Some 30,000 Mainers could lose access to critical healthcare benefits under Gov. Janet Mills’ proposed supplemental budget. The state legislature took historic action last year to expand Medicare Savings Programs, which help Medicare recipients with limited incomes afford out-of-pocket expenses. Mills proposes that expansion be reversed. Bridget Quinn — associate state director of advocacy and outreach with…
The proposal to create a publicly-owned electric power utility in Maine was defeated but the confusion surrounding electricity rates remains. A series of free upcoming workshops aims to help older Mainers better understand their electric bills and advocate for lower rates. Alf Anderson, associate state director of advocacy and outreach for AARP Maine, said the election…
AARP is seeking nominations for its 2023 Andrus Award for Community Service, which celebrates those individuals over age 50 who share their experience and skills to enrich the lives of others. Research shows volunteerism improves the mental and physical health of older adults and the award will honor those who’ve experienced those benefits firsthand. AARP…
AARP Maine said it is hopeful lawmakers will find common ground on issues to support older Mainers this legislative session, including establishing a paid family and medical leave policy. Surveys show more than 75% of Mainers support a plan to help those providing unpaid care to older parents or spouses while often working full-time jobs…
Eleven projects in Maine have been awarded grants from AARP to make communities more livable, especially for older residents. Types of projects considered for the Community Challenge grants are those improving public spaces, transportation, housing, digital access and civic engagement, to name a few, and they must be completed by Nov. 30. Deirdra Murphy, co-chair…
It is about more than the soup. Anne Schroth, healthy aging coordinator at Healthy Peninsula, said a volunteer for the organization’s food delivery program recently told her that she picks up soup to deliver to people around 2:30 in the afternoon, making seven or eight stops in the Blue Hill Peninsula and Deer Isle areas,…
To keep Maine from repeating the mistakes of Wisconsin last month, a local coalition of pro-democracy groups electronically delivered a petition to Governor Janet Mills on Monday calling for her to ensure that voters will safely be able to participate in the July statewide election. The petition — which was signed by over 2,300 Mainers…
At a live-streamed press conference on Tuesday afternoon, Governor Janet Mills announced that her administration, along with the Maine Secretary of State and municipal officials, has been making plans to move the state’s June primary election back by more than a month and take measures to encourage the casting of absentee ballots. “Everybody, to a…
The U.S. House passed a landmark health care bill on Thursday that would allow Medicare to leverage its power as the nation’s biggest coverage provider to bargain down drug prices. Also referred to as the Lower Drug Costs Now Act, the sweeping legislation passed largely along party lines, with 230 lawmakers — including Maine Reps. Jared…
The amount of unpaid work family members in Maine and around the country put into caring for their parents, partners and loved ones is staggering. In 2017, approximately 181,000 family caregivers in Maine provided an estimated 152 million hours of care. Those unpaid hours are worth $2.2 billion annually. This state data comes from the…