Your AARP ; State News
; New Jersey
Informed choices In an
effort to help consumers make
informed decisions about where
to go for health care, the state is
now posting inspection reports of
outpatient surgery centers online.
; The New Jersey Department
of Health and Senior Services
provides reports on 260 same-day
surgery centers, where procedures such as colonoscopies and
eye, knee and shoulder surgeries
are performed. The reports show
whether, in the past three years,
the facilities met state or federal
standards for infection control,
medication management, staffing
and other measures of quality.
; AARP has long supported providing data on health care quality
to the public. To read or compare
inspection reports, go to nj.gov/
health/healthfacilities/asc_info
.shtml. For more information, go
to aarp.org/nj.
; District of Columbia
Fighting a hike The District of Columbia Public Service Commission is expected to make a decision soon—perhaps as early as this
month—on Pepco’s request for a $39.7 million rate increase. The electric utility company says the increase is needed to recover the cost of
installing smart meters and improve reliability of service. ; AARP
DC opposes the rate hike, which would add about $5 a month onto
the average residential customer’s electricity bill. AARP DC is spearheading a letter-writing blitz saying the proposed increase is unfair.
Go to action.aarp.org/dc to send a message to the D.C. Public Service
Commission opposing a rate hike for Pepco’s D.C. customers.
; West Virginia
Dollars and sense AARP West Virginia is working with state
and federal officials and about 20 nonprofit organizations to promote
financial literacy during Money Smart Week, April 2 1-28. ; Highlights
include an April 24 workshop in Martinsburg, an April 27 seminar for
military families and veterans in Charleston and, on April 28, shredding
events to safely dispose of outdated financial documents in Charleston,
Huntington, Beckley, Wheeling and Clarksburg. ; Launched in 2002
by a council convened by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Money
Smart Week is now observed in 37 states nationwide. This is the third
year such events have been held in West Virginia, cohosted by AARP,
the AARP Foundation and the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
; To learn more, go to aarp.org/wv or facebook.com/wvmsw.
; Delaware
Stopping hunger As part of
the Delaware Older Adult SNAP
Project, AARP is helping older
people sign up for federal food assistance to help with grocery costs.
; Nationally, only 34 percent of
people age 60-plus who are eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly
known as the food stamp program)
actually enroll. In Delaware, an estimated 10,000 seniors are eligible
for SNAP but have not enrolled.
; AARP is working with the Food
Bank of Delaware, United Way of
Delaware and the state Division of
Services for Aging and Adults with
Physical Disabilities to inform
people about SNAP and, if eligible,
help them sign up. Go to aarp.org/
de for details.
Weddings per 1,000
residents in each
state and D.C. in 2010.
Tying
The Knot
SOURCE: CENTERS FOR DISEASE
CONTROL AND PREVENTION, NATIONAL
CEN TER FOR HEALTH STATIS TICS
*CALIFORNIA - MARRIAGE
DATA INCLUDES NONLICENSED
MARRIAGES REGISTERED.
Ala. 8. 2
Alaska 8.0
Ariz. 5. 9
Ark. 10. 8
Calif. 5. 8*
Colo. 6. 9
Conn. 5. 6
Del. 5. 2
D.C. 7. 6
Fla. 7. 3
Ga. 7. 3
Hawaii 17. 6
Idaho 8. 8
Ill. 5. 7
Ind. 6. 3
Iowa 6. 9
Kan. 6. 4
Ky. 7. 4
La. 6. 9
Maine 7.1
Md. 5. 7
Mass. 5. 6
Mich. 5. 5
Minn. 5. 3
Miss. 4. 9
Mo. 6. 5
Mont. 7. 4
Neb. 6. 6
Nev. 38. 3
N.H. 7. 3
N.J. 5.1
N.M. 7. 7
N.Y. 6. 5
N.C. 6. 6
N.D. 6. 5
Ohio 5. 8
Okla. 7. 2
Ore. 6. 5
Pa. 5. 3
R.I. 5. 8
S.C. 7. 4
S.D. 7. 3
Tenn. 8. 8
Texas 7.1
Utah 8. 5
Vt. 9. 3
Va. 6. 8
Wash. 6.0
W.Va. 6. 7
Wis. 5. 3
Wyo. 7. 6
; Pennsylvania
Savings on safety Insurance
companies can now offer discounts
to Pennsylvania motorists who
complete the AARP Driver Safety
Course online. ; AARP pressed
the Pennsylvania Department of
Transportation for two years to
approve discounts for completing
the online course—which, like the
classroom version, covers defen-
sive driving techniques, rules of
the road and how to drive safely
in today’s increasingly challeng-
ing driving environment. ; AARP
has offered training programs for
older drivers since 1979. Research-
ers project that one in every five
drivers will be age 65 or older by
2025. ; Sign up for the online
course at aarpdriversafety.org or
find a classroom course nearby at
aarp.org/findacourse.
—Reports by Donya Currie
aarp.org/states
For other state news, go to
