AARP - Advocates? Or Corporate Weasels?

[tucsonlib]

Disclaimer: I am not an AARP member. Oh sure, when I turned 50 I signed up. Seemed like a good deal for 10 bucks. But when they came out in support of the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan - a cynical sham and corporate giveaway if ever there was one, I resigned my membership.

And now the AARP is spending millions on TV ads calling for health care reform. These ads are effective, and often heartbreaking. People unable to receive care, or being forced into bankruptcy. "Dividedwefail.org", an AARP creation, is the sponsor of these ads. And when I visited their website, guess what? I found that their platform doesn't call for Universal Health Care. Not even close. Instead, it was full of meaningless feel-good Republican and Corporate talking points. Like "We need to improve the health care system by making it more affordable, boosting quality and eliminating waste."

But why should anyone be surprised? After all, AARP CEO Bill Novelli is a life long Republican political operative. And, of course, AARP itself has become little more than a glorified insurance company, raking in millions selling "Medicare Supplemental Insurance" and other plans which would become unnecessary anachronisms under a comprehensive, universal single-payer system.

No, I fear that these "United We Fail" ads are just more sophisticated, and hence more dangerous, updates of those Insurance Company-sponsored "Harry and Louise" ads from the 1990's.

Keep all this in mind the next time your AARP membership comes due for renewal.

[Frances]

1. Actually I have the AARP supplement and it's pretty good

I disagreed TOTALLY on their stand on the prescription drug plan though.

[tucsonlib]

4. Re: Actually I have the AARP supplement and it's pretty good

I'm sure it is. But the point is, why should you have to shell out extra for coverage that should be included in the first place? (And is, in every other industrialized nation on the planet.)

[Critters2]

2. I officially qualify for membership, as of yesterday. I won't be joining. nt

[BrklynLiberal]

3. The AARP supported prez shit-for-brains change to Medicare that made all the drugs more

expensive. It is at best, a mixed bag. They are not TRULY for the people.

[KT2000]

5. they started as a vehicle

for insurance companies.

[nosmokes]

6. AARP is nothing more than an insurance company that masquerades as a

senior's advocacy organization, but that's utter and complete BS. A very effective sales tactic, though,as everyone that turns 50 gets their membership package in the mail.

[TexasObserver]

7. Corporate Weasels