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US Senate Special Committee on Aging holds its First Hearing on Menopause

Published in RINewsToday on September 21, 2026

For generations, menopause was a health issue that many women were expected to deal with on their own, quietly. Last week, the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging took the issue into the public discussion, holding the first congressional hearing devoted exclusively to menopause.

The Sept. 16 hearing brought congressional attention to an issue affecting millions of American women navigating perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause. Approximately 2 million more women enter menopause each year.

Menopause affects women differently, but the symptoms can upend daily life. Women may experience hot flashes, vaginal dryness, insomnia, migraine headaches, brain fog, heart palpitations, mood changes, and changes in metabolism. For some, these symptoms become debilitating, disrupting daily and work routines and quality of life.

Senate Aging Committee Chairman Rick Scott (R-FL) and Ranking Member Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) convened the hearing, titled “Half the Country, Zero Hearings: Meeting the Moment to End the Menopause Care Gap in America,” to examine what lawmakers call the nation’s “menopause care gap.”

Medical experts, researchers, and women’s health advocates testified about the lack of research, physician training, and access to treatment.

The Senate Aging Committee hearing was a critical step in elevating this issue to determine what’s needed to improve medical research, training, and care for women experiencing menopause,” said Gillibrand in her opening statement.

“Menopause affects half of the population. For generations, women have been told to suffer in silence. I’m done with this silence,” she said.

Even though women in midlife make up a significant portion of the U.S. population, Gillibrand called menopause “one of the most under-researched, undertreated, and under-discussed” health issues in the nation. She pointed to estimates that less than 1% of federal women’s health research funding goes to menopause.

Gillibrand also noted that about 80% of OB-GYN residents report feeling ill-prepared to discuss menopause or its symptoms. The result, she said, is that many women seeking medical care are left without adequate treatment.

Menopause care also carries an economic cost. Gillibrand cited a Mayo Clinic study estimating that menopause costs the U.S. economy $26.6 billion annually, including $1.8 billion in lost work time.

“There’s simply no excuse for the lack of resources and information to help every woman navigate menopause and the challenges that come with it,” said Scott in his opening statement.

Scott cautioned that there is no “one-size-fits-all solution.” Instead, he called for women to have access to reliable information, qualified health care providers, and treatment options that allow them to make informed decisions about their health.

Scott also pointed to hormone replacement therapy as a safe treatment option for many women, while noting that lack of education and access can make it difficult for women to obtain appropriate treatment.

“We also need providers who have the most up-to-date training and who can clearly discuss treatment options with their patients,” said Scott, pointing to the shortage of health care providers as another barrier to care.

Scott and Gillibrand also announced that they sent a bipartisan letter requesting the Government Accountability Office to examine how the federal government both coordinates and funds menopause research and care. The senators say the report could help identify remaining gaps in research, education and treatment.

More Research Needed

Federal funding for research advancing menopause care is inadequate, Dr. Jean Wactawski-Wende, a SUNY Distinguished Professor who has conducted women’s health research for more than four decades, charged.

“In 1985, the National Institutes of Health put forward a study…the report said we’re not doing enough research on women…I’d argue we are now 35 years later, and we have not come all that far,” she told the committee.

“Clinical trials are the gold standard of evidence, and we do not have enough of those trials in women, especially in postmenopausal women,” added Wactawski-Wende.

She identified four areas needing greater attention: increased federal research on women’s health throughout the lifespan; chronic disease in aging women; better education and clinical care after menopause; and greater attention to healthy behaviors throughout life.

Dr. Lynne M. Coslett-Charlton, a board-certified gynecologist who has practiced in Northeastern Pennsylvania for 27 years, pointed to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s recent changes to warning labels for menopausal hormone therapy as a major shift in women’s treatment.

Coslett-Charlton also voiced concern that women might get menopause advice from social media influencers instead of from qualified clinicians. This could, in turn, lead them to buy unregulated supplements and products.

She noted that the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has increased its educational efforts to steer patients toward safe, evidence-based, and medically appropriate care. Coslett-Charlton and ACOG also support passage of the Advancing Menopause Care and Midlife Women’s Health Act.

Training Doctors to Treat Menopause

Jennifer Weiss-Wolf, executive director of NYU Law’s Birnbaum Women’s Leadership Center, urged Congress to make telehealth part of the solution. She told lawmakers that virtual care could help connect women, particularly those in areas without specialists, to providers knowledgeable about menopause.

But telehealth has its own barriers, she cautioned, including poor internet connectivity and inadequate insurance coverage. Weiss-Wolf also warned that physician education about menopause must improve.

“For those who started residency after 2002 — statistically that amounts to more than half of all practicing OB-GYNs in the U.S. today — the majority have not had meaningful or even any menopause training,” she said.

Weiss-Wolf called for modern clinical trials that include millennial and Gen X women, with racial, ethnic and geographic diversity. She also urged researchers to use technology better to collect data and track symptoms.

She called on lawmakers to pass three federal bills to increase research and attention to women’s health: the Advancing Menopause Care and Midlife Women’s Health Act; the Service Women and Veterans Menopause Research Act; and the Hormone Health Data and Research Act.

“I Want to Feel Like Myself Again”

“When I ask patients what they hope to get from their care, I often hear, ‘I want to feel like myself again,’” said Dr. Suzanne Silverman Fenske, an obstetrician-gynecologist and integrative medicine practitioner who has practiced in New York City for nearly two decades.

“They want their energy back, relief from anxiety, and a sense of control over a body that suddenly feels unfamiliar,” she said, adding that she

Fenske told the Senate panel that before menopause, a woman’s risk of chronic disease is generally lower than a man’s. After menopause, that risk increases. She pointed to heart disease, hip fractures and urinary sepsis among the serious health problems facing older women.

Fenske also raised an issue that receives far less attention — how physicians are reimbursed for treating menopausal women.

“There is not much incentive for physicians to take care of menopausal women,” she told lawmakers.

Fenske said low insurance reimbursement makes it difficult for independent physicians to spend the necessary time with menopause patients. Large hospital networks may be better able to absorb those costs, she said, while smaller independent practices cannot.

Like the other witnesses, Fenske highlighted the lack of minimum standards for menopause education in medical residency programs.

Fenske offered lawmakers a striking comparison: OB-GYN residents are required to complete at least 200 vaginal deliveries, but there is no comparable minimum requirement for menopause education.  She called on Congress to push Medicare and the Departments of War and Veterans Affairs to make menopause education part of accreditation standards.

Black Box Warning Changes and Challenges

Menopause treatment has received renewed federal attention under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who announced in November 2025 that the FDA would begin removing its strongest “black box” warnings about cardiovascular disease, breast cancer and probable dementia from hormone replacement therapies, including estrogen. The first six revised labels were approved in February 2026, reflecting the administration’s position that overly broad warnings had discouraged women from seeking effective symptom relief. The change does not mean hormone therapy is risk-free: treatment remains an individual decision, with the FDA emphasizing initiation of systemic therapy before age 60 or within 10 years of menopause. The boxed warning about endometrial cancer remains for systemic estrogen-only products. On September 3, the FDA said it was working with manufacturers to increase estrogen patch supplies after rising demand made them harder to find.

Rhode Island No. 1 in U.S. Menopause Workplace Protections

On June 24, 2025, Gov. Dan McKee signed into law legislation (S 0361), introduced by Sen. Lori Urso (D-Dist. 8, Pawtucket), to support women experiencing menopause under the state’s fair employment statute—making Rhode Island the first state to enact such workplace protections explicitly. Rep. Karen Alzate (D-Dist. 60, Pawtucket, Central Falls) introduced a companion bill (H 6161), which passed by concurrence.

Rhode Island law already prohibits workplace discrimination based on pregnancy, childbirth, and related conditions. This includes requiring employers to provide reasonable accommodations and protecting individuals from being denied employment opportunities or promotions—or terminated—because of these conditions. The new law adds menopause to this list of protected health conditions.

“Menopause is a difficult and personal subject that has been stigmatized in this country,” said Sen. Urso in a statement announcing the bill’s passage. “But as something that affects half our population, it’s time we recognize it as a workforce issue—especially as our workforce ages along with our population. The current lack of protections contributes to inadequate retirement savings and lost leadership opportunities for women and poses an economic challenge for employers facing workforce shortages and the loss of experienced employees,” she says.

“Menopause is not something women choose to experience, and its effects on the mind and body can significantly impact daily life and job performance,” said Rep. Alzate. “Women should not have to risk being penalized or discriminated against at work due to a naturally occurring biological transition,” she says.

Rhode Island’s new law is paving the way for workplaces that actually support women experiencing menopause—and it sets a great example for the rest of the country to follow.

A Final Note…

For the millions of women now going through menopause — and the millions more who will follow them — the Sept. 16 hearing put an issue long discussed quietly in doctors’ offices and among women themselves squarely before Congress.

Whether the hearing ultimately results in more federal research, better physician training, and improved access to care will depend on what lawmakers do next. But after generations of silence, menopause finally received its first congressional hearing.

To read Scott and Gillibrand’s correspondence to GAO on the federal government’s role in Menopause research and education, go to Gillibrand Scott GAO Letter on Menopause

To watch the Sept. 16 Senate Aging Committee hearing, go to Half the Country, Zero Hearings: Meeting… | Senate Committee On Aging.

To read about RI’s new Menopause law, go to Rhode Island First in Nation to Add Workplace Protections for Women Experiencing Menopause – Herb Weiss

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Medicare Savings Program bill will be a win for low income seniors, and Rhode Island

Published in RINewsToday on March 25, 2024

A few weeks ago, advocates for seniors gathered on Smith Hill, attending a Senate Committee on Health & Human Services hearing to push for passage of S. 2399.  The legislation would expand income eligibility for the Medicare Savings Program (MSP), helping many lower income seniors and disabled residents pay their $175/month Medicare Part B premium and covering co-pays and deductibles for those with very low-income.

Thousands of low-income seniors and persons with disabilities on Medicare, but not eligible to participate in the state’s Medicaid program, struggle to pay their Medicare Part B premiums and co-pay costs for services and prescription drugs causing many to forgo needed health care as they cannot afford to pay the co-payments.

S. 2399, introduced by Pawtucket Sen. Sandra Cano (D-Dist. 8, Pawtucket), would expand eligibility for the Medicare Savings Program (MSP) by increasing the income limit to 186% of the federal poverty line and eliminating the strict asset limit.  It also increases from 100% to 138% of the federal poverty line a part of the program that covers deductibles and co-payment.

S. 2399 was heard on March 12, 2024 and held for further study.  At press time, H. 7333, introduced by Pawtucket Rep. Karen Alzate (D-Dist. 60, Pawtucket, Central Falls), has been referred to the House Finance Committee for consideration. No hearing date has been scheduled.

“With health care costs rising at an alarming rate, it is imperative that we make sure that no one goes without the care they need due to unaffordability.  This bill adapts to the significant changes in our society and economy while also ensuring that our most vulnerable senior and disabled residents are able to access the care and medicine that is essential to their daily lives,” said Cano, who champions S. 2399 and in previous legislative sessions introduced legislation to expand the MSP.

“Too many of our low-income seniors and disabled residents are falling through the cracks and foregoing crucial health care services due to rising co-pays and out of pocket costs.  This is unacceptable, but thankfully, we can do something about it.  By passing this legislation, thousands or more Rhode Islanders will be able to receive the care that they desperately need while also keeping more money in their pockets that’s needed for daily living expenses,” said Alzate, who sponsored the House companion measure.

“We understand this is very important legislation. We had a very informative, thorough hearing on this bill, and I look forward to reviewing all the information we collected.” says Senate Health and Human Services Committee Chairman Joshua Miller (D-Dist. 28, Cranston, Providence).

The Policy Problem and its Solution  

Currently, the income limit of $20,331 leaves thousands of older Rhode Islanders and disabled low-income persons on Medicare with significant gaps in coverage and hefty out of pocket costs.

If the MSP income limit is increased to $28,012, as required by the legislation, an estimated 17,000 persons would be newly eligible to have their Medicare Part B covered by being enrolled in MSP. Anyone enrolled in the MSP receives automatic enrollment in Part D “Extra Help,” a federal program which significantly lowers out-of-pocket Medicare prescription costs at no cost to the State. The federal government establishes the minimum income and asset thresholds for the MSP, and states are permitted to increase these limits and many have done so. 

Advocates of Cano’s MSP legislative proposal say it also particularly helps Rhode Island’s older woman and minorities. “Since women and people of color and persons with disabilities are disproportionately represented in low-income populations, increasing access to the MSP promotes equity,” finds an advocacy partnership’s analysis of the legislative proposals. “Poverty rates among older adult Hispanic women are two and one-half times that of older Hispanic men and persons age 18 and over with disabilities are twice as likely to live below 150% of the poverty level, said the analysis.

The advocacy partnership’s analysis also noted that significant numbers of older adults and those with disabilities enrolled in Medicare face financial challenges meeting basic needs. The number of older adults living below or near poverty has increased, housing costs have climbed dramatically, food cost have increased and many more rely on food pantries.

Covering the $175/month Medicare Part B premium for 17,000+ Rhode Islanders (at no cost to the State) and additionally covering co-pays and deductibles for thousands of very low-income adults and persons with disabilities on Medicare will give them much needed financial relief.  And enrollment in the Extra Help program to reduce drug-related costs provides significant additional financial assistance and improves access to critical medication.

Testimony At the Senate Committee Hearing

Nine organizations either testified at this hearing or submitted written testimony to urge passage of S. 2399.  AARP Rhode Island did not testify at the hearing but signed up in support in the committee room.  There was no opposition to Cano’s legislative proposal.

“I first became aware of the need to expand the income eligibility for MSP quite a few years ago when an older man in my neighborhood contacted me to tell me he lost out on the program because he was just a few dollars over the income limit. As a result, the Senior Agenda Coalition of RI (SACRI) has advocated for several years to increase the income cap,” says Maureen Maigret, SACRI’s policy Advisor.

It’s a win-win for both older Rhode Islanders  and for the Rhode Island General Assembly, says Maigret. “S. 2399 would help Medicare beneficiaries to access care along with putting money back in their pockets to pay for food, rent and their basic needs.  By increasing the Medicaid income to $28,012, the federal  government will pay the full cost of the newly eligible Medicare beneficiaries,” she told the lawmakers.  

Strongly supporting S2399, Karen Malcolm, of Protect Our Healthcare Coalition, noted that the legislative proposal is modeled on the MSP changes enacted in New York last year and approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. “Rhode Island should take advantage of the opportunity to expand access to affordable coverage for seniors and people with disabilities and bring new [federal] revenue to our state.”

H. Phillip West, Jr. lobbyist for the Village Common of Rhode Island, states MSP already makes an enormous difference for many beneficiaries. But, “Rhode Island’s low threshold for eligibility and low allowable assets leaves thousands of our needy neighbors out. The good news is that Senator Cano’s legislation address these defects,” he said.

In submitted written testimony, Heather Smith, MD, president of the Rhode Island Medical Society stated “From our perspective as physicians, we witness firsthand the adverse effects of financial barriers on patient health outcomes. Too often, individuals are forced to forgo or ration medications, delay necessary treatments, or skip preventative care due to concerns of affordability. These delays can exacerbate health conditions, lead to complications, and ultimately result in higher healthcare costs down the road.”

Alex Moore, political director of SEIU 1199NE, stressed the many benefits of passing S. 2399, specifically enhancing access to care, providing needed financial  relief, leveraging federal funds, and strengthening the health care workforce. By supporting the legislative proposal, “we demonstrate our commitment to health and well-being of our state’s most vulnerable populations,” he stated in written testimony.

Even with the strong support of the aging community, the state’s Office of Healthy Aging has not yet taken an official position on S. 2399.  “As with any other bills at this stage of the session, we are reviewing the impact of H 7333 and S 2399 on Rhode Islanders. We will continue to follow these bills as they make their way through the legislative process,” says  Director Maria Cimini.

Samuel Salganik, JD, executive director of RIPIN, which offered testimony in support for S.2399, said, “This is one of the best investments available right now for our state government.  At a cost of just over $5 million, the State can draw down more than $40 million in federal support to assist low-income seniors in Rhode Island,” says Salganik. “It’s a great deal for the state. I think that’s a deal that most of us would happily take,” adds Salganik.

Gov. Dan McKee’s recently released FY 2024 Budget does not include funding for to expand the state’s MSP.  Now the ball is in House Speaker Joseph Shekarchi’s (D-Dist. 23, Warwick) court as his chamber collaborates with the Senate to hammer out budget resolution to be approved by the Rhode Island General Assembly to be sent for the Governor’s signature. Hopefully, Shekarchi will see the expansion of the state’s MPM as a win-win for lower-income and disabled persons on Medicare and the state.  As supporters of  S 2399 and H 7333 say, “it’s a no brainer.”

The Advocacy Partners for MSP Expansion was established to push for the passage of S 2399 and H 7333 during this legislative session. They are: the Senior Agenda Coalition of Rhode Island, Rhode Island Organizing Project, RIPIN, the Economic Progress Institute, the Protect Our Healthcare Coalition and the Ocean State Center for Independent Living.

To access the bills under consideration: http://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText24/SenateText24/S2399.pdf – http://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText24/HouseText24/H7333.pdf

Expanding the income eligibility for the Medicare Savings Program (MSP) is one of the legislative priorities of the Senior Agenda Coalition of Rhode Island. These policy issues will be discussed at its upcoming  Legislative Leaders Forum scheduled on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 601 Greenwich Ave,, Warwick, RI. 

The Senior Agenda Coalition of RI’s Annual Legislative Leaders Forum is this week:

Movies for Grownups®Awards: Best film, shows, talents for 50+ audience. And the nominees are… 

Published in RINewsToday on January 15, 2024

Over a week ago, the 2024 Golden Globe Awards, with a viewership of 9.4 million, the highest ratings in years, honored the best films in both the American and international film industry and programming on television and cable.  This award ceremony, hosted by comedian Jo Koy and broadcast live from the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California concludes with the Academy Awards held on March 10, 2024. 

However, the Washington DC-based AARP has actively joined in the celebration of the best of film and television by sponsoring its annual Movies for Grownups® (MFG) Awards with the winners being announced in the February/March issue of AARP The Magazine, considered to be the largest-circulation publication in the United States with over 38 million readers.

For more than two decades, beginning in 2002, AARP’s Movies for Grownups initiative has championed movies geared for grownups, by grownups, by advocating for the 50-plus audience and encouraging the production films and TV shows geared to older viewers.  

“Our goal has always been to ignite cultural change in Hollywood through our Movies for Grownups initiative. And this year’s bumper crop of masterworks worth a grownup’s time suggests that it’s happening,” says AARP film and TV critic Tim Appelo, in a statement released on Jan. 9, 2024. “AARP’s Movies for Grownups Awards fights industry ageism, and they’re a measure of social change as well as artistic excellence,”  he says.

And the Nominees are…

Last week, ARRP The Magazine announced the nominees for the annual Movies for Grownups® (MFG) Awards, with Barbie, The Color Purple, Killers of the Flower Moon, Maestro, and Oppenheimer for Best Picture/Best Movie for Grownups category. 

In the Best Actress category, nominees are Annette Bening (Nyad), Juliette Binoche (The Taste of Things), Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor (Origin), Helen Mirren (Golda), and Julia Roberts (Leave the World Behind). 

In the Best Actor category, Nicolas Cage (Dream Scenario), Colman Domingo (Rustin), Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers), Anthony Hopkins (Freud’s Last Session), and Jeffrey Wright (American Fiction).  

The nominees for Best Supporting Actress are Viola Davis (Air), Jodie Foster (Nyad), Taraji P. Henson (The Color Purple), Julianne Moore (May December), and Leslie Uggams (American Fiction).

In the  Best Supporting Actor category, William Dafoe (Poor Things), Robert De Niro (Killers of the Flower Moon), Colman Domingo (The Color Purple), Robert Downey Jr. (Oppenheimer), and Mark Ruffalo (Poor Things).  

2023 Movies for Grownups nominees for Best Director are Ben Affleck (Air), Michael Mann (Ferrari), Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer), Alexander Payne (The Holdovers), and Martin Scorsese (Killers of the Flower Moon).  

In the Best TV Movie/Series or Limited Series category, nominations go to The Bear, Fargo, Only Murders in the Building, Succession, and The White Lotus.  

The 2023 television nominees for Best Actress are Jennifer Aniston (The Morning Show), Jennifer Coolidge (The White Lotus), Jennifer Garner (The Last Thing He Told Me), Imelda Staunton (The Crown), and Meryl Streep (Only Murders in the Building). 

In the Best Actor category, Brian Cox (Succession), Bryan Cranston (Your Honor), Oliver Platt (The Bear), Rufus Sewell (The Diplomat), and Henry Winkler (Barry).  

But there is more. Here’s a listing of other Award categories and nominees.   

●  Best Screenwriter: Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig (Barbie), David Hemingson (The Holdovers), Tony McNamara (Poor Things), Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer) and Martin Scorsese and Eric Roth (Killers of the Flower Moon).  

●  Best Ensemble: American Fiction, The Color Purple, Killers of the Flower Moon, Oppenheimer, and Rustin. 

●  Best Actress (TV): Jennifer Aniston (The Morning Show), Jennifer Coolidge (The White Lotus), Jennifer Garner (The Last Thing He Told Me), Imelda Staunton (The Crown), and Meryl Streep (Only Murders in the Building).  

●  Best Actor (TV): Brian Cox (Succession), Bryan Cranston (Your Honor), Oliver Platt (The Bear), Rufus Sewell (The Diplomat), and Henry Winkler (Barry).  

● Best TV Movie/Series or Limited Series: The Bear, Fargo, Only Murders in the Building, Succession, and The White Lotus.  

●  Best Reality TV Series: The Amazing Race, America’s Got Talent, The Golden Bachelor, Jury Duty, and The Voice.  

●  Best Intergenerational Film: American Fiction, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, The Holdovers, Leave the World Behind, and Poor Things.  

●  Best Time Capsule: Ferrari, Maestro, Oppenheimer, Priscilla, and Rustin.   

●  Best Documentary: Invisible Beauty, Judy Blume Forever, The Lost Weekend, The Pigeon Tunnel, and Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie. 

●  Best Foreign Film: Amerikatsi (Armenia), Perfect Days (Japan), Radical (Mexico), The Taste of Things (France), and The Zone of Interest (United Kingdom).  

Tim Appelo, covering entertainment and is the film and TV critic for AARP, shares his thoughts about the significance of AARP’s sponsoring its annual Movies for Grownups® Awards in an article published on Jan. 9, 2024 on AARP’s website. “We spotlight films and shows that feature crucial issues, thoughtful storylines and the most talented grownup filmmakers and actors who speak directly to the 50-plus audience, the crucial demographic supporting the best work in film and TV. Without grownup audiences, art house films, indies and TV that qualifies as art would not survive — and when audiences flocked back to theaters this year, it was grownups who helped lead the charge,” he says.