Free Republic

Two days after health reform cleared its first major hurdle in the Senate, two groups launched a joint television ad campaign. The AARP and American Medical Association (AMA) are undertaking the effort to promote the legislation’s effect on Medicare. "AARP is fighting to protect and improve the sacred promise of Medicare made to the millions of older Americans who depend upon it,” said AARP Executive Vice President Nancy LeaMond. "Now special interests are using myths and misinformation to distort the truth and wrongly suggesting that Medicare will be harmed. After a lifetime of hard work, don't seniors deserve better?”  The...

McCain: "Take your AARP membership card, cut it in half and send it back to AARP because they have betrayed you."

Reform: Only a Bernie Madoff could believe the Senate's health care bill will extend coverage to 31 million Americans while cutting deficits by $127 billion over 10 years. It would be the first profitable entitlement. But that's what Majority Leader Harry Reid, citing Congressional Budget Office estimates, tells us the 2,074-page bill — said to cost only $849 billion over a decade — would do. Like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, he seems to be following Vice President Joe Biden's admonition at an AARP town hall meeting that "we've got to spend money to keep from going bankrupt." We suspect Reid's...

AARP, which has given its full-throated support to Democratic health care legislation even though seniors remain largely opposed, received an $18 million grant in the economic stimulus package for a job training program that has not created any jobs, according to the Obama administration's Recovery.gov website. The Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), according to the website, is "a work training program for unemployed mature workers who are 55+ and are at or below 125% of the poverty guidelines." So far, $6.5 million has been spent on the program, and it has not reported creating any jobs. In February, the...

Should the “greatest good for the greatest number” be the guiding principle behind health care? As I have said before on Breakpoint, much of the hype and even hysteria surrounding the H1N1 flu strain is unwarranted. That’s not to say that the swine flu’s potential impact isn’t devastating—it is, but not in the way cable news would have us think. And now the Florida Department of Health has issued a set of guidelines that instructs hospitals on what to do “if the state is overwhelmed by [H1N1] cases.” The guidelines recommend that hospitals bar “patients with incurable cancer, end-stage multiple...

CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), a panel made up of medical and public health experts, met July 29, 2009, to make recommendations on who should receive the 2009 H1N1 vaccine While some issues are still unknown, such as how severe the flu season, the ACIP considered several factors, including current disease patterns, populations most at-risk for severe illness based on current trends in illness, hospitalizations and deaths, how much vaccine is expected to be available, and the timing of vaccine availability. The groups recommended to receive the 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine include: Pregnant Women because they are at...

Ever hear of "gap insurance"? That's insurance that covers the gap between what Medicare pays and what a senior owes. The larger the gap, the more insurance a senior needs. So why would the AARP endorse legislation that widens this gap and makes healthcare more expensive for seniors? I guess commissions on gap insurance might be seen as a motivator- but those don't go to the AARP do they? Oh yes, they do... EC exposes the corrupt AARP gap insurance scam

Dark secrets of AARP finally exposed to light Executives, employees backed Obama, Dems by 14-to-1 ratio Posted: November 10, 2009 By Chelsea Schilling © 2009 WorldNetDaily When the American Association of Retired Persons – one of the wealthiest advocacy groups in the U.S. – began backing the $1.2 trillion House health bill despite concerns about Medicare cuts, death panels and assisted suicide, many members shredded their membership cards, saying the organization no longer represents their interests – but AARP's history of left-leaning activism on a host of issues may surprise its constituents. AARP's Nov. 5 health bill endorsement left many...

Some senior citizens are dropping their membership with the AARP following the group's decision to endorse a new government health insurance program. Last week the American Medical Association and the AARP both endorsed the Democrats' House healthcare bill. AARP executive vice president Nancy LeaMond says the bill "meets our priorities for protecting Medicare, providing more affordable insurance for 50 to 64-year-olds, and reforming our healthcare system." Stuart Barton, president of the American Seniors Association, an alternative to the AARP, believes the AARP supports the bill because it will make money off the legislation -- not because it will improve the...

When the American Association of Retired Persons – one of the wealthiest advocacy groups in the U.S. – began backing the $1.2 trillion House health bill despite concerns about Medicare cuts, death panels and assisted suicide, many members shredded their membership cards, saying the organization no longer represents their interests – but AARP's history of Left-leaning activism on a host of issues may surprise its constituents. AARP's Nov. 5 health bill endorsement left many seniors wondering why the powerful group that claims to represent their interests would call for an estimated $500 billion in cuts to Medicare, a system many...

Clearly something must be up with AARP. Why else would the nation's largest lobbying organization, sworn to protect the interests of senior citizens, watch silently as Congress plans to cut Medicare spending by $400 billion to pay for its health reform legislation? Could it be that the interests of seniors and AARP are not exactly aligned? Let's follow the money..... Link to Full Article

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...

Who is Nancy LeaMond? That's what I wanted to know after watching AARP's Exec. VP defending her organization's endorsement of ObamaCare to Joe Scarborough on Morning Joe today. Click, Wikipedia, click: whaddayaknow? Turns out that before coming to AARP, LeaMond was a senior Clinton administration appointee and a top Dem congressional staffer. Surprise, surprise! View video here.

The Rest of the title reads: as Possible Conflict of Interest AARP, the American Association of Retired Persons, which endorsed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) version of the health-care reform bill Thursday, is drawing fire from a member of Congress who questions the motives of the nation’s largest senior citizens’ lobbying group. Rep. Dave Reichert (R-Wash.) told CNSNews.com that it is possible AARP could benefit financially from the passage of the bill, which includes $500 billion in cuts to Medicare and Medicare Advantage. According to Reichert, if the cuts to the programs result in reduced benefits, more seniors will have...

AARP Backs House Health Care Bill Despite Death Panel, Assisted Suicide Issues Washington, DC -- The nation's most prominent organization for seniors is expected to formalize its endorsement of the House health care reform bill today. The backing from AARP for the bill, which includes massive abortion funding, comes despite concerns about death panels and assisted suicide. http://www.LifeNews.com/bio2992.html

It came as no surprise to learn this morning that the American Medical Association announced its support for concurrent passage of two health care reform bills in the U.S. House of Representatives. Sadly, the once-respected organization of physicians now joins the ranks of the misguided AARP (See “Despite Early Denials, AARP Endorsing ObamaCare”).

WASHINGTON — The AARP has officially endorsed the House Democratic health care bill, a major boost for the legislation two days before a historic vote. AARP Senior Policy Adviser John Rother said Thursday that the 40-million strong organization backs the House bill. He said the measure closes the coverage gap in Medicare prescription benefits, puts strict limits on what health insurers can charge older workers too young for Medicare and creates a voluntary, long-term care insurance program.

Incoming AARP CEO A. Barry Rand contributed $8,900 to President Obama's campaign committees, federal records show. Rand, a retired senior executive at Xerox Corp., Avis Group and Equitant Inc. and the current chairman of Howard University's board of trustees, gave the maximum $4,600 to Obama's election campaign and an additional $4,300 to the Obama Victory Fund, a joint fundraising entity of Obama and the Democratic National Committee. Altogether, Rand has given $15,900 to Democratic campaign committees since 1995, according to searches of Federal Election Commission databases dating back to 1990 that are maintained by CQ Money Line and the Center...

Majority Leader Steny Hoyer Says Passage Will Come Saturday; AARP Announces Support for Legislation (AP) The second-ranking House Democrat predicted that historic health care legislation will be passed Saturday as the AARP, the nation's premier lobbying group for the elderly, announced it was signing on to the bill. Rep. Steny Hoyer said House leaders expect to have the 218 votes needed to pass the sweeping bill, which would extend coverage to tens of millions of uninsured people and ban insurance companies from turning people away. President Barack Obama has the health care overhaul the defining social goal of his young...

AARP applauds the House of Representatives for moving health care reform forward with the introduction of the Affordable Health Care for America Act... Toll-Free Nationwide: 1-888-OUR-AARP(1-888-687-2277) Toll-Free TTY: 1-877-434-7598 Toll-Free Spanish: 1-877-MAS-DE50(1-877-627-3350) International Calls: 1-202-434-3525

Despite several statements to the contrary in recent months, it turns out that AARP, a membership organization that purports to represent the interests of people 50 and older, was behind ObamaCare all along. According to an article in The Hill tonight, Associated Press is reporting that AARP is planning to endorse the House version of President Barack Obama’s health care reform plan prior to it being voted on Saturday.

AARP has been to portray itself as a "non partisan" observer on the health care debate, but has been actively working toward ensuring the passage of Obamacare. All the evidence points to the fact that the Senior advocacy organization is willing to push through a plan that will hurt its membership so it can make millions on its insurance related activities. During the summer AARP's management contended that they generically support health care but don't support any specific bill. At the same time they were running commercials that advocating for specific elements of the House Bill. The AARP even published...

Democratic sources tell me that AARP – easily the most influential seniors lobby – will endorse the health reform legislation put together by Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats. Speaker Pelosi and her leadership team have been lobbying the lobby for weeks. AARP officials also met yesterday with WH Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and took the proposed endorsement to their Board of Directors. A public announcement is expected tomorrow or Friday, in advance of a vote by the full House likely to come on Saturday. “Big victory,” summed up one top Democrat. The Speaker still doesn’t have the 218...

WASHINGTON (AP) - Officials are telling The Associated Press that AARP_the seniors' lobby_will endorse the health care overhaul bill that House Democrats are preparing to take to the floor. Officials with knowledge of the group's decision told The Associate Press on Wednesday that the senior's lobby has decided to give the $1.2 trillion measure its seal of approval. An announcement is expected Thursday. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the announcement has not been made. The endorsement, in advance of floor votes as early as this weekend, would be a major boost for President Barack Obama's signature issue.

WASHINGTON (AP) - In a coup for House Democrats, AARP will endorse sweeping health care overhaul legislation headed for a history-making floor vote, officials told The Associated Press on Wednesday. An endorsement from the seniors' lobby was critical when then-President George W. Bush pushed the Medicare prescription drug benefit through a closely divided Congress in 2003. House Democratic leaders are hoping it will work the same political magic for them as they strive to deliver on President Barack Obama's signature issue. An announcement from the 40-million member group is expected Thursday, said officials with knowledge of the group's decision. They...

WASHINGTON -- Republicans in Congress are taking aim at AARP's financial ties to the health-insurance industry just as the advocacy group is taking a more prominent role supporting an overhaul of the nation's health-care system. The House Republican Conference has been circulating talking points among lawmakers and staffers, saying AARP wants an overhaul because its business arm would benefit from legislation in both the House and the Senate. Friday, three Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee sent a letter to AARP Chief Executive A. Barry Rand, saying the group's support for proposed cuts in the overhaul bills to...

AARP is trying to portray itself as a "non partisan" observer on the health care debate, but has been actively working toward ensuring the passage of Obamacare. All the evidence points to the fact that the Senior advocacy organization is willing to push through a plan that will hurt its membership so it can make millions on its insurance related activities. During the summer AARP's management contended that they generically support health care but don't support any specific bill. At the same time they were running commercials that advocating for specific elements of the House Bill. The AARP even published...

The nation's pre-eminent seniors group, AARP, has put the weight of its 40 million members behind health care reform, saying many of the proposals will lower costs and increase the quality of care for older Americans. But not advertised in this lobbying campaign have been the group's substantial earnings from insurance royalties and the potential benefits that could come its way from many of the reform proposals. The group and its subsidiaries collected more than $650 million in royalties and other fees last year from the sale of insurance policies, credit cards and other products that carry the AARP name,...

As far as I can tell, the goal of the AARP — formerly known as the American Association of Retired Persons — is to enslave all those of working age. Once enslaved, workers will support retirees in the style to which the AARP feels they are entitled. This would be good for the AARP because its real business is selling products to older people by direct mail, and the more income older people have, the better it is for the AARP. Too bad about everyone else.

Major institutions should be broken up if necessary, Greenlight manager says NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Greenlight Capital manager David Einhorn said Monday that his hedge-fund firm is betting on the possibility of a major currency collapse and a surge in interest rates, citing ballooning government deficits in some of the world's most developed countries.The hedge-fund manager, who warned about Lehman Brothers' frailty before it collapsed last year, also said financial institutions that are deemed as "too big to fail," such as Citigroup Inc. /quotes/comstock/13*!c/quotes/nls/c (C 4.57, -0.02, -0.38%) , should be broken up. ReutersDavid Einhorn of Greenlight Capital. Greenlight has...

Among the $500 billion in Medicare cuts that will provide the bulk of the financing for Obama's health care plan is a $160 billion to $180 billion cut in the Medicare Advantage program, which offers a range of benefits not available to beneficiaries under basic Medicare. Medicare Advantage should be Obama's favorite program. It combines all the elements he likes -- premiums are subsidized for low-income elderly, and the companies negotiate low-priced, managed care that emphasizes prevention, treatment of chronic conditions and coordination among doctors. As a result, its costs on the one hand and its premiums on the other...

An insidious, treacherous, anti-military, anti-democracy and anti-capitalist organization called “Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America”, IAVA, is posing as a veteran’s aid and support group in an attempt to turn the last non-Leftist bastion of America into the Left’s mightiest arm of real force. logo They are dedicated to one mission, and one mission only: indoctrinate the average service member into a Leftist ideologue loyal to George Soros’ and Obama’s neo-Marxist revolution. Go to this link and scroll down to the bottom, and you will see the IAVA’s “report card” on politicians’ performance as supporters of the troops. John McCain...

WHY is Congress so eager to cut $160 billion-plus from Medicare Advantage? The program does things that President Obama and other liberals normally praise. Is the cut simply the price charged by AARP (the American Association of Retired Persons) for overlooking the rest of the $500 billion in Medicare cuts meant to finance "health-care reform"? Medicare Advantage offers a range of benefits beyond basic Medicare. It combines many elements Obama and other liberals like -- such as subsidized premiums for low-income elderly, "pooling" of insurees to provide bargaining power and managed care that emphasizes prevention, treatment of chronic conditions and...

Just a couple short weeks ago, an overly emotional House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (R-Calif.) warned the American people about the level of rhetoric in the health care debate. She choked back crocodile tears as she expressed her fears that the level of discourse in the debate could lead to violence. To paraphrase one of Ann Coulter’s best lines, Pelosi was so upset her expression almost changed. “I think we all have to take action and responsibility for our words,� Pelosi said. “We are a free country and this balance between freedom and safety is one that we, um, have to...

Today I received, actually my husband received a nice letter from AARP asking him to join. I started to just throw it away. But, then a light bulb went off in my head. Why not send it back? So I write on the nice letter, NO WAY, I'd never join. Seeing that I don't have to pay for the stamp, it will be off in the mail tomorrow. Give those postal workers something to do. And maybe the AARP a clue.

Most of us understand that a careful, unbiased analysis of facts or ideas and presentation of findings is vastly different from propaganda. The latter is designed to further a cause regardless of facts. At its crudest, it is Fidel Castro or Hugo Chávez ranting to an audience fearful of offending the Maximum Leader. However, propaganda can be far more sophisticated, thus more effective and much more dangerous. The first-rate propagandist knows to include enough truth in his campaign to establish his credibility, while hiding whatever works against his cause. He disguises his work as an unprejudiced appraisal by carefully picking...

ACORN is using a tangled web of tax-exempt organizations to funnel tax money to itself according to a detailed review released last night by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee.Some or all of them may be nothing more than shell companies used to pass money from the government directly through to ACORN and its affiliates. “This analysis regarding the vast number of charitable organizations that ACORN set up to funnel money to itself raises questions about whether ACORN used the entities to advance the charitable mission of helping poor people get housing, or whether...

Free Speech: The Senate votes against transparency as the administration silences a private insurer for exposing the president's health care proposal. Meanwhile, AARP is allowed to tout reform as it awaits payday. We weren't surprised when the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday voted 12 to 11 against allowing two weeks for the Congressional Budget Office to complete its cost analysis of the health care bill pushed by Montana Democrat Max Baucus and to put the bill online in its original wording. Instead, the Senate panel passed another amendment to require the committee to post the full bill online in "conceptual"...

The answer may be greed. The AARP has been a strong supporter of Obamacare for the last several months. This position is not held by most of their membership. Many AARP members have resigned over the leaderships position. So, why is the AARP supporting the Democrat's health care overhaul? It isn't concern for providing coverage to their membership. Most seniors have insurance or are covered under Medicare. The reason the AARP supports Obamcare appears to be money. Under the Democrats health care reform plan, $162 billion in payments to privately-administered Medicare Advantage will be cut. This will force many seniors...

One of the subplots to the health care debate I've been following is the cozy relationship between AARP and the Obama administration, as the group has thrown its full-throated support behind the Democrats' health care push even though their membership comes from the age group most opposed to Democratic health care proposals. Today, House Republicans have issued a report providing evidence that AARP is in a position to recieve tens of millions of dollars in "kickbacks" if Democratic health care legislation becomes law. If the House Democrats health care bill becomes law, the report argues, it would be a boon...

George Orwell call your office.  Again. Was it only two months ago that Cong. John Carter (R-Tx) and a few other conservatives were protesting the Democrats’ censorship of their constituent mailings? Yes, it was.  When  Judge Carter tried to describe Obamacare as “government-run healthcare� the House Franking Commission told him he couldn’t use the term in a constituent mailing that would be mailed for free as are most constituent mailings.  Not only could he not use those words, he couldn’t use the words “Democratic Party.�   Now, the Democratic Party (i.e., the Obama administration) wants to censor the mailings sent...

http://spectator.org/blog/2009/09/22/gop-report-charges-aarp-gettin

The AARP Bulletin (September 2009) has a front-page headline on Obamacare: “The Hype, the Lies, the Facts: How to Tune Out the Fear-mongering and Misinformation and Make Sense of the Health Care Reform.” I’d add only one amendment to that AARP headline: “If you want to avoid the hype, the lies, and get the facts on Obamacare, don’t read the biased one-sided propaganda that AARP publishes in its Bulletin.” The article is supposed to answer the question of AARP readers, “How do I know what to believe?” Anyone who reads the article critically or studies AARP history on this matter,...

Enjoying another weekend of football unfortunately those AARP commercials shilling for Obamacare are back. I had my Joe Wilson moment yelling at the TV.

The ACORN-linked, “public option”-mongering Service Employees International Union has its own black eye to contend with. A former official with SEIU Local 1000 in California was slapped with a 25-year prison sentence for charges of child molestation and making/possessing child pornography. News10 reports [1] a troubling angle: Jaime Enrique Feliciano, who served as president of Service Employees International Union Local 1000 representing thousands of Sacramento-area state workers, had previous convictions for child molestation and failure to register as a sex offender.

Last night, Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) held a private health care “briefing� for members of the Heritage Hunt Golf & Country Club in Gainesville, VA, a higher-end active retirement community. The AARP participated on the “briefing� panel.  This meeting was not open to the general public, but we were there. Connolly is a first term Democrat in a district -- as one staffer at the event described it -- as sixty percent registered Republican. Gauging the level of questioning and the negative reaction of these seniors to the regurgitation of Democrat talking points at the event, these seniors have been...

Well over thaarpcovertmbe past several weeks we have heard denials of all sorts from AARP concerning their support of OBAMACARE. Then in the mail came today - A FULL COLOR TESTAMENT of their targeted groupees. What better way to bring people to getter than to turn their AARP logo into a patriotic flag, and paste Bruce on the cover. AARP has been on and off the OBAMAcare Band Wagon so many times over the past month, it's plain sick.......

Founded in 1958, the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) has been the primary organization representing individuals over the age of 50. According to AARP, the group has a membership of 40 million and is listed as a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization. The AARP includes a Public Policy Institute which promotes legislation related to those over 50 years of age. AARP's Mission Statement reads the group's goal is "to enhance the quality of life for all as we age, leading positive social change and delivering value to members through information, advocacy and service." The AARP has come under criticism in the...

This is a report on one of the great sell-outs in American history: How the insurance companies, the drug companies (PhRMA), the AARP, and the AMA have all sold-out their principles to get a piece of the profit of Obamacare for themselves. Instead of standing on their principles, and taking a position on whether Obamacare would be good for America, they are rushing in to make a deal to protect their own interests. This is not just my interpretation of what is going on, but is being documented by national publications and pundits. For example, Business Week (August 17, 2009)...

U.S. Rep. Baron Hill will have an hour-long "tele-town hall" about health care reform at 6:40 p.m. today with AARP members in the 9th District who are called, answer their telephone and choose to participate. Using a Virginia company, Citizen Dialog, AARP will call about 25,000 of its 97,000 members in Hill's district at the same time, the Louisville Courier-Journal reported today. Numbers called will get a recorded message inviting them to participate. Indiana AARP expects about 4,000 9th District AARP members to participate, but only about two dozen of them to get a chance to ask questions, according to...