Advocacy

Recent AARP research shows that an estimated 476,000 additional Tennessee residents would be eligible for health coverage—including 72,000 uninsured people ages 50 to 64—if the state opted to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. Forty states and the District of Columbia have expanded Medicaid coverage, including North Carolina and South Dakota last year.

For the first time since AARP began publishing the Scorecard in 2011, more than half of Medicaid long-term care dollars nationwide for older adults and people with physical disabilities went to home- and community-based services instead of nursing homes and other institution.

Helping Tennesseans with rising housing prices and fighting fraudsters are key priorities in this year’s General Assembly legislative session, beginning this month.

Natural disasters can devastate communities and lives, as Tennesseans were reminded during December’s tornadoes.

The coronavirus pandemic forced millions of Americans to rely on the internet for their well-being. AARP Tennessee is advocating for improved internet access for the 400,000 Tennesseans who lack high-speed internet.

The Silver Alert program requires the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to send a notice to media outlets across the state when at-risk adults, such as those with dementia, are missing.

AARP Tennessee will press for improved staffing in nursing homes, higher levels of personal protective equipment, more opportunities for virtual visits and regular communication between residents and families.

The last census led to Tennessee receiving roughly $17.3 billion in federal funding for programs such as Medicaid, Medicare and low-income-housing loans in fiscal year 2016

Prescription drug costs are far outpacing family incomes for Tennesseans, and many people have to choose between food and taking necessary medications.

Raising grandchildren could qualify you for financial assistance and other resources.