Jennifer Millea

(Information and photo courtesy of reSET)

Since 1935, Social Security has been a lifeline for millions of older Americans and other beneficiaries. It provides a foundation of retirement income security for them to build upon, and it also offers economic security for disabled workers and the spouses and children of deceased workers. In Connecticut, one in four older residents rely on it as their only source of income.

You're probably hearing a lot in the news lately about the new health care law, aka "Obamacare" or The Affordable Care Act, as states like Connecticut prepare for the October 1 opening of new online health insurance marketplaces (known as exchanges) where uninsured individuals and small businesses will be able to shop for, compare and purchase health insurance plans (In Connecticut, the exchange is called Access Health CT). But if you're like most Americans, you probably still have a lot of questions about the new law and what it means for you as an individual or your family. To help, AARP has launched HealthLawAnswers.org - a quick and easy way to get customized information based on where you live, gender, your family size, income and insurance status. Answering just seven simple questions generates a report about what benefits may be available to you and your family and where to find more information. The tool is also available in Spanish.

This September, the CT Partners for Health, a group of 40 key healthcare stakeholders, convened by Qualidigm, is presenting a first-of-its-kind patient engagement conference in Connecticut. Better Health: Everyone's Responsibility, takes place on September 17, 2013 from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Connecticut Convention Center, 100 Columbus Blvd. #400, in Hartford, CT. The conference will empower consumers to proactively manage their health and engage in the healthcare system, as well as educate healthcare providers on how to more effectively communicate with their patients.

As summer heats up, it's important to stay cool to keep yourself safe and healthy. Below is a list of ten easy ways to keep you on your feet and active without suffering from the heat. And always remember to check in on elderly relatives and neighbors on especially hot days. The older we get, the more sensitive we become to extreme heat, effects such as heat stroke and dehydration can be deadly.

Americans pay into Medicare and Social Security during their working lives, and they count on these programs to help protect their health and financial security. It’s no secret that Social Security and Medicare are facing significant fiscal challenges in the coming years due to a growing elderly population, rising health costs and longer life expectancies.

When I was a child, I remember summertime as a time of endless possibilities - waiting for that first day of summer vacation with anticipation nearly as great as waiting for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. Summertime should be a time for eating watermelon, playing outside and drinking gallons of lemonade. A time for kids to just be kids. They should never have to go hungry or worry about where their next meal will come from.

Nicole Duritz, Vice President of Health for AARP Education and Outreach recently visited Connecticut and appeared on WTNH's Connecticut Style program with Teresa LaBarbera to talk about the new health care law and what it means for you and your family.

Yale-New Haven Hospital (YNHH) in New Haven, CT is being honored by AARP and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) as one of the 2013 Best Employers for Workers Over 50. YNHH joins a diverse group of health systems, corporations, government agencies, and non-profits on the list, announced today by AARP and SHRM.

AARP achieved a major legislative victory in Connecticut this June when State lawmakers approved a Budget for 2013/14 that did not include plans for an electricity auction – a proposal originally championed by Governor Dannel Malloy. AARP was a staunch opponent of the auction, which would have sold the accounts of more than 800,000 customers who receive their electricity through the “standard offer” from CL&P and UI to private energy companies, in order to net the State about $80 million. The plan would have resulted in hundreds of thousands of residential ratepayers having their electricity supplier switched without their consent and could have resulted in higher electricity costs for everyone in future years.