How AARP is Working for You

Hundreds of thousands of Connecticut residents — who already pay some of the country’s highest prices for electricity — will avoid a significant increase in electric bills over the next three years thanks in part to advocacy from AARP Connecticut.

The state’s Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) last week denied a request from utility company United Illuminating (UI) for a $131 million increase in electric rates over three years. Instead, the utility regulator approved a far lower increase of $22 million, roughly a sixth of the original proposal.

The decision comes after AARP Connecticut and thousands of our members spoke out against the proposed rate hike during regulatory proceedings last year.

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We are pushing Congress to pass a bill that would improve access to health care by giving advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) greater authority to treat Medicare and Medicaid patients without a doctor’s supervision.

AARP wrote to U.S. House and Senate lawmakers this month in support of the Improving Care and Access to Nurses (I CAN) Act. The bipartisan legislation would lift federal restrictions on nurse practitioners and other APRNs that prevent them from providing some health care services directly to Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries.

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Enrolling in Medicare isn’t always automatic when you turn 65. And older Americans who miss the sign-up deadline can face gaps in coverage and get hit with lifetime late penalties, driving up their out-of-pocket health care costs.

AARP wrote to U.S. congressional lawmakers this month in support of bipartisan legislation that would help older adults avoid those costly consequences.

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AARP is backing legislation that would help veterans age at home and provide support for the estimated 5.5 million veteran and military caregivers across the country.

On Aug. 25, we wrote to members of the House and Senate committees on Veterans’ Affairs to endorse the bipartisan Elizabeth Dole Home Care Act. The bill would expand access to current Department of Veterans Affairs programs that provide home care to veterans, among other provisions.

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At least 7,500 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes in the U.S. last year, the highest number in four decades. The roads can be especially deadly for adults 65 and older, who are more likely to die from their injuries in crashes than younger pedestrians, according to federal traffic safety data.

That’s why AARP submitted comments to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) this month supporting its proposal to require automatic emergency braking — including an enhanced version that can detect vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists — on all new automobiles, SUVs and other passenger vehicles. We’re also supporting a separate proposal that calls for automatic emergency braking on heavy trucks.

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Starting in 2024, Montanans will be able to pay their property taxes in seven monthly installments instead of in a lump sum, thanks to an AARP-backed bill that Gov. Greg Gianforte signed in May.

AARP is championing similar changes in states around the country, as older adults are less likely than other homeowners to pay property taxes through monthly escrow payments with their mortgage.

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AARP wrote to U.S. congressional lawmakers on Thursday in support of three bills that would increase transparency and accountability in the prescription drug supply chain and crack down on practices that could be contributing to high prices.

The bipartisan legislation targets the business practices of pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, who negotiate prescription drug prices with drug companies on behalf of insurers.

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North Carolina drivers got some relief last week, after AARP’s efforts helped to dramatically reduce a 28.4 percent rate increase proposed by the state’s auto insurance industry.

After AARP North Carolina and our members spoke out against the proposed massive rate hike, regulators announced a settlement with auto insurance companies that calls for a much smaller increase — averaging 9 percent for automobile drivers over the next two years.

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