The Shady Dealings of the AARP

By Pat Boone and Jim Martin

Courtesy of the 60 Plus Association     November 20, 2010

http://60plus.org/

For many years, the AARP was a trusted voice of seniors across America. We believed, and rightly so, they were operating in our best interest, representing the issues and concerns of elderly Americans in Washington and across the 50 states. But sadly, those days are long in the past, distant memories as faded as scrapbook photos locked in an attic.

Today, the AARP is nothing more than an insurance conglomerate and lobbying behemoth, with annual revenues in excess of $400 million. Given the tremendous amount of revenue AARP generates selling health insurance, representing seniors has taken a back seat to having a seat at the table with Washington’s deal-makers. The bottom line is AARP gladly lines its pockets from sweetheart deals, while selling their own members down the river. AARP betrays seniors for the almighty dollar. The proof we offer for that assertion are the recently discovered emails where AARP members spoke out strongly against the so-called Affordable Care Act.

While AARP continues to maintain the charade they are a neutral party in the healthcare debate, they were instrumental partners with the White House and Democratic National Committee (DNC) in working behind the scenes to pass the Obamacare legislation that America’s seniors overwhelmingly oppose. When AARP switchboards lit-up with their members calling in to oppose Obamacare by a score of 14 to 1, did they care? Fat chance.

According to emails unearthed by Chairman Fred Upton’s (R-MI) Energy and Commerce Committee, AARP executives said they needed to “change the messaging.” To AARP, the problem wasn’t the bill itself, it was the marketing. They further refused the Administration’s invitation to advocate publicly for Obamacare, stating in secret memos, “polling shows we are more influential when we are seen as independent.” So AARP hides behind its good name while pushing for a healthcare overhaul that will reap it billions. How shameful.

With AARP standing to gain over $1 billion in additional revenues over 10 years with the passage of Obamacare, they put their insurance business and the almighty dollar first, and seniors were merely props for the stage show. The over $700 billion Obamacare cuts from Medicare is going to cause seniors to have to reach deeper into their wallets to make up the difference, and the AARP is only too happy to be the recipient of this windfall.

Typically membership organizations follow the wishes of their members, but AARP clearly has no interest in serving the seniors who pay their membership dues and buy their insurance products. AARP describes themselves as a “nonprofit, nonpartisan organization…that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial to them and society as a whole.” So why did they lobby to stop Medigap reform which would have saved seniors an average of $400 per year? Perhaps because AARP stands to gain nearly $3 billion.

As noted by Senator Jim DeMint’s recent investigation into AARP’s political activities, AARP currently dominates the Medigap market, yet thanks to their support for Obamacare, they received a waiver from the requirement that insurance companies can’t discriminate against pre-existing conditions. You read that right; as a reward for helping to pass Obamacare, AARP gets a pass on covering pre-existing conditions, which benefits them to the tune of billions while costing seniors more.

AARP’s once-sterling reputation is all but gone as it has enriched itself by helping to slash Medicare and provided a big assist in the push for the passage of Obamacare. Now American seniors are left with the prospect of losing Medicare Advantage and facing the rationing of healthcare services.

American seniors should see the AARP for what it is. At one time AARP may have truly acted in the best interests of American seniors, but now is an annex of the Democrat party engaging in underhanded money-grubbing tactics that sell-out its members. In the big picture it is nothing more than another special interest group pushing for flawed healthcare policies to fill its own coffers. The AARP is no more an advocate for the best interests of seniors than is a fox an advocate for the best interests of chickens.

It is time for America’s seniors to look at AARP and its recent advocacy with a critical eye. American seniors deserve better than flawed policies resulting from back room dealing and ‘non-partisan’ advocacy and lobbying from an organization that is anything but neutral. A full investigation into their myriad of money-making activities is certainly warranted, as is an end to their privileged reputation in Washington, and in the minds and hearts of America’s seniors.

Music legend Pat Boone is the national spokesman for the 60 Plus Association, of which Jim Martin is the founder and chairman.

AARP Backs Obamacare and Medicare Cuts!

Today, December 2, AARP supported $460 billion dollars in Medicare cuts to fund the Obamacare health care reform bill. As Republicans tried to have the cuts restored, the AARP stated the cuts by the Democrats were just ways of eliminating waste and inefficiency within the Medicare system.

This bill will increase seniors' Medicare premiums by over $60 Billion Dollars!

What they will do is destroy the Medicare Advantage program that provides additional services and coverages to Medicare recipients who sign up for the plans. And those plans offer the extra services at no extra cost to the senior citizen in most cases. Better coverage, less cost when you are ill and can least afford it, and no more money out of your pocket at the beginning. No wonder AARP opposes that. If you can get that. why would you want the often costly and sometimes questionable coverage of AARP "supplemental insurance" programs and "prescription drug" programs that can be covered by Medicare Advantage programs with the premiums you already pay as part of your Medicare monthly costs?

Screwed by the association that seniors trust, the AARP is like a dog that bites the hand that feeds it. How seniors can trust these people is beyond me. It nauseates me to think how they deceive their members and then push for a bill that will help fill their coffers. YES, fill the AARP coffers since they offer supplemental insurance plans! And how many recognize that the AARP makes more money on revenues from hawking insurance and other products than from membership, grants and contributions?

When your Medicare benefits are cut and you need extra coverage, the AARP is going to be hawking that coverage, just as they do now. Read my past posts on their coverages, and what Consumer Reports says about some of those coverages.

Even back in 1988, Money magazine laid open the devious practices of the AARP, which was originally funded by an insurance broker named Leonard Davis, who later founded Colonial Penn Insurance, which later replaced Continental Insurance as AARP's insurer! Even Consumers Union (Consumer Reports) found fault with them back then! Read the entire story here:

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/moneymag_archive/1988/10/01/84702/index.htm

Think the executives who are not volunteers at AARP will be hurting on Medicare? Not a chance. According to the New York Times Business Section, December 3, 2009, "Horace B. Deets, Executive Director of the AARP earned $369,000 plus $141,806 in retirement benefits."

Barry Rand, the new CEO of AARP has an annual salary of $575,000 according to his bio published in USA Today on March 12, 2009. You can bet he won't be worrying about Medicare!

At the risk of being "politically incorrect, here's a link to what Capitol Hill is saying about the AARP back door dealings with the Democraps:

http://www.gop.gov/policy-news/09/10/20/democrats-cut-back-room-deals

Shame on AARP and their underhanded plan for screwing America's seniors!

Why Does AARP Support Any Healthcare Reform?

I read the AARP position papers in the newsletters, magazines and other media, and although they say attempt to say they are taking a neutral position to Obama's reform plan, AARP demands change in the healthcare system. While most of the members are significantly older than the 50 years old required to join, and should be covered by Medicare, the AARP then focuses on the prescription cost "donut hole" that impacts only a small percentage of overall Americans on Medicare, especially those who choose a decent Medicare Advantage HMO policy including prescription coverage!

The shame is that the senior citizens actually believe in AARP and the tripe they throw at their gullible audiences. Like the recent TV commercial showing the ambulance being blocked at every opportunity, by what supposedly were insurers and/or Republicans?

Sure, AARP wants to see health care reform pass, regardless how poorly the reform might be. They want to keep receiving a cut from those supplemental policies they keep hawking on TV, the media, and their own magazine and tabloid.

The fact is that Consumers Union looked at some of those policies and found them to be nearly useless in providing decent coverage–some people paid much more than the policy actually covered; some covered virtually nothing while collecting stiff premiums.

Many senior citizens don’t have a clue what they’re buying when insurance is involved. Sadly, they seem to be assured that if AARP says it’s good, it must be.

I talk to many who praise the coverage they purchased because they never had to use it. But when we review the policy, they are astounded to find they have little coverage at all.

No, I’m not an insurance counselor or agent, just someone who hates to see the older generation get ripped off when they can’t possibly understand what they’re getting.

To me it’s no different than a roofer selling you a new roof, and the first time it rains, the roof leaks and you find out there is a rain exclusion. Or the first several thousand dollars in water damage is excluded, and the policy only covers several thousand dollars.

Oh, I’m sure there are some good policies to be had, but try and differentiate between them unless you have some insurance background, and basic policy language understanding is difficult, if not impossible. Even with “plain language” policies, my spouse, who is a nurse, and I, often sit and pore over the contracts for a long time to ferret out what’s good and bad. And we don’t think we’re even close to the “average” consumer.

Maybe that is a case for reform, but you know what happens when the government gets involved. They never simplify anything. Look at your tax forms. Other than create one that says “send in all you made,” simple just is not in the government vocabulary.

The bottom line is that just because some organization says something is good, or bad, you need to make your own mind up. Like the life insurance policies that promise coverage for only so much per "unit" which in many cases is per $1000. When you multiply the monthly cost times the number of "units" you need for a decent burial and then multiply that times 12 for an annual payment, you can see that in about ten years you pay the entire cost of your funeral up front. Now if you expect to die sooner, maybe it's a good deal but read the fine print to be sure there are no exclusions that prohibit your passing on within the first several years. If there are, you could be throwing your money in a hole...and it won't even be your own grave!