AARP Kansas

AARP FOUNDATION TAX-AIDE VOLUNTEERS IN KANSAS WILL PROVIDE FREE TAX ASSISTANCE AND PREPARATION THROUGH APRIL 18--FIND A LOCATION NEAR YOU

On February 1, 2017, the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee, chaired by Senator Vicki Schmidt, heard testimony on Senate Bill 68, the CARE Act. This proposed legislation would support the 345,000 Kansas caregivers who are providing unpaid care to a family member or loved one. The CARE Act, (Caregiver, Advise, Record, Enable Act) is another tool to reduce unnecessary hospitalizations by ensuring that caregivers are acknowledged and instructed on how to care for their loved one when he/she returns home from the hospital. It is a NO COST, commonsense solution to help formalize important discharge practices.

What could have been a $4.54 per month rate increase, was reduced to a $1.25 a month increase for Kansas Gas Service customers as a result of a settlement agreement approved by the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) in November.

Join AARP on Thursday, January 26 from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. CT for AARP’s free Online Career Fair: Spotlight on Part-Time Work. This live event is a great way for job seekers to:

AARP Kansas is pressing state lawmakers to introduce a bill in 2017 that could help more private-sector workers save for retirement. The proposal, called “work and save,” would create a payroll-deduction plan that small businesses could offer to their workers. Participation would be voluntary for both employers and employees, and the plan would be portable when a worker changes jobs.

In the legislative session that begins Jan. 9, AARP Kansas once again will be backing a bill that could help family caregivers when a loved one comes home from a hospital stay.

Each year, AARP presents its most prestigious award, the Ethel Percy Andrus Award for Community Service, to an individual or individuals who, through volunteer service, significantly enhance the lives of those in their community. This award symbolizes that individuals have the power and ability to make a difference in the lives of others.

For the third year in a row, AARP Kansas is seeking legislation that could improve communication between hospitals and family caregivers. State lawmakers will consider the proposed bill during the session that begins Jan. 9.

Medicare Annual Enrollment runs through December 7, and it’s a banner time for Medicare fraud. Beware of ads that promise medical equipment covered 100% by Medicare. Like the one that might appear in the newspaper offering a free back brace, or the TV infomercial claiming you can get anything to ease your pain with no money out of pocket. Medicare only covers durable medical equipment that is medically necessary with a doctor’s prescription. Scammers hope you don’t know this. They want your Medicare number to fraudulently bill Medicare. Plus, your Medicare number is also your Social Security number so be especially cautious about giving it out.

Millions of Americans lose billions of dollars to scams and fraud each day. Every day criminals become more sophisticated in how they separate you from your hard earned savings, using fear, greed, and urgency to push the “right” buttons in people to get them to open their wallets. Unfortunately, Kansas is among those whose citizens’ lives have been turned upside down because of fraud. AARP Kansas is providing information about how to safeguard against identity theft and other forms of fraud and scams through the AARP Fraud Watch Network. The Fraud Watch Network has a number of tools and activities to help protect you and your family from con artists. The information is free to everyone, members, non-members and people of all ages.