Advocacy

Medicare contributes $1.3 billion to North Dakota’s economy, equivalent to 12 percent of state and local government spending in the state, according to a new report from AARP. Medicare also covers 116,951 beneficiaries in the state. Older Americans have said Medicare is one of their top issues in the 2018 mid-term elections, and AARP North Dakota is working to encourage voter participation this election season.

An expert witness testified in support of AARP’s concerns about Montana-Dakota Utilities’ proposal to raise natural gas rates during a North Dakota Public Service Commission technical hearing May 30-June 1.

RaeAnn Johnson of Grand Forks and Cindy Yale of Burlington have been appointed to the AARP North Dakota Executive Council.

To recognize their integral work to support family caregivers in North Dakota, AARP named Senator Judy Lee, West Fargo, Representative Kathy Hogan, Fargo, and Representative Jay Seibel, Beulah, as 2017 “Capitol Caregivers,” a bipartisan group of nearly 100 elected officials from more than 30 states. These leaders have advanced policies to support family caregivers, who help their parents, spouses and other loved ones live independently at home and in the community.

AARP North Dakota has joined forces with the AARP Fraud Watch Network and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for Operation Protect Veterans -- a campaign to warn those who have served in the military about scams and fraud schemes that target veterans. The major educational campaign will reach out to veterans in communities across North Dakota and nationwide.

Montana-Dakota Utilities has another natural gas rate request proposal that includes a 5.9 percent increase for residential users. The North Dakota Public Service Commission is holding public hearings on the rate increase at 5 p.m. CDT on Tuesday, Oct. 24, and Wednesday, Oct. 25.

If you missed "What's on Your Mind" on Friday, May 26, you missed hearing David Certner, AARP's Legislative Policy Director, discuss the impact the American Health Care Act would have on North Dakotans 50 and older. Here is David's interview with Scott Hennen. Take a listen and learn how the bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives will affect you and the cost of insurance.

Legislation to support North Dakota’s 62,100 family caregivers met with mixed results during the 2017 North Dakota Legislature.

Larry is a North Dakota caregiver who takes care of his wife with multiple sclerosis, every day, 24 hours a day. He does the cooking, bathing, and other necessary tasks that allow Larry and his wife to stay at home rather than move away from their homestead. It’s a tough job, but for Larry and the other 62,100 North Dakota caregivers, it’s a labor of love. That is why AARP is fighting for caregivers like Larry.

More than 15 AARP volunteers attended the May meeting of the legislature’s Interim Human Services Committee to show their support for North Dakota family caregivers.