Tag Archives for AARP

The ABCs of Surviving Medicare Open Enrollment 

Published in RINewsToday on October 20, 2025

It’s that time. The Medicare Open Enrollment period began last week and runs until December 7th. During this period, Rhode Island’s 243,000 Medicare beneficiaries (data from late 2024 to early 2025) are encouraged to explore their Medicare options, carefully review, compare options, and make necessary changes to their existing Medicare plan for the following year.

During the Medicare Open Enrollment period, you can join a new Medicare Advantage plan or Part D prescription drug plan, switch from Original Medicare to Medicare Advantage, or switch from Medicare Advantage to Original Medicare (with or without a Part D plan).

You can make as many changes as you want during this period. The last change you ultimately make will take effect on January 1, 2026.

Medicare Options

According to Healthinsurance.org, an independent website that provides consumer information and education on health insurance options, here’s a snapshot of Medicare plans chosen by Rhode Island beneficiaries.

As of September 2024, 144,610 Rhode Islanders were enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans. These plans, offered by private health insurance companies, are alternatives to Original Medicare. Medicare Advantage plans cover all the healthcare benefits that Original Medicare covers (e.g., hospital services and outpatient/medical/physician services), but the out-of-pocket costs can differ significantly, as Advantage plans set their own co-pays, co-insurance, and deductibles (within parameters defined by CMS).

Approximately 115,000 to 120,000 Rhode Islanders are enrolled in Original Medicare, representing about 49-51% of the state’s Medicare beneficiaries. Original Medicare, covering individuals aged 65 and older as well as certain younger people with disabilities, is a “fee-for-service” plan composed of two main parts: Part A for hospital insurance (covering inpatient hospital care, skilled nursing care, hospice care, and some home health services) and Part B for medical insurance (covering doctor visits, preventive care, and durable medical equipment). These two parts cover a wide range of medically necessary services, with beneficiaries paying a portion of costs, such as coinsurance and deductibles.

Medicare Part D is an optional prescription drug benefit offered by private insurance companies approved by Medicare. This benefit helps cover the cost of outpatient prescription medications. Approximately 83% of the total 243,377 beneficiaries in September 2024 have some form of prescription drug coverage through a Medicare Part D plan.

Finally, according to the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, as of 2024, more than 50,000 Medicare beneficiaries in Rhode Island had Medigap policies. These policies are standardized supplemental insurance plans sold by private companies to cover the “gaps” in Original Medicare (Part A and Part B), including deductibles, co-payments, and co-insurance.

Taking a Close Look at Your Current Coverage

Even if you’re satisfied with your current coverage, the state’s Office for Healthy Aging recommends that Medicare beneficiaries closely review and compare their Medicare options to ensure their needs are met in the upcoming year. “Medicare beneficiaries will receive a lot of mail during Medicare Open Enrollment so it is very important to pay attention to any changes in the plan’s costs, including premiums, deductibles, and cost-sharing amounts. Make sure your providers and pharmacies are still in the plan’s network.”

All Medicare beneficiaries (or those approaching Medicare eligibility) can receive free, unbiased counseling from State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) counselors. These services are voluntary and meant to help people understand the complexity of plans and make informed choices. SHIP counseling is an offered resource, not a condition of having Medicare or enrolling in a plan.

What to Bring to Your SHIP Appointment

You can enroll in Medicare plans or manage your coverage without using OHA or SHIP partners’ counseling.  There is a risk of not choosing the best plan to meet your medical needs, missing savings or subsidies, and increasing stress or confusion in making the right choice.

After making an appointment, a SHIP counselor will request the beneficiary bring their Medicare card, current plan(s) cards, and a list of prescriptions and doctors to the meeting.

The OHA and its nine partners (see box below) are provided with training, certifications, and resources through the federal SHIP grant ensuring they stay up to date on what every Medicare Advantage, Traditional Medicare, and Medicare Part D plan offers.

Every October, OHA and its SHIP partners meet with presenters from Rhode Island’s Medicare Advantage plans to become aware of updates on all the 2026 plan changes.

Changes in 2026

According to AARP, expect some significant changes in 2026. The first Medicare-negotiated drug prices will go into effect for drugs like Eliquis, Jardiance, Xarelto, Januvia, Farxiga, Entresto, Enbrel, Imbruvica, Stelara, and NovoLog/Fiasp. Additionally, according to CMS, savings are expected to lower enrollees’ out-of-pocket spending by an estimated $1.5 billion next year. Finally, the new cap on annual out-of-pocket expenses for Part D drugs will increase to $2,100.

You can call 1-800-MEDICARE to make changes by phone. You can also use Medicare’s Plan Finder tool to compare plans at www.medicare.gov/plan-compare to compare options and enroll in some plans online. Alternatively, you can contact plans directly to enroll.

Find a Medicare plan

However, the Office of Healthy Aging cautions, “Unfortunately, we are still waiting for CMS to release some of the 2026 cost and premium changes, and due to the government shutdown, this may be further delayed.”

A Final Note… Beware of Scams and Fraud

Open Enrollment is also prime time for scams. Scammers who claim to represent Medicare may call asking for your Medicare number, Social Security number, or bank information, especially before you enroll. Medicare will never call, email, or text out of the blue to ask for personal information or payment. If you’re unsure, hang up and call 1-800-MEDICARE to verify.

To schedule an appointment with a State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) Counselor please contact one of the below agencies.

PARTNER AGENCYLOCATIONPHONE NUMBER
Aging Well84 Social St, Woonsocket, RI 02895401-766-3734
Johnston Senior Center1291 Hartford Ave, Johnston, RI 02919401-944-3343
Westbay Community Action Agency487 Jefferson Blvd, Warwick, RI 02886401-921-5237
South Kingstown Senior Center25 St Dominic Rd, Wakefield, RI 02879401-789-0268
Westerly Senior Center39 State St, Westerly, RI 02891401-596-2404
The Aging & Disability Resource Center (ADRC)50 Valley St, Providence, RI 02909401-462-4444
East Bay Community Action Agency100 Bullocks Point Ave, East Providence, RI 02915401-435-7876
Leon Mathieu Senior Center420 Main St, Pawtucket, RI 02860401-728-7582
Progreso Latino626 Broad St, Central Falls, RI 02863401-728-5920
Edward King House35 King St, Newport, RI 02840401-846-7426

Source:  OHA, Oct. 2025

Walktober with AARP: Neighborhood Walks and Walk Audits across Providence

Published in RINewsToday on September 29, 2025

As part of AARP Rhode Island’s ongoing Livable Communities initiatives, the state’s largest aging organization will launch a series of “Walktober” events next month in collaboration with America Walks, local elected officials, municipal departments, planners, outreach specialists, volunteers, and community groups. The effort will feature neighborhood walks and walk audits across Providence. Accessibility is a priority, ensuring that people using mobility aids are included.

According to AARP Rhode Island, walking through neighborhoods allows volunteers to document and report infrastructure issues such as missing or uneven sidewalks, unsafe crosswalks, inadequate lighting, and the lack of benches, shade, and green space. These findings will help shape proposals for community improvements. The goal is to raise public awareness and highlight the importance of well-designed, well-maintained, and inclusive sidewalks, curb cuts, bump outs, and pedestrian-friendly spaces that contribute to a thriving community.

AARP Rhode Island notes that Walktober is a collaboration between the nonprofit and America Walks has organized nearly a dozen free, engaging community events aimed at helping residents appreciate walking as an enjoyable and healthy alternative to other means of getting around.

They Walk Their Talk

Taking part in Walktober is internationally known “multidisciplinary walking artist” and mobility justice activist Jonathon Stalls, who founded Walk2Connect (now Walk America) in 2012 after completing a 3,030-mile walk across the nation in 2010. Stalls will join America Walks board member Garrett Brumfield, a disability rights advocate and popular “sit-down” comedian, at the kickoff event scheduled for Wednesday, October 8. The event begins with a free “connection walk” at 5:00 p.m., followed by a free public walk, talk, book signing, and reception at the Providence Public Library.

Stalls, a respected author, wrote WALK: Slow Down, Wake Up, and Connect at 1–3 Miles Per Hour. The 240-page book, published by North Atlantic Books, is a collection of essays exploring the benefits of walking—for both individuals and communities—and how walking can be transformational. Attendees will receive a free copy.

Over the years, Stalls has documented his long walks, including a 200-mile trek from Providence to New York to explore how built environments affect communities, especially marginalized residents who cannot or do not drive. Walking, he argues, reveals how public spaces can become safer and more inclusive for all. At national and international conferences, Stalls advocates for transportation systems that prioritize pedestrians and calls for incorporating mobility justice into urban planning.

Joining him is Garrett Brumfield, a Roanoke, Virginia resident and disability rights advocate living with cerebral palsy. He calls for improved public transportation, mobility infrastructure, and community planning that make cities accessible to all—older adults, wheelchair users, and families with strollers alike.

On LinkedIn, Brumfield explains:“It is my mission to use my story and my experiences of living with Cerebral Palsy to help others overcome whatever obstacles stand in their way. Whether your obstacle is big or small, permanent or temporary, I believe you have the power to overcome it. The steps may be small, and the journey may be long, but I guarantee it’ll be worth it. I’m overcoming mine—how will you overcome yours?”

Also known as a sit-down comedian, Brumfield uses humor to break down barriers and promote empathy and awareness around disability issues. His performances challenge stereotypes and encourage new perspectives about what people with disabilities can do.

Brumfield serves on the board of Walk America, based in Seattle, Washington, which advocates for walkability, accessibility, and disability rights nationwide. He completed his Walking College Fellowship through America Walks in 2017 and has since become a mentor in the program, while collaborating on initiatives to improve walkability and “rollability” across the country.

Walking Audits in Providence Neighborhoods

As part of Walktober, AARP Rhode Island has scheduled additional walks and audits throughout October. On October 9, a Broadway Walk/Roll Audit will take place, along with other events including a Comedy Walk & Roll with Brumfield and a Glow Stick Walk/Roll Dance Party.

Other Walktober walks are being hosted by Village Common Walking Group, Providence Preservation Society and Ocean State Center for Independent Living.

Through AARP’s 2025 Community Challenge grants, Providence’s Age-Friendly PVD initiative is funding four walk audits in neighborhoods with high concentrations of older adults to identify pedestrian safety challenges.

“AARP Rhode Island is pleased to work with so many community partners and with America Walks to promote access and safety for walkers and rollers of all ages and abilities,” said AARP Rhode Island State Director Catherine Taylor. “Walktober is truly a celebration, and we hope, at times, an inspiration as well as a wake-up call, as walk audits throughout the city reveal barriers and unsafe conditions that need to be addressed.

Added Taylor, “Walking is great exercise, and as walking groups become more and more popular, they serve as an opportunity for socialization that is very important to many people as they age.”

Here is How It Works…

According to AARP Rhode Island, walk audits involve participants walking through neighborhoods and noting infrastructure issues: missing or uneven sidewalks, unsafe crosswalks, poor lighting, or lack of benches and shade. Participants then document and report their findings so changes can be proposed and considered.

The events are meant to be inclusive, with accessibility a top priority. Walk audits not only identify safety concerns but also raise public awareness and encourage cities to take action.

Get Involved

·         For kickoff event and registration details and locations of walk audits visit register: www.aarp.org/RIWalktober, where you also will find an interactive Walktober Map.

·         To learn how to assess and report on the safety and walkability of a street, intersection, or neighborhood, visit the AARP Walk Audit Tool Kit at https://www.aarp.org/livable-communities/getting-around/aarp-walk-audit-tool-kit.html

Senate Aging Committee: Mandatory Arbitration in Age Bias Cases

Published in RINewsToday on September 8, 2025

Chairman Rick Scott (R-FL) and Ranking Member Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging recently held a full committee hearing titled ‘Protecting Older Americans: Leveling the Playing Field for Older Workers’ in SD-106 at 10:30 a.m., shining a spotlight on the harmful impact of age discrimination which is viewed as pervasive and damaging to the nation’s economy.  The intent of this hearing was to raise public awareness about how it results in the potential loss of legal rights of older workers through the legalese in employment contracts, requiring mandating arbitration.

According to a 2024 AARP survey, the vast majority of older workers have reported witnessing age discrimination. The survey found that 64% of older workers have either seen or experienced age discrimination in the workplace.  Additionally, the findings indicated that, more than 1 in 5 older Americans said that they worried that they were being pushed out of their job because of their age. This comes as Americans have started working later in life, with workers who are over 75 years old becoming the fastest growing age group in the workforce

After calling the hearing to order, Chairman Scott stated, “Age discrimination isn’t just wrong, it’s stupid. I’m a business guy, and I can tell you that looking at someone’s age instead of the value they bring to an organization makes no sense. You can’t run a business or government that way and we need to make sure it’s not happening to American seniors.”

Opening the hearing, Chairman Scott stressed that work provides purpose and fulfillment. “Having a purpose is an essential part of the American Dream, and it has long been an indicator of both mental and physical well-being across all age groups,” he said, noting that research findings indicate that “older workers who remain engaged, experience greater physical health, mental resilience, and life satisfaction.”

“We need to make sure Americans of all ages have the opportunity to work and pursue their dreams by stopping age discrimination and removing the red tape and barriers that hamper or discourage older Americans from continuing work or starting new businesses or careers,” Chairman Scott told the Senate Panel.

The economic and overall well-being of older Americans was at the center of the Sept. 3 hearing, which brought the issue of age discrimination in the workplace to the forefront with a growing number of older workers being denied employment, being passed over for promotions, or just being fired because of their age. The discussion, led by Ranking Member Gillibrand, took a close look at a major legal barrier for victims of age discrimination, the forcing of mandatory arbitration clauses in employment contracts.

“In a time when the population of older Americans is growing and many are returning to the workforce, we need to make sure that those who face age discrimination can have their day in court,” says Ranking Member Gillibrand in an opening statement. “Victims of age discrimination often can’t seek justice or accountability in court because of a forced arbitration clause that they signed when they were hired,” she said, noting that many of these individuals are not even aware that their employment contract contains  a forced arbitration clause.

According to Gillibrand, the contract “traps those who experience workplace discrimination in a system that advantages their employer — preventing them from seeking information that could help to prove their case. And victims are left in the hands of an extrajudicial arbitrator who is often selected by their employer and not always a trained lawyer,” she says.

At this hearing, witnesses also called this practice “fundamentally unfair” that suppresses age discrimination claims, favors employers and hides misconduct from the public, effecting blocking older workers from their seventh Amendment constitutional rights to a jury trial without their full consent.

Bill Restores Right to Sue for Discrimination

During the Senate panel hearing, Ranking Member Gillibrand called for the passage of a bipartisan legislative proposal, S. 2703, entitled the Protecting Older Americans Act, which she introduced alongside Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) to protect seniors facing age discrimination at work. This common-sense legislation, introduced the day of the hearing and referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee, would invalidate forced arbitration clauses that prevent age discrimination victims from seeking justice and public accountability, ensuring that seniors can file their cases in court.

According to a statement released by Gillibrand, the bipartisan proposal would allow those who have experienced age discrimination the option to file their case in court if they choose, even if they previously signed a forced arbitration clause. It gives them a voice in the process and the ability to seek justice.

But, if employees decide, though, that they would like to pursue arbitration when they have faced age discrimination, they can. The point is that employees will now have a choice. The crux of the issue is that despite the fact that workplace age discrimination is categorically illegal, and that Congress has already passed laws to protect older Americans from it, forced arbitration clauses subvert justice, noted the statement.

Meanwhile, several witnesses drew parallels to the successful Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act of 2021, signed into law in 2022 by President Joe Biden, which ended forced arbitration in cases of sexual harassment and assault. They argued that fears of excessive litigation following its passage were unfounded. The discussion also identified other policy barriers facing older workers, pointing to the Social Security’s retirement earnings test, that was identified as a disincentive that discouraged older workers from remaining in the workforce.

Targeting Hidden Job Contract Barriers

The hearing, featuring testimony from expert witnesses, including representatives from the Washington, D.C. based AARP—the nation’s largest aging advocacy group with 35 million members—a former Fox News journalist, an academic, and a conservative policy foundation, emphasized the importance of creating equal opportunities for older workers, especially as the nation’s population continues to age and many choose to continue working later in life.

Witnesses at this hearing shared insights on the specific challenges faced by seniors in the workplace and discussed how employers, communities, and lawmakers can take action to protect older workers.

Throughout the hearing, lasting over an hour, these witnesses warned that age discrimination has become widespread and an economically damaging problem that financially and emotionally harms older Americans.  Older workers contributed positively to America’s businesses and to the economy by bringing their life-long work experience, and mentorship to younger workers to the workplace, they stressed.

“Talk to older job seekers and they’ll tell you they hear things in interviews like you’re overqualified. We’re looking for a digital native or a more energetic candidate. This is undermining the financial stability of too many capable Americans,” said Nancy LeaMond, Chief Advocacy and Engagement Officer for AARP.

LeaMond stressed that age discrimination was a pervasive issue, with nearly two-thirds of workers over 50 having seen or experienced it. She highlighted the severe economic consequences, noting it cost the U.S. economy $850 billion annually (a figure projected to reach nearly $4 trillion by 2050) and was particularly damaging for the many older Americans who lacked adequate retirement savings and needed to continue working.

Often because of necessity or choice, older Americans need to work, says LeaMond. Federal Reserve data indicated that 54% of households had no retirement savings, underscoring the financial need for many older Americans to work longer, she said.

The impact on losing a job for an older worker can be profound, notes LeaMond. She cited an Urban Institute Study that found that about half of workers in their early 50s experience involuntary job loss that sharply reduces earnings forcing them into long-term unemployment – something that older workers face at higher rates than younger peers.

While AARP endorses Ranking Member Gillibrand’s bipartisan proposal, S. 2703, she also called for passage of Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Grassley bill (R-IA),  S. 1820, The Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act. Representative Robert C. “Bobby” Scott  (D-VA) has introduced H. 3522, the House companion measure.

Witness David Horton, Professor of Law at the University of California, Davis, with a specialty in arbitration law and contracts, argued that forced employment arbitration in wrong doings, such as age discrimination, was not consensual, as employees had no real choice when accepting a job. “Studies confirm what our intuition tells us: workers are bombarded with information, their eyes glaze over at the legalese, and very few realize that they are surrendering their right to access the courts,” he testified.

Horton further explained that arbitration had systemic flaws that disadvantaged employees, such as the “repeat player” problem where arbitrators have a financial incentive to favor employers, and the inability to bring class-action claims. Horton, who holds the Fair Business Practices & Investor Advocacy Endowed Chair, concluded that forced arbitration’s purpose was not to resolve disputes, but to suppress them.

Meanwhile, witness Gretchen Carlson, a former Fox News journalist who is co-founder of the non-profit Lift Our Voices, shared her personal experience and her successful advocacy to pass the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act. She argued that the fears of a “slew” of lawsuits following that bill’s passage did not happen, and she believed the same would be true for the Protecting Older Americans Act. She framed the issue as a fundamental matter of the ”freedom of choice” and restoring workers’ Seventh Amendment right to a jury trial.

“In my unscientific study…over nine and a half years, “the vast majority say that when they’re forced into arbitration, never work in their chosen profession ever again… there’s a myriad of problems here, but to me, forced arbitration is the evil,” said Carlson.

Speaking Out Against Outdated Policies

Witness Rachel U. Greszler, Senior Research Fellow at the Heritage Foundation, focused on the older worker’s value and impact on the economy and society.  She identified public policies, primarily Social Security’s retirement earning test, calling it an outdated policy that would discourage work for older workers.  She also criticized regulations on independent contractors that limited flexible part-time work opportunities for older workers.

The testimony at this hearing, combining expert observations with personal stories, is intended to raise public awareness and increase political pressure on a divided Congress to act in protecting the legal rights of older workers from age discrimination hidden in the very fine print of employment contracts.

To watch the hearing, go to https://www.aging.senate.gov/hearings/protecting-older-americans-leveling-the-playing-field-for-older-workers