We Make a Difference on Smith Hill

Our 2016 Legislative Effort Produced Real Results, Real Possibilities for Rhode Islanders

With help from dozens of "@TheStateHouse volunteers, AARP worked successfully to pass laws aimed at making life better for 50+ Rhode Island. The new statutes, signed into law by Governor Raimondo, include assistance for family caregivers and provides resources and tax benefits for thousands of citizens.

"Along with the many who deserve our thanks are key legislators who sponsored or otherwise supported bills that keep the state out in front of when it comes to the lives of an aging population," said AARP Rhode Island State Director Kathleen Connell. "Volunteers who testified before committees sacrificed time and energy to speak on behalf of legislation that they can be assured will make a difference."

AARP legislative activity included passage of three key bills:

Age 62+ Accessory Family Dwelling Units

This new law now allows anyone age 62 + to have an accessory dwelling unit in an owner occupied single family residence as reasonable accommodations, without having to obtain a special use permit from their city or town. Currently, there are varying degrees of difficulty in getting these permits from each city and town.

A report commissioned by RI Housing and released in April of this year showed projected population demographics for 2015-2025. It found that while age 45-65 Rhode Islanders will decrease by 11%, age 65+ will increase by 40%. Age-appropriate housing will be needed for this huge increase.

Baby Boomers crossing over into the age 65 + population, along with longer life spans, will cause a significant shift inover the next 10 years. Housing in which multi-generations of families live together is needed. Accessory dwelling units (ADU’s) allow older family member(s) to live in their own unit.

ADU’s enhance personal independence and allow residences to age in place. More importantly, they allow people lo live where they want to live --  in their home, instead of a nursing home.

Access to ADU’s encourage multi-generational homes but also enhance homes by creating an environment for caregivers and their loved ones to live within the same walls. This allows the one cared for to continue to live an independent life and also reduces caregiver stress.

Telemedicine

This measure requires private health insurers to reimburse for telemedicine services -- the remote delivery of health care services and clinical information using telecommunications technology through the use of the internet or wireless devices.

This bill is intended to remove barriers to accessing the appropriate patient care and serve as a useful tool for family caregivers that are helping their loved ones stay in their homes.

Through telemedicine it is now possible for a physician to be in his or her office in one location and monitor a patient in their home or another location using the Internet.  Heart rates, blood pressure, body temperature and other data can be transmitted automatically.  Video services now allow real time direct interaction, and a specialist in one location can guide a primary care physician or specialist in another location through examinations and treatments of medical conditions.

Access to health care is hampered even further by the severe winters that we experience in the northeast part of the country. Doctor’s appointments have to be cancelled and in many instances are rescheduled months away due to the physician’s busy schedule. Now telemedicine offers the hope of having patient treatment right out of their home regardless of harsh or severe weather.

In Rhode Island there are approximately 134,000 family caregivers providing $1.78 billion unpaid care for their loved ones.  Family caregiving is an issue that affects many of us. AARP believes that telemedicine can play a meaningful role in helping not only health care consumers, but also family caregivers who, in many instances are providing the bulk of care.

AARP believes that telemedicine holds the promise of many solutions to help individuals and their caregivers access health care and long term services and supports in new ways, to help keep individuals living independently in their homes and communities, and to make it easier for working family caregivers to care for their loved ones.

Tax Break for Retirees on Pensions and Annuities

In 2015 the legislature enacted in the state budget measures that would exempt the state income tax on up to $15,000 of social security income for a person who has attained the age used for calculating full or unreduced social security retirement benefits. The cap for eligibility is a federal adjusted gross income of less than $80,000 single and $100,000 joint filing.

In an effort to continue to support our members in the area of financial security, AARP-RI supported a bill that would have exempted the state income tax on public and private pensions and on other retirement income. This was an effort to get further tax relief for retirees beyond last year’s tax relief on social security income.

Although this year’s bill didn’t pass, the House Speaker and Senate President took into consideration our concerns for further tax relief for retirees and amended the state budget to allow for a state income tax exemption on the first $15,000 of income derived from all private and public sector pensions and annuities that are within the aforementioned cap of $80,000 and $100,000 that were set the previous year.