Policy and Pints: Making Your Voice Heard
Jared Calfee, AARP Virginia associate state director for advocacy and outreach, presented AARP’s 2025 legislative agenda at a Policy and Pints event in northern Virginia on December 5, 2024. This event was held at Audacious Aleworks Brewery in Fairfax City. This event was an opportunity for the northern Virginia community to learn about AARP’s priorities for 2025 and explain how community members can help join the advocacy effort for these changes.
Calfee explained that AARP has four priorities for the 2025 Virginia State Legislature. These are:
- Creation of a Prescription Drug Affordability Board
- Improve nursing home quality of care
- Provide for home and community-based services through Medicaid presumptive eligibility
- Require an open enrollment period for Medicare Supplement Insurance
Next year AARP will lobby legislators to create a Prescription Drug Affordability Board with the authority to set an upper payment limit on a few of the highest-cost medications for Virginians. Calfee explained that the majority of voters are concerned about the cost of medication, and that this Board will help ensure affordable access to life-saving medicine. The board will be an independent authority to mitigate out-of-control prices set by the big drug companies. At the same time, this proposal will save taxpayers money by reducing state and local government spending on prescription drugs.
AARP’s second priority is to continue its long-term commitment to improving the quality of nursing home care. Calfee stated that 49% of Virginia facilities hold just a 1 or 2-star rating from the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). He explained that to improve this situation, the Virginia legislature must adequately fund medical facility inspectors to hold nursing homes accountable for meeting care standards, and also bolster our long-term care workforce.
AARP’s third priority is to help Virginians gain access to Medicaid for home and community-based services. Calfee pointed out that after applying for Medicaid for home and community-based services, Virginians sometimes have to wait up to 3 months for final approval before they receive those services. This results in unnecessary hardships that deprive people of the services they need. To remedy these problems, AARP will advocate for empowering the state to presume eligibility for individuals with a high probability of having their Medicaid application approved. This will save taxpayer expenses by allowing more people to remain in their homes, reducing nursing home costs.
Calfee’s presentation included an open discussion of AARP’s priorities to help people understand why community advocacy is essential to achieving these proposals. He mentioned that while AARP was a significant voice in Virginia with around 1 million members, there are still institutional obstacles to overcome. One is that Virginia is a balanced budget state so that funding must be sought in a tight budget.
Calfee recommended that those in favor of these programs become members of AARP’s Mobile Activist Team. He explained how to sign up to become an AARP Activist, and receive the AARP Advocate, a free monthly e-newsletter; e-mail action alerts on the issues important to Virginians 50-plus and their families. To receive AARP messages that provide legislative updates, text “JoinVa” to 22777.
