AARP Massachusetts Fighting for You

Welcome to the AARP Massachusetts Advocacy Resource Page, where you can learn about our legislative priorities and opt-in to receive SMS Advocacy Updates.

AARP Massachusetts is always looking for members to get involved as volunteer advocates. Advocates attend public hearings, testify on bills before the legislature, write letters to state lawmakers and share information about the issues that matter on social media.

Legislative Priorities:

AARP Massachusetts is advocating on important issues including supporting family caregivers, fighting fraud and making Massachusetts communities great places to live for people of all ages.


Supporting Caregivers
AARP is fighting for the 780,000 family caregivers in Massachusetts who help seniors live independently in their homes instead of being forced into nursing homes. Family caregivers need commonsense solutions that will save them time and money and provide them with more support. AARP Massachusetts backs bills that aim to strengthen the financial security of older residents and caregivers. Among them:

• Caregiver Tax Credit:
  AARP believes as a state we should support family caregivers as they take on the costs and responsibilities associated with caregiving. Family caregivers spend about $7,000 each year on out-of-pocket costs, according to AARP. As such, we're backing a bill to provide a state tax credit of up to $1,500 to eligible caregivers to help cover expenses such as transportation and home health care aides. A family caregiver tax credit is one way to ensure that caregivers can keep their loved ones living in their homes and communities.

Fighting Fraud
Cryptocurrency kiosk fraud is rising, exploiting unregulated ATMs in stores, gas stations, and bars. Scammers trick victims into depositing cash, stealing hundreds of millions annually. In 2023, the FBI received 5,500 complaints, reporting $189 million in losses. Over 45,000 crypto ATMs now operate nationwide

AARP is looking into ways to protect older Massachusetts residents from crypto ATM fraud by requiring operator licensing, limits and warnings.


Making Massachusettts Even More Livable
Older adults prefer to age in their communities but often stop driving and rely on walking. In Massachusetts, pedestrian infrastructure doesn't always accommodate their slower walking speeds, leading to unsafe crossings.

To improve safety, AARP is looking into legislation that would require municipalities to identify areas where vulnerable pedestrians need more time to cross and adjust signals accordingly. This would help reduce pedestrian fatalities and injuries, ensuring safer walking conditions for all.

How Else is AARP showing up for you?

Social Security
AARP is committed to protecting Social Security for seniors and protecting and saving it for future generations. AARP knows that you work hard and pay into Social Security, so it's only fair for you to expect to get the money you've earned.
Social Security is your money - you earned it through a lifetime of hard work. Social Security is essential for helping to cover living expenses and pay your bills. If politicians don’t take action to protect and save Social Security in the next 10 years, your Social Security could be cut by 20 percent – an average of
$4,000 a year.
For all your Social Security questions and our fight to protect it, check out AARP's Social Security Resource Center:
https://www.aarp.org/retirement/social-security/

Rx Prices
AARP led the fight to lower drug prices, and we're winning. Millions of seniors are saving money on their medications. After decades of calling on Congress to make prescription drugs more affordable, AARP won the fight for Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices and help seniors save money on their medications. AARP will keep fighting big drug companies’ out-of-control prices, and we won't back down.
For more on our fight to lower drug prices check out
https://www.aarp.org/rx
This year, in Massachusetts, Governor Healey signed “An Act Relative to Pharmaceutical Access, Costs, and Transparency," which will cap co-payments at $25 on a 30-day supply of prescription medications for diabetes, asthma and certain heart conditions starting July 1. It will also ensure consumers aren’t charged a co-pay if it’s cheaper to buy the drug without insurance.
Learn more about the law here.