Dave Reville

AARP Vermont held this live, interactive teletown hall call with guest speaker Congressman Peter Welch and hundreds of Vermonters on June 19. The topics of conversation were Medicare and the healthcare system in general. Congressman Welch explained why he voted no on the new proposed American Health Care Act bill. AARP strongly opposes the bill as well. Congressman Welch has a history of working against the rising costs of prescription drugs and spoke to this on the call. He explained how important he feels it is to work with those that disagree with him in order to accomplish what is best for the nation. The Congressman also shared his thoughts on the new Republican tax plans.

Vermont’s population is aging rapidly and cities and towns need to begin to make accommodations for a changing demographic across the state. That was one of the many issues addressed at the Smart Growth Summit held on June 16 at Champlain College and hosted by AARP Vermont and the Vermont Natural Resources Council (VNRC). About 160 local officials, planners, policy makers, developers, advocates, and business people from across Vermont came together to share their insights and learn more during a dynamic and interactive summit aimed at addressing a host of community development challenges and opportunities.

GOVERNOR’S AWARD FOR BUSINESS

From Vermont Business Magazine - 5/19/17:

Have a Cup of Coffee on AARP Vermont

AARP Vermont and CarShare Vermont are partnering to offer AARP members a special deal when applying for a Car Share membership – they are waiving the $30 application fee! Cars are available throughout Burlington and Winooski, VT.

AARP Vermont and the Newport Community Renaissance Corp. (NCRC) are now accepting applications for the 2017 Community Action Sponsorship Program -- as an effort to provide modest grants and technical support to community groups or individuals. The initiative is part of AARP’s work to enhance the Age Friendliness of Newport by preparing the community for the rapidly aging demographic shift -- particularly in the areas of housing, mobility and community engagement.

If you were to ask a typical Vermonter how to fix health care in America, you can be sure [he/she] would not suggest that Washington allow insurance companies to price people out of affordable coverage.

In a statement today, AARP Executive Vice President Nancy LeaMond announced AARP’s opposition to the House plan that would make changes to our current health care system, such as shortening the life of Medicare, hiking costs for those who can least afford higher insurance premiums, risking seniors’ ability to live independently, and giving tax breaks to big drug companies and health insurance companies:

A new law passed last year will have positive impacts on the quality of life for older adults residing in your community. Act 115, Disclosure of Compliance with Accessibility Standards, requires newly developed single and multi-family units meet accessibility standards at the time of sale. It requires the seller of new residential construction to provide written disclosure to a prospective buyer detailing whether the residential construction is in compliance with accessibility standards.