Your AARP: Florida

November 2009

Good deeds — AARP Florida is encouraging members to engage in volunteer service, even if they have little time to spare. AARP's national Create the Good campaign offers busy people easy ways to make a difference in others' lives.

In October AARP and the Entertainment Industry Foundation spotlighted "volunteer stars" such as Terri Koopman of Lake Placid, who helps run a free health clinic and lobbies lawmakers on issues affecting older people. The need for volunteers is especially critical now, as many state residents are hurting from the economic downturn. While the national unemployment rate doubled from March 2007 to July 2009, the number of unemployed Floridians almost tripled from 335,000 to 984,000, according to Florida TaxWatch.

To find a volunteer opportunity, visit the website www.createthegood.org.

October 2009

Back to the drawing board — In a state where legislative districts can resemble Rorschach inkblots, a nonpartisan drive is gaining momentum to put two constitutional amendments on the 2010 ballot to establish standards for fairness in drawing district boundaries.

The goal of the proposed amendments is to make legislative and congressional districts compact and community-based and, where feasible, to align them with existing city, county or geographical boundaries. Currently some districts are oddly shaped, measuring hundreds of miles long but only a mile wide in places, or jumping a causeway to join parts of two counties.

To learn more, visit www.fairdistrictsflorida.org.

September 2009

In the gap — In a push to close the "doughnut hole" in Medicare Part D, AARP is collecting stories from people who are struggling with the high cost of drugs. The issue hits hard in Florida, where Medicare beneficiaries spend on average about $100 more on prescriptions each year than other Americans age 65-plus.

The doughnut hole is a gap in coverage that usually starts when annual covered drug costs exceed $2,700. In 2007, more than 300,000 Floridians were in that predicament and were unable to qualify for financial help, even though they were still paying Part D premiums.

To find out if you might fall into the coverage gap—and to determine which generic drugs could save you money—go to doughnuthole.aarp.org. To share a story about high drug costs, call 1-866-595-7678 toll-free. To get involved, go to www.aarp.org/fl and click on "Health Action Now."

July-August 2009

Storm safety — To help prepare for this year's hurricane season, which runs through Nov. 30, AARP Florida is encouraging residents to work together to make their homes and communities as storm-safe as possible.

A new AARP website, Operation Hurricane Prepare, offers resources and information on hurricane preparedness, critical for a state hit by seven hurricanes in 2004 and 2005. Those storms, which caused billions of dollars in damages, forced millions to evacuate and left hundreds of thousands of older Floridians temporarily homeless. AARP's initiative, announced earlier this summer at a Tallahassee news conference, aims to prepare residents of all ages to help each other during dangerous weather.

For more information or to download hurricane safety materials, go to www.aarp.org/hurricaneprepare.

June 2009

Highlighting reform — In the state with the largest percentage of uninsured adults ages 18 to 64, AARP Florida is offering members several opportunities to learn more about health care reform. A series of meetings and "tele-town hall" events will allow people across the state to participate in question-and-answer sessions in person or by phone. In addition, AARP will host meetings this summer to highlight progress in national health care reform.

AARP volunteers are also reaching out to members of Congress to urge action on health care reform. In Florida, just 73.1 percent of adults ages 18 to 64 had health insurance in 2004-2005, the lowest ranking of the 50 states.

To learn more about the tele-town hall meetings and other health care reform events, visit www.aarp.org/fl.