> AARP fought hard to improve health care for our members
in many different ways—from shaping landmark health reform
legislation in Congress to promoting less-costly prescription
drugs and promoting wellness via a coast-to-coast bus tour.
Together we created opportunities to improve health care
for all.
Health Reform
We came closer to achieving real health care
reform than at any other time since AARP
founder Ethel Percy Andrus found a retired
teacher living in a chicken coop with no health
insurance and no means of affording it. A special
report (see sidebar, page 11) summarizes AARP’s
advocacy and grassroots initiatives in helping
persuade both houses of Congress to pass bills
with many of our priorities.
At the state level, AARP’s victories included laws
that will control health costs, expand long-term
care options and prevent medical errors. (See
sidebar, page 10.)
Prescription Drugs
Some 200,000 people used AARP’s new,
interactive calculator to postpone or avoid the
“doughnut hole” in Medicare’s prescription drug
coverage—the coverage gap where they have
to pay all the costs of their prescription drugs.
The tool enabled people to create a customized
list of less-expensive alternatives, plus a letter
(in English or Spanish) about these options
for a doctor’s reference. Congress launched an
investigation after our November Rx Watchdog
report showed a 9 percent jump in wholesale
prescription-drug prices—while general inflation
was flat.
Caregiving
Many women put their careers and financial
futures on hold as they juggle care for a loved
one. This reality was reported in Caregiving in the
U.S. 2009, issued in November by the National
creating a balance During a Capitol Hill briefing
about the Caregiving in the U.S. 2009 report, AARP
Web Designer Janice Hallman explained how AARP’s
flexible work options help employees balance family
caregiving responsibilities with their jobs. Janice was
torn between her Washington, DC-based job and
her family after learning that her brother Stewart in
South Carolina had a rare brain tumor. He needed
her help. With the support of her manager, Janice
was able to split her time between DC and South
Carolina. At the congressional briefing, she said,
“I believe having my support has made a huge
difference in my brother’s recovery.”
Alliance for Caregiving and AARP, with funds
from the MetLife Foundation.
Late in the year, AARP launched a multi-year
campaign to educate boomer women about the
need to plan for future long-term care needs—
both for family members and themselves.
