AARP IN YOUR STATE

June 2008

Cutting costs – Two provisions in the newly approved state budget are expected to reduce prescription drug costs for many New Yorkers: a discount card program and an effort to provide doctors with unbiased information about various drugs.  Beginning in April 2009, state residents ages 50 to 64 and those of any age with disabilities will be eligible for a drug discount card if their annual income is less than $35,000 for individuals or $50,000 for couples. The cards are expected to provide savings of up to 30 percent on brand-name drugs and nearly 60 percent on generics.  The other provision aims to counter the drug industry’s marketing ploys by providing doctors with objective research findings on various drugs.  AARP New York fought for these programs as part of its ongoing effort to make prescription drugs more affordable. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org/ny.

April 2008

Lower Rx costs – State lawmakers are considering legislation that could lower prescription drug costs. One bill (S 2971/A 7468) would require pharmaceutical companies to disclose the gifts they give to doctors. Another (S 2056/A 7645) would prohibit drug companies from buying data on doctors’ prescribing patterns to use for marketing purposes. AARP New York testified in favor of these bills—which seek to bring more transparency to the way drugs are marketed in the state—at an Assembly committee hearing in February.  AARP also supports a provision in the budget proposed by then-Gov. Eliot Spitzer, D, that would allow the state to save money by buying prescription drugs in bulk. For details, go to www.aarp.org/ny.

December 2007

Help for homeowners – To stem the tide of mortgage foreclosures, AARP New York is urging Gov. Eliot Spitzer, D, to include in the state budget funding for counseling, legal aid and financial relief for New Yorkers at risk of losing their homes.

AARP New York supports a $5 million appropriation for housing-counseling agencies and legal aid services approved by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and $100 million to establish a foreclosure remediation fund. In addition, AARP recommends that the state banking department collect foreclosure data so officials can identify communities with disproportionately high foreclosure rates and address local problems.

Foreclosure rates are skyrocketing in New York: Residents received 50,000 foreclosure notices in 2006 and nearly as many — 49,000 — in the first six months of 2007.

November 2007

Caregiver support – AARP New York is pushing for increased funding for supportive services for family caregivers in the 2008 budget, just as the state’s newly created Family Caregiver Council begins to assess how to improve such services.

“Family caregivers are the backbone of our long-term care system,” says Lois Aronstein, AARP state director. An AARP Public Policy Institute study released in June estimates that family caregiving in New York was worth $24 billion in 2006, yet this work often comes with hidden costs. The study found that family caregivers are more likely than noncaregivers to suffer chronic health conditions, arrive late to work and incur medical debt.

October 2007

Dollars and sense – AARP New York, the state Attorney General’s Office and the nonprofit Investor Protection Trust are cosponsoring a series of seminars at which financial experts offer tips on making sound investment choices. “This is a chance for New Yorkers to receive quality financial advice from individuals who are not pushing their own financial products or services,” says Lois Aronstein, AARP state director.

AARP New York will kick off the first event, “Investor Education on Campus,” at Westchester Community College in Valhalla on Oct. 27. Seminars are slated for Buffalo on Nov. 10 and Rochester on Dec. 1. The events are free, but participants must register in advance. For details on times and locations, call 1-877-926-8300 toll free.