L: On July 17, AARP endorsed the H.R. 4206, the Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act. AARP had previously endorsed the Senate companion bill S. 1261. This bipartisan bill permanently removes many barriers that would otherwise prevent Medicare beneficiaries from receiving coverage for telehealth services. It is led by Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA), Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ), Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA), and Rep. Troy Balderson (R-OH). (PDF)
L: On July 17, AARP endorsed the Medicare Audiology Access Improvement Act(S. 1996/H.R. 2757). This bill would make it easier for people with Medicare to access audiologists for hearing health care services. The bill is led in the House by Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Rep. Kevin Mullin (D-CA), Rep. Nathaniel Moran (R-Tx), and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY). The Senate leads are Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT), Sen. Angus King (I-ME), Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ). (Senate-PDF) (House-PDF)
L: On July 17, AARP endorsed the Medicare Mental Health Inpatient Equity Act. This bipartisan bill would improve Medicare coverage for mental health services by eliminating the lifetime limit of 190 days for psychiatric care in freestanding psychiatric hospitals. Currently, Medicare beneficiaries needing inpatient treatment for mental illness or substance abuse will not have their stays covered after totaling 190 days. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY), Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI), Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA). (PDF)
L: On July 17, AARP endorsed the Medicare Economic Security Solutions Act (H.R. 3665), introduced by Rep. Nikema Williams (D-GA) and Rep. Young Kim (R-CA). The bill would limit the amount and duration of Medicare Part B late-enrollment penalties. Currently, people who delay enrolling in Medicare face an additional premium of 10% for every 12 months they go without creditable health coverage, and the penalty would last for as long as they have Medicare. The bill would cap the penalty at 15% and twice the duration of non-coverage. (PDF)
L: On July 14, AARP sent a letter to Senator Cassidy (R-LA) and Senator Merkley (D-OR) endorsing the No UPCODE Act of 2025. This bill would reform how payments are made to Medicare Advantage plans by addressing a practice known as “upcoding” and better align payments with the actual health needs of enrollees which will help to protect and strengthen the entire Medicare program for current and future beneficiaries. (PDF)
S: On July 7, AARP submitted a statement for the record following the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health’s June 25th hearing entitled “Health at Your Fingertips: Harnessing the Power of Digital Health Data”. AARP’s statement shares highlights from recent research on how older Americans use health technology and how digital health tools can be better designed for older users. AARP also urges Congress to strengthen data privacy and security to ensure trust. (PDF).
June
L: On June 29, 2025, AARP sent a letter to Majority Leader John Thune and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of the U.S Senate sharing AARP’s views on several key provisions under consideration in the House’s budget reconciliation process. AARP noted the challenges expressed by their membership including the rising cost of groceries, the soaring price of prescription drugs, and the growing number of family caregivers stretched thin as they try to care for their loved ones while keeping their jobs, among others. Support was expressed for meaningful tax relief as well as a tax credit for paid family and medical leave, while expressing opposition to cuts to Medicaid, Marketplace health coverage, and food assistance as well as the policy to keep prescription drug prices high for certain types of drugs. (PDF)
L: On Monday, June 16, AARP responded to a request for information from CMS and the HHS Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy seeking stakeholder input on digital health products and how health technology could be more useful for people with Medicare. AARP’s comments focused on the consumer perspective and emphasized the need for privacy and security with people’s health data. (PDF)
C: On June 10, AARP submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) on the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update (CMS-1835-P). Our comments focus on the Request for Input (RFI) on Quality Reporting Measures, specifically those related to interoperability, well-being, and nutrition. (PDF)
L: On June 6th, AARP sent a letter to Representative Taylor (R-OH) and Representative Schakowsky (D-IL) expressing support for the Drug-Price Transparency for Consumers (DTC) Act of 2025 (H.R. 3789). This bill would require drug manufacturers to include the monthly price of certain drugs in direct-to-consumer advertisements. AARP’s letter shares that this bill is another step to hold big drug companies accountable and empower patients to make informed decisions when faced with ubiquitous drug advertising. (PDF)
L: On June 5, AARP sent a letter to Senators Marshall (R-KS) and Warner (D-VA) endorsing the Improving Seniors Timely Access to Care Act of 2025. The bill would enact a number of consumer protections aimed at protecting Medicare Advantage beneficiaries from inappropriate prior authorization denials. These provisions include new data submission requirements to CMS by Medicare Advantage insurers and a directive to the Secretary of HHS to improve and better streamline real-time and expedited prior authorization determinations. (PDF)
L: On June 5, AARP sent a letter to Representatives Kelly (R-PA), DelBene (D-WA), Joyce (R-PA), and Bera (D-CA) endorsing the Improving Seniors Timely Access to Care Act of 2025. The bill would enact a number of consumer protections aimed at protecting Medicare Advantage beneficiaries from inappropriate prior authorization denials. These provisions include new data submission requirements to CMS by Medicare Advantage insurers and a directive to the Secretary of HHS to improve and better streamline real-time and expedited prior authorization determinations. (PDF)
May
L: On May 21, 2025, AARP sent a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of the U.S. House of Representatives sharing AARP’s views on several key provisions under consideration in the House’s budget reconciliation process. AARP noted the challenges expressed by their membership including the rising cost of groceries, the soaring price of prescription drugs, and the growing number of family caregivers stretched thin as they try to care for their loved ones while keeping their jobs, among others. Support was expressed for meaningful tax relief as well as a tax credit for paid family and medical leave, while expressing concerns for cuts to Medicaid, Marketplace health coverage, and food assistance as well as the policy to keep prescription drug prices high for certain types of drugs. (PDF)
L: On May 13, 2025, AARP sent a letter to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Committee on Agriculture expressing our positions on nutrition-related provisions in the Committee’s budget reconciliation proposal. The letter highlights serious concerns that the bill could reduce access to SNAP benefits for millions of older Americans, particularly by expanding work requirements, restricting state waiver flexibility, and shifting funding burdens onto already-strained state budgets. AARP also urged the Committee to reconsider a proposal that would block future updates to the Thrifty Food Plan, which helps ensure SNAP benefits keep pace with rising food costs. With food insecurity rising among older adults, the letter calls on Congress to protect and strengthen nutrition assistance programs (PDF)
L: On May 13, 2025, AARP sent a letter to the House Energy & Commerce Committee leadership, sharing its views on several health care provisions in the budget reconciliation proposal. The letter highlights AARP's support for bipartisan reforms concerning Pharmacy Benefit Managers but also raises serious concerns about the Medicaid proposals. The bill, as written, introduces broad new Medicaid work requirements, with only narrow exemptions for caregivers, delays crucial new regulations aimed at improving the system, effectively repeals necessary nursing home staffing standards designed to protect residents, and implements other significant changes. AARP urges the Committee to reconsider these harmful provisions and to focus on reforms that will strengthen the health care system relied upon by millions of Americans aged 50 and older. (PDF)
L: On May 5, 2025, AARP sent a letter to Representatives Budzinski (D-IL), Frankel (D-FL), Kiggans (R-VA), Bergman (R-MI), and Bilirakis (R-FL) in support of the Supporting Access to Falls Education and Prevention and Strengthening Training Efforts and Promoting Safety Initiatives (SAFE STEPS) for Veterans Act of 2025. The bill would help prevent falls among veterans by establishing an Office of Falls Prevention in the Department of Veterans Affairs, establishing a national public education campaign, developing research on evidenced-based falls prevention programs for veterans, helping to ensure safe patient handling and mobility policies, and providing falls risk assessment and fall prevention services for certain veterans. (PDF)
L: On May 1st, AARP and Patients for Affordable Drugs Now sent a letter to Congressional committee leaders pushing back on H.R. 1492 — a bill that would make it harder for Medicare to get better deals on drug prices. The letter urges Congress not to side with drug companies over American seniors and taxpayers, and instead protect the new Medicare negotiation program that’s finally starting to lower prices. It also highlights that this policy is overwhelmingly popular with voters across party lines — including two-thirds of all Americans — who want Congress to expand, not weaken, Medicare’s power to negotiate better deals on drug prices. (PDF)
L: On May 1, 2025, AARP sent a letter to Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) endorsing the bipartisan Lowering Costs for Caregivers Act. This bill would allow family caregivers to use their pre-tax health expense accounts (e.g., HSAs and FSAs) to pay for costs related to a parent or parent-in-law, in addition to their spouse and dependents as currently permitted by law. The bill would be an important step to help alleviate the financial challenges that millions of family caregivers experience every day, particularly those in the “sandwich generation” who are caring for both their parents and their own children. (PDF)
April
L: On April 15, 2025, AARP sent a letter to Senators King (I-ME) and Rounds (R-SD) in support of the Supporting Access to Falls Education and Prevention and Strengthening Training Efforts and Promoting Safety Initiatives (SAFE STEPS) for Veterans Act of 2025. The bill would help prevent falls among veterans by establishing an Office of Falls Prevention in the Department of Veterans Affairs, establishing a national public education campaign, developing research on evidenced-based falls prevention programs for veterans, helping to ensure safe patient handling and mobility policies, and providing falls risk assessment and fall prevention services for certain veterans. (PDF)
C: On April 11, AARP submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) on the 2025 Marketplace Integrity and Affordability Proposed Rule. The proposed rules aim to protect consumers from improper enrollments and changes to their health care coverage and focus on strengthening the overall integrity of exchange Marketplaces. Our comments focus on the impacts of shortening annual and special enrollment periods on consumers and maintaining a state’s right to adjust Essential Health Benefits (EHB) benchmarks to meet the needs of their residents. (PDF)
L: On April 2nd, AARP, as part of the Modern Medicaid Alliance (MMA) coalition, signed on to a letter to House and Senate Leadership, emphasizing the vital role that Medicaid plays in access to care for millions of Americans, including seniors. The letter, signed by over 90 organizations, urged Congressional Leadership to reject any proposals that would cut Medicaid as work continues to develop the joint fiscal year 2025 budget resolution. (PDF)
L: On April 2, 2025, AARP sent a letter to Representatives Langworthy (R-NY) and Tokuda (D-HI) endorsing the Lifespan Respite Care Reauthorization Act of 2025. The bill would reauthorize the Lifespan Respite Care Program through Fiscal Year 2029 and enable the program to serve family caregivers under age 18. The program helps family caregivers caring for loved ones regardless of age or disability, including by providing respite services, training respite workers and volunteers, providing information about and assistance in accessing services, and better coordinating services. Respite care provides family caregivers with short breaks from their caregiving responsibilities. (PDF)
L: On April 1, AARP sent a letter to Senator Klobuchar (D-MN) and Senator Grassley (R-IA), expressing support for two bills aimed at boosting competition in the prescription drug market and improving seniors’ access to affordable medications. The Preserving Access to Affordable Generics and Biosimilars Act would crack down on the anti-competitive practice of pay-for-delay deals – lucrative agreements where brand-name drug companies compensate generic and biosimilar drug companies to delay market entry. The Stop STALLING Act would rein in brand name drug companies who file baseless citizen petitions with the FDA to delay the approval of generic and biosimilar drugs that would compete with their products. Together, these bills would help speed the availability of lower-priced prescription drugs for patients and taxpayers. (PDF)
L: On April 1, AARP endorsed the Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act of 2025. This bipartisan bill permanently removes many barriers that would otherwise prevent Medicare beneficiaries from receiving coverage for telehealth services. The bill is sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI), Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT), and Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY). A House companion bill is forthcoming. (PDF)
L: On April 1, AARP endorsed the National Nursing Workforce Center Act. The bipartisan legislation would support our national nursing workforce through better information gathering and coordinating of policies at the state and federal levels. The bill is introduced in the Senate by Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) and Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC). (PDF)
March
L: On March 31, 2025, AARP sent letters to Senators Markey (D-MA) and Capito (R-WV) and Representatives Cammack (R-FL) and Magaziner (D-RI) endorsing the Alleviating Barriers for Caregivers Act. The bill would help reduce red tape for family caregivers in Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security programs, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. It could help reduce the frustration family caregivers face and save them valuable time in their caregiving role. (Senate-PDF) (House-PDF)
L: On March 26th, AARP sent a letter to Senator Cornyn (R-TX) and Senator Blumenthal (D-CT, expressing support for two bills aimed at increasing competition in the prescription drug market. The Drug Competition Enhancement Act would end the harmful practice of “product hopping,” a tactic that brand name drug companies use to avoid competition from more affordable generic or biosimilar drugs. The second bill, the Affordable Prescriptions for Patients Act, would crack down on the practice of “patent thickets,” where drug companies apply for multiple patents – sometimes hundreds – covering minor changes to the same drug, all to avoid competition. These bills would boost competition and speed up consumers’ access to innovative and affordable prescription drugs. (PDF)
C: On March 25, AARP submitted a statement for the record in response to an earlier hearing held by the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee entitled After the Hospital: Ensuring Access to Quality Post-Acute Care. AARP’s statement emphasizes the importance of policies that would support family caregivers, improve nursing home quality, expand access to post-acute care and home health, ensure continued access to telehealth (including related to hospital at home), and increase financial transparency for long-term care providers. (PDF)
L: On March 21, AARP sent a letter to Senators Durbin (D-IL) and Tillis (R-NC) in support of the Interagency Patent Coordination and Improvement Act of 2025. This bill would create a task force between the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to improve information sharing about drug patents. Stronger collaboration between these agencies can help prevent unnecessary delays in bringing more affordable generic and biosimilar drugs to market, ensuring that older adults and all consumers have access to safe, effective, and affordable medications. (PDF)
L: On March 14, 2025, AARP sent letters to Representatives Miller (R-WV) and Stansbury (D-NM) in support of the Stopping Addiction and Falls for the Elderly (SAFE) Act. The SAFE Act would enable physicians to refer at-risk Medicare beneficiaries to a physical or occupational therapist for an initial falls risk assessment and prevention visit without cost sharing. Removing this financial barrier would help identify and address fall risks, prevent falls, and reduce the expenses tied to fall-related treatments. The bipartisan bill would play an important role in preventing falls among our nation’s older adults, helping them stay safe, healthy, and independent. (PDF)
C: On March 13, 2025, AARP submitted a response to a Request for Information from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) regarding the impact of ageism in health care. The response acknowledges the significant consequences of age discrimination in health care, and recommends a multi-faceted approach that includes expanding research on age discrimination, increasing the adoption of Age-Friendly Health Systems, enhancing geriatric training for health care providers, and ensuring equitable access to clinical trials. Additionally, AARP urges stronger oversight of AI-driven health care decisions to prevent bias, improvements in emergency and crisis care standards to safeguard older adults, and greater recognition of family caregivers' roles in health care. (PDF)
L: On March 11, 2025, AARP endorsed the Credit for Caring Act led by Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Representatives Mike Carey (R-OH) and Linda Sánchez (D-CA). The bill would provide an up to $5,000 nonrefundable federal tax credit for eligible working family caregivers to help offset a portion of out-of-pocket caregiving expenses and provide much-needed financial relief. (House-PDF) (Senate-PDF)
L: On March 6, 2025, AARP urged the Senate Finance Committee and House Energy & Commerce Committee to protect Medicaid for millions of older Americans and people with disabilities. In a letter to Senate Finance Chairman Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR) and House Energy & Commerce Chairman Brett Guthrie (R-KY) and Ranking Member Frank Pallone (D-NJ), AARP emphasized Medicaid’s critical role in ensuring access to health care and long-term services, particularly for the more than 2.7 million Americans aged 50 and older in rural areas. The letter warned against cuts that could threaten essential care, disrupt long-term services, and burden older Americans with additional costs or red tape. AARP called for reforms to strengthen Medicaid’s support for home and community-based care while opposing proposals that would reduce eligibility or shift costs to states. (House-PDF) (Senate-PDF)
L: On March 6, 2025, AARP sent letters to House and Senate Agriculture Committee leadership, urging both committees to protect the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for older Americans. The letter highlights the growing food insecurity among older adults—affecting 12.6 million in 2023—and underscores SNAP’s critical role in helping seniors afford nutritious food, especially as grocery prices remain high. (House-PDF) (Senate-PDF)
L: On March 4, 2025, AARP sent a letter to Senators Collins (R-ME) and Baldwin (D-WI) endorsing the Lifespan Respite Care Reauthorization Act of 2025. The bill would reauthorize the Lifespan Respite Care Program through Fiscal Year 2030 and enable the program to serve family caregivers under age 18. The program helps family caregivers caring for loved ones regardless of age or disability, including by providing respite services, training respite workers and volunteers, providing information about and assistance in accessing services, and better coordinating services. Respite care provides family caregivers with short breaks from their caregiving responsibilities. (PDF)
February
L: On February 28, 2025, AARP endorsed the Improving Care and Access to Nurses (I CAN) Act of 2025 (H.R. 1317/S. 575). The bill is led by Rep. David Joyce (R-OH), Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Rep. Jennifer Kiggans (R-VA), Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-IL), and Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL) in the House, and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) in the Senate. This bill would update rules to reflect best practices enabling Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries to have direct access to Advance Practice Registered Nurses and other licensed clinicians. Optimizing the existing health care workforce will help improve access and availability for people needing care. (House-PDF) (Senate-PDF)
S: On February 26, 2025, AARP submitted a Statement for the Record for the House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Health’s hearing titled, “An Examination of How Reining in PBMs Will Drive Competition and Lower Costs for Patients.” The statement emphasizes the need for more transparency, accountability, and competition in the prescription drug market – including tackling harmful PBM practices that contribute to high drug prices. Comments call for bipartisan, comprehensive PBM reform and to ensure consumers, especially seniors, benefit from lower drug prices. (PDF)
L: On February 25, 2025, AARP endorsed the Improving Measurements for Loneliness and Isolation Act sponsored by Representatives Mike Flood (R-NE) and Ami Bera, MD (D-CA). The bill would establish a working group to formulate recommendations for standardizing the measurements of loneliness and isolation, an important step to help address isolation and loneliness and consistent with recommendations of the previous U.S. Surgeon General and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (PDF)
L: On February 11, 2025, AARP endorsed two bills led by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), which would crack down on bad pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) behavior. The Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) Transparency Act of 2025 would prohibit “spread pricing,” where a PBM charges insurance plans more for a drug than what they pay the pharmacy and keeps the difference. The Prescription Pricing for the People Act of 2025 would require the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to examine the role of PBMs in the supply chain and provide Congress with policy recommendations to improve transparency and competition. These bills aim to increase transparency and accountability in the prescription drug supply chain, which will help lower costs for consumers and taxpayers. (PDF)
January
C: On Monday, January 27th, AARP submitted comments on proposed 2026 changes to Medicare prescription drug programs and Medicare Advantage. The changes include implementing several consumer benefits in 2026 and beyond, such as $0 cost-sharing for recommended adult vaccines and a $35 cap on insulin costs. AARP also supports the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan, which allows enrollees to spread out-of-pocket drug costs over monthly payments, easing financial burdens. AARP backs measures to ensure equitable access to behavioral health services and improve transparency in Medicare Advantage plan networks. The letter emphasizes clear communication and protections against deceptive marketing, highlighting the need for high-quality, affordable healthcare options and informed choices for Medicare beneficiaries. (PDF)
L: On January 23rd, AARP sent a letter to Senator Grassley (R-IA) and Senator Durbin (D-IL) expressing support for the Drug-Price Transparency for Consumers (DTC) Act of 2025. This bill would require drug manufacturers to include the monthly price of certain drugs in direct-to-consumer advertisements. AARP’s letter notes that this bill is another step to hold big drug companies accountable and empower patients to make informed decisions when faced with ubiquitous drug advertising. (PDF)
S: AARP submitted a written statement for the record to the House Ways and Means Committee for its January 14 hearing on The Need to Make Permanent the Trump Tax Cuts for Working Families. AARP’s statement discusses the financial challenges family caregivers face and we urge the committee to include the Credit for Caring Act and the Lowering Costs for Caregivers Act in any tax package this year. (PDF)
L: On January 9, 2025, AARP sent a letter to Representatives Vern Buchanan (R-FL) and Mike Thompson (D-CA) endorsing the bipartisan Lowering Costs for Caregivers Act. This bill would allow family caregivers to use their pre-tax health expense accounts (e.g., HSAs and FSAs) to pay for costs related to a parent or parent-in-law, in addition to their spouse and dependents as currently permitted by law. The bill would be an important step to help alleviate the financial challenges that millions of family caregivers experience every day, particularly those in the “sandwich generation” who are caring for both their parents and their own children. (PDF)
L: On January 7, 2025, AARP, along with more than 100 other signatories, sent a letter to Congress urging the enactment of financial relief for family caregivers by including the bipartisan, bicameral Credit for Caring Act (S. 3702/H.R. 7165 in the 118th Congress) in any tax legislation they advance in the 119th Congress. This legislation would create a new, non-refundable federal tax credit of up to $5,000 for eligible working family caregivers to help address the financial challenges of caregiving. (PDF)
