Who does AARP really serve? Big Pharma or Seniors?

[dixiegrrrrl]

AARP's Tradition of Betrayal - by Stephen Lendman

Nonprofit in name only, "AARP is the equivalent of a Fortune 500 company, employing a staff of 2,419 employees, (incurring) $1.16 billion in operating expenses and overseeing annual revenues (well above) $1 billion," around 60% of which comes from so-called Medigap supplemental insurance sales.

According to Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP), "Some of these products are total rip offs," so bad, in fact, that AARP was forced to withdraw its Essential Health Insurance Plan and Essential Plus Health Insurance Plan, developed by United Health Group and sold to 44,000 of its members.

PNHP calls AARP "part of the problem and not part of the solution. It is nothing but an insurance (and financial) broker disguised as an advocacy group - and they will never take on the health insurance industry. (It) represent(s) the insurance industry (and its own self-interest) rather than (its members and) the public welfare in discussions about health reform."

Much more, important reading:

http://sjlendman.blogspot.com/

[Deja Q]

1. They supported medicare plan D too, a giveaway to the corporations...

yet corporations whine and bleat about "redistribution of wealth". Reality is, they need to open their eyes and see who is really redistributing what... if they're able.

[Frances]

2. AARP has been supportive of health care reform this time

I did not agree with their stance on Medicare Part D, however.

[dixiegrrrrl]

4. I take it you did not read the article.

[tularetom]

3. Actually, insurance companies

Specifically, Prudential with whom they have a very cozy sort of working arrangement.

[Cleita]

5. AARP used to be better at keeping the interests of seniors first. They got

taken over by conservatives and now are beholden to their corporate masters. An example of this betrayal was their backing of Medicare Part D, which was a big wet kiss to PhRMA.

[RC]

6. Scrolling down to the next article is this little gem.

Obamacare Targets Entitlements

"If a public option becomes law, it will provide fig leaf cover for a weak and ineffective plan, not what many want but won't get. Most, in fact, won't qualify because it'll be a limited to high-risk individuals, offloaded to the government for substandard care under an "adverse selection" process. Private insurers will get to skim off the cream, charge as much as they want, profit handsomely at low risk, and leave Washington stuck with ones the industry doesn't want.

Yet they want more, are using hyperinflated cost estimates well above projected increases without "reform" legislation, and claim Medicare cuts will mean higher costs for the privately insured. They also say taxing higher-priced "Cadillac" plans and being prohibited from denying preexisting conditions will raise costs for everyone.

More still according to Wendell Potter, former PR executive for CIGNA insurance, now a whisleblower exposing shenanigans he saw on the inside, including the industry's "Medical Loss Ratio" (MLR) profit margin. Until about two decades ago, it was five cents on the dollar. Now it's a quarter or five times as much, and they're still not satisfied, so they're going for broke on Obamacare to skim hundreds more billions off the top in what will be greater than ever grand theft if they get it."

[dixiegrrrrl]

9. And in THAT little gem, is revealed the plan to Federally defund Medicare .

The constant public phrase the Repubs have used about everything is " out of big Government" and
"state's rights".
And they are serious. As are the Blue Dogs and the DINOs. Because, they know their history.

Before Federal intervention by FDR, and LBJ, each state had the decision what services to not provide, in all areas. And if you needed help, it was not there.
That is why Federal intervention was necessary.
Since Newt Gingrich, since Raygun, that has been the plan, no matter who was in the White House.

We got suckered, as voters, because we thought electing Dems would be enough.
Wrong.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

7. AARP is a middleman insurance broker that likes to present itself as a senior advocate

The wikpedia on them USED to be quite interesting and historically accurate about how they bounced back and forth between those 2 roles, but after looking at the entry currently existing, I won't link to it. What a mess! They don't even mention the controversy and membership loss when AARP came out in support of Medicare part D with no drug negotiation and droves of members left in protest.

NOW I see why wikpedia is losing credibility. They used to have a great entry about AARP.

[naaman fletcher]

8. They serve themselves..

So they do just enough to get members.. members who pay dues who then can also sell stuff too, and at the same time they take payoffs from big Pharma not to do too much.

[Festivito]

10. They serve the people holding the AARP name.

The rest is to fool the members and public at large.