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Bad Idea for Social Security COLA – Drug Competition Delayed – Medicare Fraud

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Why Using the Chained CPI for Social Security Cost of Living Adjustments Is a Bad Idea

Social Security’s cost-of-living adjustment is vital in ensuring the program’s more than 70 million beneficiaries maintain their purchasing power as prices rise. Switching from the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers to the slower-growing Chained CPI would reduce Social Security benefits considerably over time, eroding retirees’ financial security. An AARP Public Policy Institute blog highlights why policymakers should reject any attempts to use the Chained CPI for annual cost-of-living adjustments.

How Brand Name Drug Companies Delay Generic Competition

Brand name drug companies have a strong financial incentive to protect and extend their market monopolies. Although such efforts are typically viewed in isolation, they are often part of a comprehensive and multipronged strategy. Using the popular respiratory inhaler Symbicort as an illustration, an AARP Public Policy Institute report examines the range of tactics brand name manufacturers may use to slow the availability of lower-priced generic competitors.

Medicare Fraud Hurts Older Adults’ Access to Care and Financial Security

The serious and prevalent crime of Medicare fraud has significant consequences for people enrolled in the program. Fraud can block access to life-saving care, create erroneous out-of-pocket costs, and cause stress from billing and enrollment problems. An AARP Public Policy Institute Fact Sheet discusses how Medicare fraud hurts beneficiaries and provides recommendations for both remedying and preventing the harm.

The Importance of Self-Directed Long-Term Services and Supports Programs

As of this year, more than 2 million older adults and people with disabilities self-direct their long-term services and supports (LTSS), embracing a model under which they choose how, when, and from whom their services are delivered. A report from the AARP Public Policy Institute and the organization Applied Self-Direction provides 2026 state and national data on self-directed LTSS enrollment and new policy insights on cost-effectiveness, program integrity, and support for family caregivers.

How Retirees Experience Unexpected Expenses

While unexpected expenses and the need for emergency savings have received increased attention in recent years, retirees face a unique set of challenges when an unplanned cost confronts them. Examining data from the 2000–2020 Health and Retirement Study and the 2001–2019 Consumption and Activities Mail Survey, a recent AARP Public Policy Institute report provides insights on how these expenses affect retirement income adequacy and explores policy approaches that can help retirees absorb financial shocks without derailing their long-term security.

Nursing Home Data Update: As Winter Approaches, Vaccination Rates Are Down

As nursing facilities head into respiratory illness season, only one-quarter of nursing home residents are vaccinated for RSV or up to date on COVID-19 vaccination, the latest update to the AARP Nursing Home Quality and Safety Dashboard reveals. The Dashboard—which provides quarterly snapshots of national and state data on nursing home residents’ experiences, staffing, and facility characteristics—continues to show significant disparities in several areas among states.

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