposed legislation, the medical expense deduction be made permanent. (PDF) 

L: On September 13, 2018, AARP along with 35 other organizations sent a coalition letter to Chairman Kevin Brady of the U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Ways and Means concerning the medical expense deduction.  The undersigned coalition organizations thanked the Chairman for including an extension of the current 7.5 percent threshold for the medical expense deduction in the Protecting Family and Small Business Tax Cuts Act (H.R. 6760).  The coalition also indicated that a short extension seems inconsistent with the committee’s overall efforts to make individual tax reforms permanent. In that regard, the coalition asked that the medical expense deduction be made permanent. (PDF)

C: On September 10, 2018 AARP submitted a letter to Administrator Seema Verma of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services commenting on the revision to the payment policies under the Physician Fee Schedule and other revisions to Medicare Part B for calendar year 2019.  AARP commented on various issues including the expansion of telehealth services in Medicare, updating the documentation requirements for clinicians to enable them to use their time more productively and focus on the things that are most important to each individual, the inclusion of two additional Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Provider and Systems (CAHPS) survey measures in the Medicare Shared Savings Program quality scoring for accountable care organizations, and concerning individuals knowing the financial costs of the health care they receive, and that price information can be a useful tool for consumers to make informed decisions about their care. (PDF)

L: On September 6, 2018 AARP along with the Alliance for Retired Americans, the Center for Medicare Advocacy, Justice in Aging, the Medicare Rights Center and Patients for Affordable Drugs Now sent a letter to the leadership of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives expressing strong support for maintaining the Medicare Part D donut hole provisions that were included in the recently enacted Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018. These critical reforms will help to reduce out-of-pocket costs for beneficiaries, especially those who face the highest prescription drug costs. (PDF)

August

L: On August 22, 2018, thirty-three organizations – including AARP – signed and sent a group letter to the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry and the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture expressing their views as the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (also known as the Farm Bill) enters into conference.  The undersigned organizations urged the farm bill conference committee to work in a bipartisan manner to produce an agreement that protects and strengthens our nation’s nutrition assistance programs and rejects any provisions that would create additional barriers for individuals and families struggling with food insecurity. (PDF)

C: On August 17, 2018, AARP submitted further comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services concerning the proposed Kentucky HEALTH 1115 Demonstration Waiver modifications.  In the letter, AARP expressed strong concerns and questions about the 1115 Demonstration Waiver being sought by Kentucky. AARP has commented previously at both the state and federal levels on Kentucky’s initial waiver application. (PDF)

L: On August 8, 2018, AARP wrote to certain members of Congress expressing strong opposition to efforts to roll back the Medicare Part D donut hole provisions that were included in the recently enacted Bipartisan Budget Act (BBA) of 2018. (PDF)

C: On August 3, 2018, AARP sent a comment letter to Administrator Seema Verma of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services concerning Utah’s 1115 Primary Care Network (PCN) Demonstration Waiver Amendment #15.  In the letter, AARP expresses several concerning aspects of Amendment #15, each having the potential to worsen health outcomes, create significant financial hardship for many Utah Medicaid beneficiaries in need of coverage, increase administrative costs to the state, and result in increased uncompensated care costs for Utah’s health providers. (PDF)