Free Republic

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...