| Author | Message | ||
     Reindog |
There is a person or three on Badweb who, ahem, is old enough to join AARP. I urge you to not join AARP. AARP has a conflict of interest and they no longer support their constituency when they supported the Health Care Bill that recently passed in the House. AARP has slowly morphed into an insurance company instead of being advocates of the population over 50. Their support of the Bill is solely based on monetary issues where AARP will gain from Medicare cutbacks through the issuance of Medigap insurance. I will not support this kind of behavior. I urge you to not join AARP or to cancel your membership if you have already joined. Their number is 888-687-2277 and it took me less than a minute to get through. I explained why I was quitting and the CSR said the information will be passed to national headquarters in Washington. From Dick Morris: * The AARP got a financial windfall in return for its support of the healthcare bill. Over the past decade, the AARP has morphed from an advocacy group to an insurance company (through its subsidiary company). It is one of the main suppliers of Medi-gap insurance, a high-cost, privately purchased coverage that picks up where Medicare leaves off. But President Bush-43 passed the Medicare Advantage program, which offered a subsidized, lower-cost alternative to Medi-gap. Under Medicare Advantage, the elderly get all the extra coverage they need plus coordinated, well-managed care, usually by the same physician. So more than 10 million seniors went with Medicare Advantage, cutting into AARP Medi-gap revenues. Presto! Obama solved their problem. He eliminates subsidies for Medicare Advantage. The elderly will have to pay more for coverage under Medigap, but the AARP -- which supposedly represents them -- will make more money. (If this galls you, join the American Seniors Association, the alternative group; contact sbarton at americanseniors dot org. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots.) | ||
| Rfischer |
Ah-ha! I had wondered what the quid quo pro was when the AARP came out in favor of the proposed reform bill, which in either of its forms takes away benefits under MediCare. More self-serving slime from entrenched interests. 'Tis the American Way. | ||
| Jb2 |
Funny thing. Kim and I both turned 50 last year and have been hammered with advertising from AARP. She actually found a way within AARP to have their mailings stopped. I ain't old yet so I ain't joining anything related to old folks. Maybe when I'm 75 or 80. JB2 | ||
| Cityxslicker |
AARP is the group component. It is like AAA for the older population in that it does give you some buying clout with certain vendors, and a hefty weight for several marketers. The Insurance portion is through United Health Care, or Secure Horizons Advantage (Depending on your state) Both are traditional Medicare gap insurance medical companies. If you didnt think AARP didnt have a finger in the insurance pool, then you havent been paying attention. I worked for them 15 years ago doing plan administration and eligibility set for the EDI claims and enrollment. This is nothing new. Follow the money, you will find their motivation. Its bottom line, it always has been. And really most healthcare agencies are in it to make a buck, you dont get to be approx 1/5 of the economy and not out to make, take, receive money. ps, they opened up age restrictions a couple of years ago for some of their benefits; so now you dont HAVE to be old to be bilked  | ||
| Jramsey |
Jb2, How did you get the mailings stopped? I've written them saying I wasn't interested and its only increased the mailings, sheese if I had a fireplace I could heat the house with AARP mail. | ||
| 4dwuds |
I'll fix em, I refuse to get any older, problem solved. Damn, and to think, I was only a month away from retiring. | ||
| Cowboy |
I would never join them as they donate to much money to the Dumbacrat party | ||
| Crusty |
What a crock of shit. My membership in the AARP has saved me triple the membership fee in motel discounts alone. That's more than the entire Republican party combined has ever done for me. | ||
| Poppinsexz |
For those that don't like the leftest leanings, there is an alternative out there although, I don't remember the name. That is the single biggest problem with AARP they have become a political group following a leftest agenda instead of a political group for a retired persons agenda. | ||
| Garyz28 |
AARP sends me mail all the time. It goes straight into the trash unopened. I want nothing to do with that bunch, and it has nothing to do with me being unable to accept being old enough to join. | ||
| Nevrenuf |
just went and did it. took about 1 minute using the phone number above. crusty there are someplaces that will discount with the ama card also. | ||
| Jumpinjewels |
I sent them back all their crap that they were sending and wrote a note to them that I did not believe in their political beliefs and to quit sending their garbage. That was over one year ago and have received nothing since. | ||
| Jimidan |
Then cancel your American Medical Association membership too. Oh, you are not a doctor? What do doctors know about it anyway? They just deal with the broken system ever freaking day! I guess that it never occurred to you that AARP might just be supporting this health care reform to benefit the working "poor" on the basis of merit alone, and not some convoluted conspiracy theory? Naw, it could not be that! | ||
| Milt |
I think he meant American Motorcycle Association. | ||
| Reepicheep |
AMA (medical, not motorcycle) members are demanding an open vote on the issue now, as a matter of fact. The AMA leadership cut a deal in the back room for support. | ||
| Court |
I get the SAME discounts for AARP, AAA and sometimes AMA. I have NEVER been asked for my card. I participated on a AARP conference call a while back . . . . listened to them talk about moving all pharmaceutical production to "other countries" to save money and I about puked . . . I really want my drugs coming from Canada or India. . . NOT. Better than 95% of the drugs in the United States are made in New Jersey and the United States has some amazing scientists who continually get ripped off and undersold. Thanks but I need the AARP like a hole in the head . . | ||
| Sifo |
I've been told by some of my slightly older friends that American Seniors Association is the place to be for those that are adverse to AARP. http://www.americanseniors.org/index.php/home I'm very adverse to AARP! | ||
| Gentleman_jon |
I returned my AARP card application with rather succinct instructions as to where the recipient could insert it. I am looking at AMAC as a possible alternative. http://www.amac.us/ We had a town meeting in my village tonight to discuss Medicare 2010. I have never seen more confused people in one room. Even our consultant had to admit it was almost impossible to figure out the Medicare 2010 booklet which was about 125 pages long. She said you really needed internet access to the Medicare web site to understand it. Only about a quarter of the seniors claimed to be regular internet users. Imagine what figuring out what the new 2000 page Health care "Reform" package must be like.  | ||
| Reindog |
I didn't make my decision to drop AARP lightly because there are some good things about the organization. Their magazine and newsletter are top notch but that does not outweigh AARP abandoning its constituency for monetary gain and political expediency. The Health Care Bills in Congress stink. It does not properly address how to handle the 12 million uninsured but destroys a system (in need of reform) that essentially meets the needs of 230 million Americans. The fact that you do not hear a peep out of lawyers or the ABA condemning the Health Care Bills is ALL you need to know that the bills are bad. This will be a bonanza for lawyers who represent a large part of what is wrong with the American health care system. There is so much that can be done to reform American Health Care for the better (ten points enumerated in an earlier thread so I will not repeat them here) and the lunatics in Congress have ignored them all. Congress stinks. Congress wants to wrest control of 1/7 of the economy and have power over you with no recourse. I am mad. In the silence and privacy of night, even Leftists would admit privately that the Government can not do anything correctly and optimally. Without the profit motive, there can be no accountability and optimization. AARP be damned. Call 888-687-2277 and cancel your membership now. Send a message. | ||
| Reindog |
The fix is in for the AMA.... This is how they were coerced to support the House Healthcare Bill....... OBAMACARE ENDORSEMENTS: WHAT THE BRIBE WAS By DICK MORRIS & EILEEN MCGANN Published on TheHill.com on November 6, 2009 As the suicidal Democratic congressmen proceed to rubber-stamp the Obama healthcare reform despite the drubbing their party took in the '09 elections, the president trotted out the endorsements of the AMA and the AARP to stimulate support. But these -- and the other endorsements -- his package has received are all bought and paid for. Here are the deals: * The American Medical Association (AMA) was facing a 21 percent cut in physicians' reimbursements under the current law. Obama promised to kill the cut if they backed his bill. The cuts are the fruit of a law requiring annual 5-6 percent reductions in doctor reimbursements for treating Medicare patients. Bravely, each year Congress has rolled the cuts over, suspending them but not repealing them. So each year, the accumulated cuts threaten doctors. By now, they have risen to 21 percent. With this blackmail leverage, Obama compelled the AMA to support his bill...or else! | ||
| M2me |
Presto! Obama solved their problem. He eliminates subsidies for Medicare Advantage. The elderly will have to pay more for coverage under Medigap, but the AARP -- which supposedly represents them -- will make more money. Umm, guess what else AARP offers besides Medigap? Yep, Medicare Advantage! AARP Medicare Advantage So wouldn't AARP lose money too if subsidies for Medicare Advantage are eliminated? Couldn't other companies besides AARP also offer Medigap plans? Medicare Advantage is corporate welfare, whether it's offered by AARP or anyone else. We the taxpayers are subsidizing private insurance companies so that they can realize higher profits. That's what Medicare Advantage does. Private insurance companies should make profits on their own. They shouldn't be subsidized by the taxpayers. | ||
| Gregtonn |
Reindog, I called and canceled my membership over a month ago. They said mailing were already in the pipeline and they couldn't stop them for eight to ten weeks. G | ||
| Reindog |
The response against AARP on Badweb is incredible. It is clear that AARP's abandonment of its constituency could be turned into a national issue if Conservatives push it. | ||
| M2me |
The response against AARP on Badweb is incredible. It is incredible. It's incredibly illogical. The argument is that AARP supports the medical reform bill because it eliminates the Medicare Advantage subsidy and AARP will make tons more money selling Medigap. But AARP itself is subsidized by Medicare Advantage and anyone can make tons of money selling Medigap plans (they just won't be subsidized by the taxpayers). Medigap is not something exclusive to AARP. Why the demand for Medicare Advantage taxpayer subsidies? Can't private companies make money selling private Medigap plans? Is that too socialist of an idea? If we the taxpayers pay taxes into Medicare why should that money be diverted to companies who need government handouts to be profitable? Are Medicare Advantage government subsidies the true capitalist way? The argument presented against AARP doesn't make any logical sense. | ||
| Reindog |
AARP shot themselves by supporting the Government Seizure of Health Care for monetary reasons and abandoning their constituency. Most Americans can see this but apparently Socialists have a different agenda. | ||
| Tnm2 |
I listened to a story on NPR about this subject. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?story Id=120069183 The size of their membership is staggering - 1 out of every 2 Americans over 50. | ||
| 46champ |
1 out of 2 Americans over 50 have been duped into joining a Marxist organization | ||
| Reindog |
So are you saying that until today, I was part of an over-50 Marxist army? THAT would be a great made for tv movie. | ||
| 46champ |
Yep, I'm 55 I've been getting there propaganda for years havn't bought into it yet and never will. Always seamed to be something fishy about that organization. No I havn't had them stop sending there ads I want them to waste more money. | ||
| Cityxslicker |
Medicare Advantage, and Medigap are two different programs through the AARP portal. One through United Healthcare, the other is through Secure Horizons. they cover different things and have differetial premium levels. The big thing for the Secure Horizons enrollees, is the spouses, they have to pay, there isnt a govt subsidy for dependants. And if you take a long hard look at their exclusions and coverages you will see that they 'focus on wellness' rather than treatment. It is a nice way of saying, dont go see your doctor, but still pay us our premium. Its a capitated service pool, in that the provider (general practicitoner) is assigned a risk pool of enrollees. (which is why you have to call to see if your doc is covered & accepting new patients) The doc is payed a monthly per capita stipend based on location and population. Any services that he has to administer to that group of patients is DEDUCTED from his monthly cap. It is not in his best monetary instance to see you for extensive visits (duration or frequency) He will pawn you off on a PA or an RN that he 'supervises' and maintain his billing time for paying patients. Any specialist services are also deducted out of his pool, and due to the higher cost of those services, he is not inclined or incentivisted to send you out to one. The General practitioner is your PCP (primary care physician) also called the gatekeeper, because you see them for all your med needs before going out to any other services. And he does have the power to deny the referral. Its called Capitation, It is the HMO's illegitimate ugly cousin, there are several states that wont even allow it. Worked in billing, audit and finance for one for 5 years. They are a machine for revenue; nothing else. |
