Modifications are not really a bad thing, just depends on who’s talking and what they are proposing. Now when it comes to charging those in high income brackets higher contributions, that’s a modification that is fair. To dump and put it on the open market, that’s more than a modification and not where we want to go. I think AARP has somewhat become a lame duck lobbyists group in the last few years and focuses more on selling insurance than anything else. They do spend a lot on mailing as I am at the threshold where they can enroll me and I have not done so. 
Besides I don’t want the coupons that come along with all of this as who knows if they are tracking and selling data too, I wouldn’t be surprised if that were true. They do work on projects with Walgreens and send fleets of buses out which is a good thing but Walgreens said their business of selling our data is worth $800 million to the retail drug chain by selling our purchase and prescription data, so is Grandma under the Walgreens bus to speak of? There’s more information on the program at the link below and the video from CBS covers their statement today.
AARP and Walgreens Sending Out a Fleet of Buses to Offer Free Screenings
Back in 2009 AARP was under Congressional investigations for their health insurance sales tactics and over 60,000 people had cancelled their insurance so this was a big battle going on. At any rate, the video below gives a little history on the situation and even then it was not firm on how they actually stood so this announcement today seems to be more of the same and they talked in circles at that time. No word on what the “other” group that people changed to, The American Seniors Association is saying about this, no mention, but again maybe they are just there to sell insurance. The reality here I think is that Senior support for lobbying is pretty weak, sad to say. BD
Algorithms, Formulas and Investigations leads to AARP suspending sales of some health plans
Watch CBS News Videos Online
The nation's most powerful senior's group telling the Wall Street Journal it was ready to deal on cutting Social Security benefits. The AARP's policy chief John Rother admitting "some of our members will no doubt be upset."
So upset that within hours the AARP was insisting this was always their position, CBS News correspondent Nancy Cordes reports.
"We can make changes that are modest and we can make changes with a great deal of lead time so we don't need to affect anyone who is currently retired today or near retirement," said said David Certner, AARP's legislative policy director.
June 18, 2011
ReplyDeleteTo: ALL AARP Executives and Representatives
From: Darrell H. Prunty
Subject: Stop Sending Me AARP Membership Application Packages
Dear AARP Executives & Representatives:
Stop sending me Membership packages, I don’t want to be a member of an organization that does not look out for my best interest, but instead, side with the Republican social programs cutting hawks, in the name of preventing to tax the wealthy to help balance the outstanding national debt that the Bush Administration created by raging to un-paid wars in the middle east, when President Clinton left office, we we’re in a surplus, but President Bush took the surplus and spent it on national security based on lies and deception and let the rich and organizations get away with not paying their fair share of taxes, now the Republican Congress cut hawks want to balance the budget, on the backs of the elderly, children, the poor, the working poor , the middle class, and the disabled.
You did the ultimate betrayal to your members and future members, by opening the door to cuts on security benefits, raising the retirement age, and reducing cash benefits, and reduced annual COLA payouts, you sold out the highest bidders for your own greedy self-interest and self-fish motives as well, if you sleep with dogs, you sure will catch flees, meaning if you in any way agree with the Republicans on beginning the process of ultimately privatizing Medicare and the Social Security safety net for present and future seniors, then you’re in total agreement with them in my opinion.
You can try and spin this any way you please, people are not stupid to this, you have turned on your own loyal membership for in some shape or form of long-term financial gain, We don’t need to support and organization that’s not on the up and up and not advocating for us seniors 100% with no room for compromise in cuts with the Republican social program cut hawks.
The best way to show how your members are upset and displeased with your decision to back and give political coverage to politicians wanting to change or cut Social Security and Medicare benefits on the backs of Seniors and the Disabled is hitting you financially in your pocketbook, meaning no new members should join your organization through dues or volunteerism, your current member should burn or chop up and throw away their membership cards and then contact you and let you know their disgust and disappointment for your actions towards helping politicians slowly chip away from Social Security and Medicare. and then ultimately play a role in the privation of these two great programs that have worked for many decades. You not only hurt present seniors but seniors to be far in the future. You no longer need to act like you are an advocate and protector of Seniors, but be who you really are, that is corporate insurance hawks just wanting folks money with no real advocacy for them.
I will only change my mind in not supporting or joining AARP if its Executives publicly State and prove that they no longer support in any way changing and/or cutting Medicare and Social Security benefits, raising the retirement age, preventing Seniors and the disabled from receiving annual cost of living increases, and throwing Seniors and the disabled under the bus in the name of profits and helping the rich and organizations maintain their wealth with no shared sacrifice to help pull this Country out of debt is un- American and un-Christian like as well. I never want to join AARP whose Executives opened the door for making any changes or cuts in Medicare or Social Security that is the ultimate betrayal of its present and future members.
Sincerely,
Darrell H. Prunty AAS BS MS