Advocacy

TERESA ARNOLD, AARP SC STATE DIRECTOR ON DENIED REQUEST BY SC PSC FOR A CHARLESTON HEARING IN SCE&G RATE HIKE

The 770,000+ caregivers in South Carolina face many issues as they care for their loved ones. AARP is working to address these issues on several different levels including three caregiving issues at the federal level.

The SC Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Statewide Transition Plan is going through a third public comment period due to changes made in the plan per Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requirements. The comment period is Aug. 17 - Oct. 7, 2016. A webinar and nine regional public meetings will be held to review the changes made to the plan, which outlines how South Carolina will meet the new standards for waiver services (specifically where services are provided) as required by CMS.

Earlier this year AARP South Carolina launched a campaign to move our advocacy efforts into a more local arena. AARP SC volunteers are crucial to our advocacy work and can often best accomplish our goals by working in their local communities. To kick off this effort, we have worked in Anderson and Beaufort counties with local legislators.

While there are certainly many exceptional opportunities in the role of a volunteer State President with AARP, one that offers a look into the workings of our national congressional leadership is LOBBY DAY on the Hill. This occurs once a year, and is part of a week long AARP Leadership Summit in DC. State Presidents travel with the State Director for this event, and work collaboratively with one another, as well as state staff, to coordinate meeting times individually with our delegation and/or their staff. These visits offer an opportunity to talk about shared issues of AARP, South Carolina, and our congressmen. Our experience ( Teresa Arnold and I just completed our fourth year of Lobby Day!), proves to be of great benefit in establishing more personal contacts with those in decision making positions for not just South Carolina, but all those who are 50+ and their families. Truly a meaningful privilege as a volunteer State President, and South Carolinian!

SCE&G is asking state regulators to approve another $852 million increase in the projected cost of building two nuclear reactors in Fairfield County, but the company says the potential for any other cost increases is limited.

At a time when our country is extremely polarized, family care giving is a rare issue that unites us. It isn’t a Democratic issue or a Republican issue. It’s a family issue that affects us all. If you’re not a caregiver now, you will be one or will need one in the future.

Did you know South Carolina ranks 3rd lowest in the nation for food security of individuals age 60 and above and 2nd lowest for those individuals age 50-59 according to the Food Insecurity among Older Adults full report 2015 published by the AARP Foundation.

Want to be part of your state’s democratic process? Become a poll manager! It’s a great way to give back to your community and perform a civic duty. As a poll manager, you can help make sure the state’s elections remain secure, accessible, and accurate for all voters. It is also a great way to earn a little money while engaging in the democratic process.

by Coretta Bedsole, AARP SC advocacy director