The AARP Public Policy Institute's nonpartisan policy analysis focuses on issues of critical importance to older Americans and draws on the work of experts across the ideological spectrum.

May 2021 Employment Data Digest

The latest monthly digest of employment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) examines the findings from the Employment Situation Report. It takes a closer look at employment data for people ages 55 and over, including labor force participation, employment rates, and duration of unemployment.

From Short-Term Financial Well-Being to Long-Term Financial Security

This paper examines how financial well-bbeing (FWB) evolves over time, what factors and behaviors are most predictive of large increases or decreases in FWB, and whether these relationships may have changed following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Changing Picture of Who Claims Social Security Early

As individuals approach their 60s, they face the important decision about when to start claiming Social Security retirement benefits. This report examines the characteristics of those who decide to start collecting at the early eligibility age of 62 compared with those who wait until later. 

The Consequences of Claiming Social Security Benefits at Age 62

This paper by Philip Armour and David Knapp of the RAND Corporation asks what financial consequences the decision to collect Social Security early might have for the individual over time. 

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Rx Price Watch Report: Trends in Retail Prices of Brand Name Prescription Drugs Widely Used by Older Americans, 2006 to 2020

The latest Rx Price Watch report by Leigh Purvis and Dr. Stephen W. Schondelmeyer finds that retail price increases for widely used brand name prescription drugs consistently exceeded the rate of general inflation between 2006 and 2020. 

Drug Price Increases That Exceed Inflation Are Costing Medicare Part D Billions

This AARP Public Policy Institute Spotlight finds that Medicare Part D is spending billions on drug prices that are increasing faster than inflation.

The COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout: How the Current Vaccine Environment Could Impact Uptake among Adults 50 and Older

This report examines the current vaccine landscape and explores how key factors— including unfavorable attitudes toward vaccines and vaccination access and infrastructure—may limit the number of adults ages 50 and older receiving COVID-19 vaccines. 

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Long-Term Services & Supports State Scorecard

A State Scorecard on Long-Term Services and Supports for Older Adults, People with Physical Disabilities, and Family Caregivers

LTSS Choices: International Review of Innovations to Protect Nursing Home Residents from Infectious Diseases such as COVID-19

This report reviews the international community’s experience with the COVID-19 pandemic in nursing homes, focusing on the experiences of some countries that have had relatively few deaths in their residential care facilities: how they prepare for pandemics in general, how they responded to the pandemic and how their long-term care infrastructure improved outcomes. It also covers international experts’ recommendations for improving how nursing homes and assisted living facilities respond to infectious disease.

LTSS Choices: Presumptive Eligibility for Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services Can Expand Consumer Choice

This report explores how presumptive eligibility can empower consumers to access publicly funded home- and community-based services (HCBS) without lengthy determination delays.

LTSS Choices: Paying Family Caregivers to Provide Care during the Pandemic-and Beyond

Medicaid is the primary funder of long-term services and supports (LTSS) in the United States. It provides those services and supports either through institutional care (i.e., nursing home care) or home- and community-based services (HCBS). This report explains that one cost-effective HCBS option with multiple advantages is to pay family members to provide care for older people and adults with physical disabilities.

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Caring Locally for Caregivers: How State and Local Laws Protect Family Caregivers from Discrimination at Work

Workplace discrimination against employees who care for adult family members, called Family Responsibilities Discrimination (FRD) or caregiver discrimination, is an escalating problem that can disadvantage employees and put employers at legal risk. This report details the ways in which state and local laws fill in the gaps left by federal law by prohibiting employment discrimination that occurs because of family caregiving.

Managing a Paid Job and Family Caregiving is a Growing Reality

The 2020 Caregiving in the U.S. report revealed an increase of more than 5 million employed family caregivers since 2015. This report takes a deeper look into the Caregiving in the US data at the nearly 30 million Americans who are caring for an ill friend or family member while also working at a paying job. It highlights the impacts and challenges of managing both responsibilities, and it identifies what’s changed since 2015.

Caregiving in the United States 2020

First conducted in 1997 by the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP, Caregiving in the U.S. 2020 update presents a portrait of unpaid family caregivers. Family caregivers now encompass more than one in five Americans. The study also reveals that family caregivers are in worse health compared to five years ago. 

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