AARP Eye Center
Thinking Policy
“If it wasn’t for SNAP, I don’t know what we would do.” – 61-year-old AARP survey participant
As states and communities continue to recover from the devastation caused by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, many are left wondering what could be done to prevent large-scale destruction from such disasters. Despite the severity of those storms, they were only the most recent among several to sweep…
Employers play a central role in health insurance coverage in the US, with the vast majority of employees working for a company that offers a group health insurance benefit. Sixty-three percent of all adults ages 50 to 64 (“midlife adults”) get their health insurance through their employer or their…
Quiet Policy Change Could Lead to Substantial Savings for People in Medicare Prescription Drug Plans
Millions of older Americans are already benefitting from a new law passed in 2022 that includes several provisions to help reduce out-of-pocket costs and the high prescription drug prices driving them. One of the most notable and publicized changes is a redesign of the Medicare Part D benefit that…
Every year approximately 1.3 million American women enter menopause. Many women in perimenopause and menopause experience symptoms that affect their quality of life and productivity at work. Despite the millions of women who could benefit, a historical lack of funding for research in women’s health…
In recent years, American households have faced challenges from inflation, with prices surging for much of 2021 and 2022. And inflation has not solely impacted trips to the grocery store or the gas station. Spikes in the cost of home care that outpace even general inflation present specific and…
Mississippi state legislators discussed a potential Medicaid eligibility expansion during the 2024 session, introducing bills in both the state Senate and House, though they were ultimately unable to come to final agreement. By expanding Medicaid, Mississippi would join the forty states and the…
Elder financial exploitation, the most common form of elder abuse, broadly refers to the illegal use of an older person’s money, property, or other financial resource for personal benefit, profit, or gain. The perpetrator can be a known, trusted person such as a caregiver, or they may be a stranger…
The topic of parenting adult children is gaining increasing public attention, and for good reason.
Given projections concerning the financial health of Social Security, the program is poised to receive attention from policymakers in the near future. Extensive survey and polling research demonstrates that a strong majority of Americans believe Social Security is an important program they view…
Despite evidence that Medicare Advantage’s (MA) supplemental benefits are a key driver of strong enrollment in Medicare’s private plan option, information about consumer use of those benefits remains limited. Supplemental benefits are a defining feature of MA, yet data are lacking on how many…
How can leaders support women to be as resourceful and resilient as ever? International Women’s Day on March 8 and National Financial Literacy Month in April is the moment to understand the role of financial literacy in advancing women’s financial status. What can efforts to build women’s financial…
In 2023, for the first time ever, vaccines for the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) became available, offering protection against an infection that causes tens of thousands of hospitalizations and deaths among older adults every year. Two RSV vaccines were approved by the Food & Drug…
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