How AARP is Working for You

We applaud North Dakota lawmakers for passing legislation to make insulin and devices more affordable for state employees with diabetes — with an eye toward extending that relief to all state residents in two years.  

The law, which Gov. Doug Burgum signed late Friday, takes effect Aug. 1. It caps the out-of-pocket cost of insulin, as well as copayments for diabetic supplies such as glucose meters, pen needles and syringes, at $25 per month for employees covered by the state’s Public Employees Retirement System (PERS). It also calls on PERS to study the impact and propose legislation to expand the cap statewide in 2025. 

Learn more.

A couple years ago, as the Covid-19 pandemic rampaged through the U.S. economy, Congress took an important step to help low-income seniors: It made them eligible for a workforce incentive known as the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).
 
For the first time, low-wage workers older than 65 (as well as those under 25) without dependent children could take advantage of this important tax break. In some households, it is worth several thousand dollars a year.

But the respite was brief, and the age barriers are back in place. This was an unwise change, and it is contrary to public opinion.

Learn more.

We hand-delivered more than 14,000 signed postcards from our members to California utility regulators last week, urging them to reject a proposed gas and electric rate hike from the state’s largest power company.  

AARP California has been pushing back against the proposal since PG&E Corp. introduced it last year. Millions of Californians would see increases ranging from 21 to 39 percent by 2026 under the utility giant’s plan.  

Learn more.

Caregiving may seem like a difficult new experience, but for all the challenges, more than 40 million Americans answer the call to provide care every single day. These folks – just like you – form the backbone of long-term care in our country.

A caregiving plan can help you succeed in providing this critical service.

Learn more.

We applaud Virginia lawmakers and Gov. Glenn Youngkin for approving a series of AARP-backed bills that will strengthen protections for thousands of Virginians who rely on guardians to make crucial life decisions.

The legislation, among other changes, calls for a visitation requirement for private guardians, limits a guardian’s ability to restrict contact with family and friends, and requires periodic court reviews to ensure that guardianship is still necessary.

Learn more.

Unscrupulous financial companies that prey on older adults with promises of fast cash or instant debt relief have long been a concern of AARP. And we think information is power when it comes to helping consumers protect themselves.

That’s why we submitted comments to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) last week, supporting their proposal to create a “bad actor” registry for certain financial companies overseen by the agency.

Learn more.

AARP is inviting game developers and industry leaders to a half-day in-person and virtual summit April 18 at AARP headquarters in Washington, D.C., to help them in the quest to focus on older adults.

Nearly half of people age 50 and older played video games at least once a month in 2022, according to a new AARP Research report that will be released at the AARP Games Summit. Almost half of those who play say they do it every day.

Learn more.

Although last year’s historic prescription drug reform legislation — which AARP helped push over the finish line — will bring some needed relief from high prices for people on Medicare, we think more needs to be done to lower the prices of these medicines.

We wrote to Senate lawmakers on Thursday to endorse the bipartisan FAIR Drug Pricing Act, which aims to hold drugmakers accountable for their pricing decisions “and give consumers and policymakers the necessary information to fight back” against “egregious” price hikes.

Learn more.