Caregiving

State Plan on Aging

Legislative Approval of CARE Act Praised by AARP Pennsylvania

With a new AARP study showing retail prescription prices have increased six times faster than the general inflation rate since 2006, AARP Pennsylvania is reminding older residents that they can receive help paying for prescription medications from the state’s PACE and PACENET programs.

Harrisburg, PA: Governor Tom Wolf presented his FY 16-17 budget in the annual budget message to the Pennsylvania General Assembly on Tuesday, February 9 th, but the budget itself was almost irrelevant to the event. Here are three takeaways for you and your family to consider in the coming months.

The budget discussions in Harrisburg reflected the winter weather this week – they appear to have gone into a deep freeze. With no movement anticipated for the near future on resolving the remaining budget concerns, it seems appropriate to discuss another issue on AARP’s legislative priority list for 2016 – the passage of the Caregiver, Advise, Record, and Enable (CARE) Act.

The story of public policy in Pennsylvania in 2015 began with new occupants of three of the most important positions in the Commonwealth’s political structure – Governor Tom Wolf, Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman, and House Majority Leader Dave Reed. They took on the leading roles in the on-again, off-again state budget drama that played out over the course of the year, beginning with the Governor’s budget address in March.

Public attention in Harrisburg this week centered on the on-going controversy about Attorney General Kathleen Kane and the behind-the-scenes negotiations to resolve Pennsylvania’s state budget impasse. These issues garnered the headlines, but with the General Assembly continuing to work while awaiting an opportunity to consider a state budget proposal, there were other things being talked about in the halls of the Capitol.

State Budget Movement?

It didn’t feel like the beginning of autumn outside this week, as temperatures hit the 80 degree mark in Harrisburg. It didn’t feel like fall in Pennsylvania’s Capitol either – instead, there was a distinct June atmosphere, as numerous rallies took place in the rotunda and lawmakers continued to debate the state budget.

AARP members from across Pennsylvania today called on state officials to provide additional support for the 1.6 million family members providing care to older adults at home at a state capitol rally in Harrisburg.