Mississippi has some of the strictest Medicaid eligibility rules in the country, yet legislation to expand eligibility in the state failed this year. New analysis by Avalere, with support from AARP Public Policy Institute, estimates that if expansion were to pass, 125,000 uninsured individuals would be eligible for Medicaid in the state in 2025—28,000 of whom are between the ages of 50 and 64. Since the Affordable Care Act introduced expansion in 2014, 40 states and the District of Columbia have expanded Medicaid and seen budgetary benefits. Avalere estimates the state could see $701 million in net savings.
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The latest AARP Livability Index update includes a Top 100 list of highest-scoring communities based on transportation, housing, walkability, and more. The Livability Index scores every US neighborhood and community for amenities and services that affect people’s lives. Rating criteria is based on how well communities support their members across seven categories: housing, neighborhood, transportation, environment, health, engagement, and opportunity. Also on the Livability Index website: an AARP Policy Now
video that provides livability highlights and trends. (Scroll down the page to “Top 100 Performing Communities” video.)
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The cost of caregiving was nearly $30 an hour in 2023; factor in home care inflation, which rose by 8.7 percent in 2024, and caregiving becomes prohibitively expensive. Nearly half of older adults will need some long-term services and supports (LTSS) in their lifetime, such as help with daily activities. Many may forego care, rely on family for unpaid care, or chip away at their savings to pay for care. This increases their risk of falling or illness. Solutions like adding more direct care workers, implementing LTSS home care services and adult day services, and supporting family caregiver paid leave, tax credits and respite care should
be considered.
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Even though nearly 1.3 million American women enter menopause every year, with symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, brain fog, and more, a lack of research funding on women’s health issues has left them with few definitive options. A new AARP survey found that 90 percent of menopausal women experience at least one symptom; most report five or more. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is a common treatment but through the years has gone in and out of favor, while women currently also turn to other treatments—antidepressants, supplements, cannabis, and others. More evidence-based options are in need. That’s why AARP has
endorsed legislation to fund research on the diagnosis and treatment of menopause.
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A new AARP Public Policy Institute report explores a concerning rise in the costs midlife adults with private insurance face. Adults 50 to 64 with employer or individual coverage pay significantly more for health services, premiums, and out-of-pocket costs than those in other age groups. Rather than go into debt, they skip primary, dental, and vision care and stretch the life of prescriptions by cutting pills in half or not taking or refilling medications. Rising drug and device prices, new technology, and a lack of pricing transparency has made medical care unaffordable for many people, but especially those in midlife who are more
likely to have greater health care needs.
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AARP is helping nurses take the first step toward retirement with three free on-demand videos and an accompanying toolkit that share tips on how they can prepare finances ahead of retirement, estimate financial needs, determine financial readiness, and understand how to make their money grow. Jean Chatzky, AARP financial ambassador and CEO of HerMoney.com, collaborates with Karen Drenkard, chief nursing advisor to AARP Public Policy Institute, who opens the video series with a personal message on how to work toward a secure financial future.
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