Advocacy

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.

AARP applauds the bipartisan action taken on July 16, 2015 on S. 192, the reauthorization of the Older Americans Act (OAA) introduced by Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) with Senators Richard Burr (R-NC), Patty Murray (D-WA) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT). The Senate passed the bill the week that the OAA celebrated its 50 anniversary of providing invaluable services to older adults.

Notalys LLC released its report, Expanding Utah's Health Insurance Options today at a press briefing at the Utah State Capitol, outlining the differences between two plans that were under consideration by the Utah legislature during the last session. Governor Herbert's Healthy Utah plan was passed by the Utah Senate, and Utah Cares was passed by the Utah House of Representatives. Because no agreement was reached on how to cover the more than 50,000 low-income Utahns who currently fall into a health insurance coverage gap--making too much to qualify for Medicaid but too little to qualify for health insurance subsidies--a committee of House and Senate leaders, the Governor Herbert, and Lt. Governor Spencer Cox set July 31 as the deadline for coming up with a plan to address this population.

The following press release was issued by AARP on Tuesday, June 16.

from the AARP Media Relations Office

By Danny Harris, Advocacy Director, AARP Utah

In a statement released today, AARP Utah State Director Alan Ormsby said, “AARP Utah is disappointed that the Utah legislature did not advance Healthy Utah into law this session. This means that thousands of people who fall into the coverage gap will continue to suffer because of their lack of access to affordable health care. Some will die while waiting for treatment. It is truly disheartening when political posturing gets the upper hand over the outpouring of support for Healthy Utah from the public and organizations around the state. We hope that this vital piece of legislation will be considered and passed quickly in a special session of the legislature and intend to work with the committee to help ensure that this happens.”