AARP CEO A. Barry Rand called for renewed focus on strengthening Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid in a speech today at the National Press Club. Rand discussed findings from AARP Public Policy Institute's newly released "Middle Class Security Project," which studies how middle class working Americans struggle - and often fail - to build and maintain retirement security.
"Unless we are able to reverse the trends that are driving the decline of the middle class, many of today's middle class workers will not have a middle class retirement," Rand said. He noted that the research highlights trends that will threaten the health and financial security of people now in their 30s, 40s and 50s when they are ready to retire.
Emphasizing the critical role Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid play in the retirement security of current and future generations of retirees, as well as their families, Rand said, "Yes, we do need to make adjustments to Medicare and Social Security and Medicaid - and AARP members realize that - but we need to do so without compromising the health and retirement security of the American people or undermining the values that we all cherish."
