Advocacy

A MESSAGE FROM AARP UTAH AND THE UTAH HEALTH POLICY PROJECT ON YESTERDAY'S VOTE TO REPEAL AND REPLACE PROPOSITION 3

Proposition 3 was voted into law by Utahns last November, and will expand Medicaid coverage to 150,000 of our friends and neighbors, many of whom had no access to affordable healthcare coverage. But now this victory is in imminent danger of being repealed and replaced by the Utah legislature, which convenes next week.

State retirees paid into Social Security throughout their working lives and now count on it to make ends meet. What they don’t appreciate is having to pay state taxes on that vital retirement money. But Utah is one of 13 states that tax Social Security income.

The legislative session that begins Jan. 22 is only 45 days long. AARP Utah is prepared to hit the ground running to advocate on behalf of family caregivers, retirees and other adults 50-plus. AARP staff and volunteers will be at the Capitol every day.

It has been a whirlwind legislative session with a lot happening but as of last night it has come to a close. I want to thank you and all of the other great AARP advocates who stayed informed, got engaged, and made their voices heard to their legislators. I can’t stress enough that without your involvement, we could not do the work we do!

AARP Backs Bipartisan Credit for Caring Act

We need your help to keep SB133, Small Employer Retirement Program, moving toward becoming law. This bill will help Utah workers have access to retirement savings vehicles at work. The Senate voted to approve the program but it is now headed to the House. The bill is facing new opposition from groups who benefit by keeping this current market confusing and high-cost for small businesses owners.

CAREGIVERS GAIN NEW RIGHTS FROM DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH RULE

Most people have to rely on money saved over years of work to fund their retirement, and often this money is accumulated through a 401(k) plan at work or some other type of investment. Long gone are the days when a guaranteed pension gave workers financial security in retirement; today, only one in five workers has access to such a plan. This means workers have to take on the risk of investing, which is a scary proposition. Investment losses can be devastating late in life, as there aren’t decades of work ahead to replace it.

Guess what’s turning 50? For many AARP members who know that milestone well, it’s a program that is invaluable for their health and financial independence. Medicare turned 50 on July 30. Former President Harry S. Truman received the first Medicare card immediately after President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Medicare into law in 1965, and since then it has helped redefine “real possibilities” for many Americans, often freeing them from the fear of devastating medical bills that could jeopardize their individual and economic survival.