shAARP Talk: Observations from AARP

Before a busy day of campaigning, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee was slotted to take a jog around Gray's Lake today. While campaigning, Huckabee has continuously emphasized the importance of incentives for preventative measures to encourage healthy and active lifestyles. The former Arkansas Governor recently lost over 100 lbs. and has competed in several marathons.

Huckabee also held a press conference, got a haircut and was scheduled to meet with volunteers in the Des Moines area today. For New Year's the Governor will celebrate with supporters and Chuck Norris in West Des Moines.

Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, Mitt Romney, Joe Biden, Chris Dodd and Bill Richardson are also expected to be celebrating New Year's in Iowa.

Before a crown of 200+ in Mason City on Sunday, Senator Joe Biden tried to drive home the message that he is most the prepared candidate to be the next President.

Biden, who is typically known for drawing on his foreign relations experience, also spoke extensively about the need to act on health care reform. "Champions for Change" heard the Senator indirectly reference Divided We Fail - stating - "This is the first time in history that business and labor agree that we need some kind of national health plan." He argued that, if elected, he would be able to capitalize on this unique political climate by bringing together Democrats and Republicans to enact meaningful reforms to the health care system.

Biden made three other campaign stops on Sunday in Northwest Iowa.

The Presidential candidates have seen the red shirts across Iowa, they have answered health care and financial security questions from volunteers, and many have even participated in Divided We Fail candidate forums – but that is not all – thirteen candidates have also signed a DividedWeFail.org t-shirt that volunteers got signed at candidate events around Iowa. The first candidate to sign the shirt was Senator Chris Dodd back in April and the most recent signature came from Congressman Ron Paul just this week.

When volunteers bring the mounted t-shirt to events it is typically ogled by other event attendees, the media and even some of the candidates – but we can’t blame them – it is quite rare to see all of these famous signatures on a large size, 100% cotton t-shirt.

Check out this article about health care in today’s Des Moines Register.

A sunshine-drenched morning in central Iowa set the stage for another day of intense campaigning by former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

A red-shirted Divided We Fail volunteer attended an appearance by Romney at an Altoona diner. Despite limited parking and an overflow crowd at the restaurant, the volunteer made it in to hear Romney stress the importance of health care reform – saying it should be solved predominantly by market forces.

“Champions or Change” were also front-and-center for rally at Rudy Giuliani’s Iowa HQ early this morning. The former mayor was literally engulfed by the media – that made up about half of the 100+ that were packed into his small, strip-mall office in Clive. During his brief remarks, Giuliani spoke mostly on national security. He did mention the importance of health care reform – stressing that it should not lead to more government control of the system.

Rudy and Mitt will spend the rest of their Saturday campaigning in Southeast Iowa.

Despite a fresh four inches of snow that fell overnight across Iowa, the candidates continued their push to the Iowa Caucuses – with six days to go.

Foreign policy continued to dominate conversation at many candidate events today. “Champions for Change” were present for a speech by New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson at the Des Moines Botanical Center, who spoke extensively to a crowd of 200+ about the looming situation in Pakistan.

Senator Chris Dodd also spoke at length about troubles abroad. After the rally, the Senator greeted a group of Divided We Fail volunteers and thanked them for their hard work during this long campaign cycle.

“Champions for Change” attended an appearance by Senator Hillary Clinton in Story City today. The Senator was quick to address troubles in Pakistan and concerns about terrorism, but she also set aside good deal of time for domestic issues. Clinton addressed the millions of uninsured Americans, extending health coverage to rural areas and the importance of passing SCHIP. The Senator also addressed the mortgage lending crisis – and stressed the need to protect the financial security of all Americans.

Tomorrow is a Saturday, but there is no time for a weekend break with the caucus just days away! Stay-tuned for more candidate briefs.

Last night, an appearance by Texas Congressman Ron Paul drew a couple “Champions for Change.” This event was different though, definitely like no other campaign event we had seen before. The crowd was made up of hundreds of college-aged students who came to Iowa from around the country to door-knock and phone call for Paul. Paul who is running for the Republican nomination (and described by many as a libertarian), spoke in detail about how government should not interfere in your life and how the United States should end the war in Iraq. His message drew a huge reception from the group who had come from near and far to dedicate their next week to Dr. Paul.

Dr. Paul did not directly address the issues of health care or financial security in his speech, but generally spoke about less government intervention in the lives of all Americans.

The group of college-aged students will be housed at a camp north of Des Moines and work to get out the vote for Dr. Paul through the caucus.

I just received a message from a Divided We Fail volunteer in Southeast Iowa who reported recently meeting with Mrs. Obama at a campaign event and meeting Mrs. Dodd at a separate campaign event. Apparently both meetings were positive experiences and both spouses were receptive to concerns about health care and long-term financial security.

You might think this kind of meeting is unusual, but often candidates send a spouse to events they cannot attend. Our hope is that the spouse relays concerns and questions back to their significant other

Another interesting encounter (involving a spouse) happened a couple of weeks ago when a group of volunteers were at an event featuring Mike Huckabee. While the former Governor was working the crowd with his wife, they encountered one of the Divided We Fail volunteers – who she apparently recognized from other events. Mrs. Huckabee immediately greeted the volunteer and gave him a big hug. It was quite a shock to the rest of the group. I guess Iowans really get the chance to know the candidates… and their spouses!

Over the past ten months (if not longer) presidential candidates have been frequenting Iowa. During this period of time the level of excitement has been somewhat like a roller coaster - the candidates come and go, they are up and down in the polls, etc. It looks like that roller coaster has now hit a very long hill - seven nights from tonight that coaster will finally hit its peak.

All along the way hundreds of Divided We Fail volunteers (known as Champions for Change) and team members across Iowa have been out in their red t-shirts questioning the candidates on health care and financial security issues. Today has been no different.

Virtually every candidate running for president is in the state today. They are spread out to hit the different media markets and to make last stops in their favorite Iowa towns. Many of their schedules include four or five campaign events - which for most might seem totally crazy! But with seven days to go they are really trying to maximize their time and persuade the famously-undecided Iowa caucus goers.

Events today were dominated by the news of the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. Despite this news, Senator John McCain gave the Divided We Fail "Champions for Change" a shout-out in front of a crowd of 300+ at a town hall event in Urbandale. Senator McCain also addressed a health care question from the audience - emphasizing that preserving the quality of health care in America is paramount.

During a stop on Fred Thompson's bus tour (literally across the street from the McCain event), the former Senator was also quick to address problems in Pakistan, but he didn't just talk about foreign policy issues, he also mentioned a top priority of his, if elected, would be to save Social Security.

"Champions for Change" were also at an event featuring Senator Barack Obama in Des Moines. Before an estimated crowd of 400+ Obama said that the health care system was broken and he was the man to fix it. He shared an example of a woman he met in Cedar Rapids who has to work multiple jobs to pay for health insurance.

I hope to post as much as possible over the next seven days. Please continue to check back for the latest info on what is happening on the ground in Iowa.

Over the next week, blogging may be lighter than usual due to the holidays. But, we will have a guest blogger who is covering the Iowa caucuses. Mark Fetterhoff, who works with AARP Iowa as part of Divided We Fail will be giving all of you the highlights of the Iowa caucuses. Look to Mark for some of the fun and games unfolding in Iowa.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1207/7486.htmlPolitico: Obama struggles to feel voters' pain

Burt later appeared in a radio ad for AARP, and works with New Hampshire for Health Care, an advocacy project of the Service Employees International Union. She said she has talked with Edwards, Obama, Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson.

USA Today: Voters' questions increase as N.H. primaries near

As the Jan. 8 primary draws closer, more political questions seem to be getting raised than answered. The results from New Hampshire likely will propel some candidacies and end others. But the contests in both parties are tightening, making predictions perilous, and more than 40% of those surveyed in a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll this week say they may change their minds.

New York Times: Economy Enjoyed a Summer Sprint, but Mortgage Crisis Expected to Slow Pace in Final Quarter

The economy sprinted ahead at its fastest pace in four years during the summer, but it is expected to limp through the final three months of this year as housing and credit problems weigh on individuals and businesses alike.

Wall Street Journal: Fraud Seen as a Driver In Wave of Foreclosures

Skyrocketing foreclosures are a testament to how easy it was to borrow from mortgage lenders in recent years.

It may also have been easy to steal from them, to judge from a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme that federal prosecutors unraveled here in Atlanta.

The green thing is not just for kids. As Ray mentioned below, USA Today picks up a new report out from AARP Services and Focalyst on boomers and how social consciousness is alive and kicking when it comes to how they spend their money. According to the survey results 40-million boomers vote with their wallets and buy environmentally safe brands. Referred to as “Green Boomers,” this large segment is often more demanding of quality in the products and services they buy, more attuned to advertising, both positively and negatively, and exhibit higher brand loyalty than other boomers.

Good to know if you are thinking about last minute holiday gifts.

USA Today: Boomers discover that it's easy being green

There are now 40 million so-called "green boomers" in the United States, according to a survey being released today by AARP, formerly the American Association of Retired Persons. That's more than half of all boomers, which, at 79 million, make up the largest generation in U.S. history.

The Hill: GOP turning its message to healthcare

Senior Senate Republicans finessing their election-year message are emphasizing that their conference will need to take a more prominent role on healthcare to win sorely needed independent voters in their uphill bid to retake the majority in 2008.

Associated Press: Study: Cancer deaths double for uninsured

Uninsured cancer patients are nearly twice as likely to die within five years as those with private coverage, according to the first national study of its kind and one that sheds light on health-care obstacles.

Associated Press: Federal Home Heating Aid Gets Boost

The government's Low Income Home Energy Assistance program would get roughly $409 million more in a year-end budget bill Congress approved Wednesday. Fuel aid advocates praised the increase, but warned it won't be enough to keep pace with record home heating oil prices, particularly in the Northeast.

Last night, AARP was lucky enough to sponsor a reception and movie screening of The Bucket List starring Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson to benefit Plan!t Now formally known as The Grenada Relief Fund. Check out some fun video from the event.

In case you didn’t know, Plan!t Now is a charity that Freeman works closely with. It is working in the US and other countries’ coastal regions as well as the people of the Caribbean islands to provide companies, groups and individuals in these areas with unique information that will assist them in protecting their homes and businesses, and upgrading for the sake of preparedness before severe storms and hurricanes hit.

Associated Press: Doctors Get Reprieve on Medicare Cut

The AARP described the short-term fix for doctors as woefully inadequate.

"Enactment of this legislation does little to protect millions of Medicare beneficiaries from higher monthly premiums and only temporarily averts the problems beneficiaries would face finding a physician if payment cuts take place," said David Sloane, AARP's director of government relations.

Wall Street Journal: California Takes Fiscal-Stress Test

California's projected budget shortfall during the next two years is precipitated in part by the subprime-mortgage collapse, which is also wreaking havoc in other states as borrowers default or curb their spending to cope with higher rates on adjustable-rate loans.

Los Angeles Times: Fed looks to rein in lenders

Proposed mortgage rules include greater disclosure. Consumer advocates say the steps won't halt bad loans.

Associated Press: Child Health Plan to Be Expanded

Under an agreement to be unveiled on Wednesday, New Jersey will offer low-cost health coverage for the children of families who lack insurance but who earn too much for government help.

Wow has Congress has missed the boat on health care this year! The package of Medicare improvements winding its way through the Senate only helps Congress get out of town. Instead of taking the opportunity to help Medicare beneficiaries by keeping premiums affordable or permanently fixing the payment cuts that could drive doctors out of Medicare, they punted.

How many times have we seen this? It's time for real action and answers on these important issues. This is the stuff that affects all of us.

Boston Globe: Out-of-pocket elder expenses strain caregivers' finances, lives

"There is a financial toll taken because you're not in a position of choice, you're in a position of need," says Elinor Ginzler, AARP's director of livable communities and the coauthor of Caring for Your Parents: The Complete AARP Guide. "You're also physically and emotionally spent. You're not a good consumer."

Cox: Developers awarded for age-friendly home designs

Nine out of 10 Americans who are 50 and older say they hope to stay in their current homes and communities as they age, according to the AARP, the nation's largest organization for that age group. For this reason, builders and developers have been incorporating "universal design" features into their plans, such as step-free entryways, extra-wide hallways and showers, and bend-free kitchens.

New York Times: California Moves Toward Universal Health Care

California moved significantly closer to enacting a broad expansion of health insurance coverage Monday when the Democratic-controlled Assembly passed legislation that has the backing of the Republican governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Wall Street Journal: Bush Touts Plan for Crises

President Bush and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson began a full-court press to make the administration's case that it has the housing and credit situations well in hand.

This weekend was a big one for health care along the campaign trail: Senator Clinton in New Hampshire getting asked lots of questions, Governor Romney on television talking about the issue of mandates in health care, and Senator Obama and former Senator Edwards sparring over their health care proposals.

It’s good that there’s talk, but it is also time for action. After the Children’s Health Insurance Program was vetoed again last week, it begs the question about how serious politicians are about actually doing something when it comes to health care. Guess the season for determining that is upon us.

Gannett: Age discrimination law turns 40

Rother discusses the impact of the act, which turns 40 years old this month.

Washington Post: How to Hop Off the Fast Track

"You are not alone," said Deborah Russell, director for workforce issues at AARP, the seniors' organization. She said AARP's surveys of workers 50 and older indicate that many baby boomers plan to work past traditional retirement age -- but they do want to work differently, just as you do.

US News & World Report: How to Spend Enough in Retirement

"People are so concerned about outliving their nest eggs that they will skimp on certain expenses," says Jean Setzfand, director of AARP's economic issues agenda.

Los Angeles Times: Gov., Nuñez forge a health plan

After nearly a year of often tortuous negotiations, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez have settled on a plan to extend health insurance to 3.6 million Californians who lack it through a new tax on all employers and tobacco sales, officials said Friday.

Here’s a dispatch from my colleague, Jamie Bulen in New Hampshire from an AARP event where Governor Richardson spoke to some members:

“Media today included a fifth grade reporter and two videographers - accompanied by their principal – from Beaver Meadow Elementary School. What a hoot. They were reporting for Scholastic News and were able to ask questions of the Governor before the event started. The two things that interested them: (!) Why should my parents vote for you? (2) What was the most important thing you learned in 5th grade. Cool!

"I had to help some folks so I only heard a bit of the Governor’s response, but he talked about a 5th grade teacher that really pushed him to succeed.”

They certainly learn young these days, don’t they?

A lot is happening in New Hampshire too. The entire Congressional delegation, the Governor, Executive Council and all 24 members of the State Senate have all committed to working to make health and financial security a priority. This is good news considering that a new poll of AARP members in New Hampshire shows that over 60 percent of those who say they plan to vote in the primary consider financial security an important issues and concerns about healthcare continue to climb.

You can join these elected officials by signing the pledge.

Marketwatch: U.S. budget path 'unsustainable,' CBO says

"In the absence of significant changes in policy, rising costs for health care and the aging of the U.S. population will cause federal spending to grow rapidly" in coming years, the Congressional Budget Office warned in its annual long-term budget outlook.

Los Angeles Times: Defining government's role in healthcare

When the year began, the expectation was that the new Democratic-led Congress and President Bush would make some headway on the problem many voters placed at the top of the nation's domestic agenda -- healthcare for the uninsured and rising medical costs that are squeezing the middle class.

USA Today: Too many 401(k)s still have too much company stock

On average, employees have 21.9% of their 401(k) money invested in their employer's stock, according to a 2006 report by Hewitt Associates, the human-resources consulting firm.

Chicago Tribune: Rule grounding pilots at age 60 may be overturned

A controversial rule mandating that U.S. airline pilots retire by their 60th birthdays appears likely to be repealed, ending a half-century of infighting among pilots.

An article in the Washington Post this week highlights the perfect holiday gift…. A gift card for health care. Unfortunately, you can't gift your way to decent health.

Check out the latest from us on the Huffington Post.

Check it out... Perez Hilton talks about how cool Divided We Fail is.

Los Angeles Times: Guardianship abuses get Senate attention

Their innovations show that effective oversight is more a matter of will than of money, said Naomi Karp, the study's co-author and the strategic advisor for AARP's Public Policy Institute.

"It's not really rocket science and it's not really expensive," Karp said. "In all cases, there's at least one person who's a real visionary who is dedicated to getting it done."

USA Today: Congress votes to extend pilots' retirement age to 65

The Senate approved a measure late Wednesday allowing airline pilots to continue flying past age 60.

Associated Press: Panel Looks at Reverse Mortgages

Senate Panel Examining Rise of Reverse Mortgages, Need for Consumer Protection for Seniors

UPI: Better home healthcare for older adults

The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, reports the community-based system to deliver care to low-income older adults was very popular with patients and their doctors.

While there is still a lot of concern and talk about mortgages overall, there’s another side of the mortgage market that folks should be aware of – the reverse mortgage market.

What’s a reverse mortgage? It’s complicated, but it’s a loan available to those 62 and over that does not have to be paid back for as long as the person lives there. Because there are no monthly payments, the amount owed grows larger over time. As the debt grows larger, the amount of cash that would be available after selling and paying off the loan (the equity) generally grows smaller.

The Senate Aging Committee is examining this issue today, as is a new AARP report that is fresh off the presses. Two things of note from the study: Use of reverse mortgages is growing; over the last seven years, the number has grown nearly threefold. Also, while reverse mortgages can be a promising way to help those who are 62 and over, there are still concerns about high costs and abusive marketing practices.

In these uncertain economic times, it is important for folks to read the fine print and learn the right and wrong reasons to get (and spend) a reverse mortgage. Also, you should talk to someone who knows about this stuff and you can trust before you make any decisions. Check out some good advice on reverse mortgages before you make any decisions for yourself or your parents.

Mr. Orszag (head of the Congressional Budget Office) in the Wall Street Journal brings us today’s ah ha moment “…we have to pay even more attention to the health-care costs that exert the dominant influence on our fiscal future.” It’s worth checking out the whole piece, where Orszag reminds us that our growing fiscal concerns are not really about the coming retirement of the baby boomers, but the ever exploding cost of health care. He also makes the important point that it is not a Medicare or Medicaid problem – the challenges in health care are system wide and reform is needed to ensure our nation’s long term fiscal health.

Ah ha!

Washington Times: Power, trust divide in the public mind

Yet Consumer Reports was named the most trusted of the bunch, followed by the American Red Cross, AARP, the Nature Conservancy and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Washington Post: Caroline Turns 50, And an AARP Cover Girl Is Born

Ain't it nifty? Look who's 50! Hard to believe, but Caroline Kennedy is an AARP cover girl.

Wall Street Journal: The Biggest Budget Buster

The fiscal gap does not arise, as many believe, primarily from the coming retirement of the baby boomers. Rather, the rate at which health-care costs grow will be the primary determinant of the nation's long-term budget picture.

USA Today: In a terrible bind? Tapping your 401(k) may not be smart

If your retirement date is still decades away, it's tempting to tap your 401(k) plan for emergency cash.

It’s not a bad thing to be either and it looks like, according to a new Harris poll, that AARP is both. Eighty-five percent of people have heard of AARP and 83 percent cited it as a trusted organization. Not too shabby.

I mentioned Martina last week, but today there is a great column by LZ Granderson over at ESPN about her and her new relationship with AARP. Check it out. My favorite line is a reminder that growing old has nothing to do with age anymore. Ain’t that the truth!

ESPN: Talk to Martina when you're 50

Remember when AARP used to be a punch line for "you know when you're getting old... " jokes? Well, with 30 being the new 20 and 40 the new 30 -- and now 50 gets you a Grand Slam title -- it appears "growing old" has nothing to do with age anymore.

Baltimore Sun: Elder care in the balance

AARP Foundation attorney Sarah Lock said Maryland's program appears to be one of the most stingy in the nation.

"We've had clients who have been seeking home-administered care and go over to Delaware and get benefits," Lock said. "Looking at the standards across the 50 states, most read it far more reasonably than Maryland does."

Bloomberg: More Adult Americans Lack Health Insurance, U.S. Report Says

About 42.5 million Americans don't have health insurance, up from about 41 million in 1997, a U.S. government survey released yesterday showed.

Associated Press: States Worry About Federal Heating Aid

Like Winslow, millions of poor and elderly people on fixed incomes rely on heating assistance to help pay their heating bills. But with home heating oil prices surging to record levels and wintry storms already hitting many states, Congress and President Bush can't agree on how much money to give the government's Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which provides heating and cooling subsidies for the poor.

With just three weeks until Iowa’s first-in-the-nation caucuses, Iowa AARP members of both political parties say they are following the campaign closely, but like many polls, they are not yet settled on their candidate preferences. It’s gonna come down to the wire.

Full survey here, but some interesting tidbits:

The survey also asked AARP members their opinion on how well the candidates are addressing the Divided We Fail issues of health and financial security. Member responses show that only five candidates are rated as addressing financial security at least somewhat well by 50% or more, and six are rated as addressing health care very or somewhat well by half or more.

When asked to name which candidate respondents feel has best addressed financial security issues, Gov. Mitt Romney came in at 15 percent and Gov. Mike Huckabee 7 percent. On the Democratic side, Sen. John Edwards was cited by 14 percent, Sen. Hillary Clinton by 14 percent and Sen. Barrack Obama by 10 percent. A majority in both parties say they still do not know enough about the candidates' positions to make a judgment - 61 percent of Republicans and 52 percent of Democrats.

When asked to name which candidate respondents feel has best addressed health care issues, Romney was cited by 15 percent and Huckabee by 9 percent. For the Democrats, Clinton was mentioned by 27 percent, Edwards by 22 percent and Obama by 8 percent. A majority of Republicans, 58 percent, and a plurality of Democrats, 31 percent, say they do not know enough about their party's candidates' position to say.

Sounds to me like some folks still have some work to do…