AARP Sues Over Retiree Health Care Change

[True_Blue]

PHILADELPHIA Feb 4, 2005 — The nation's largest advocacy group for older Americans asked a federal court Friday to block the government from making a policy change that would allow companies to offer fewer health benefits to retirees when they become eligible for Medicare.

The AARP claimed in a lawsuit filed in Philadelphia that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission would overstep its authority if it gave final approval to rules exempting retiree health benefits from federal age discrimination law.

The new rule would allow companies that offer benefits to retirees to reduce or eliminate them once retirees turned 65 and qualified for the federal Medicare health program.

In a statement, EEOC chairwoman Cari M. Dominguez, said: "The new rule will help safeguard existing and future health benefits for America's retirees" by letting employers provide them benefits without violating the age discrimination law.

more....
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=473005

[annabanana]

1. Will they ever be able to live down.........

their support of those dreadful "discount" cards? Can they rehabilitate themselves?

[Liberty Belle]

2. How did the Dems let THAT sneak thru?

Good for the AARP. I'd gotten fed up with them last year when they supported the prescription drug bill, but they're making up for it now--first by opposing Bush's plan to gut Social Security, and now for suing to protect retirees' health benefits.

Now that Bush wants to get rid of class action lawsuits, I suppose the next thing will be to outlaw associations from suing, too.

[sandnsea]

4. It's in the prescription drug bill n/t

[whistle]

3. AARP is on my shit list for going along with Bush's medicare...

...changes two years ago. I tore up my AARP card and returned it to them and have returned every piece of mail they have sent to me ever since. Nothing they can do will change my mind about who they are and what they represent. They DO NOT represent the interests of retired Americans that is most certainly very clear and because of that they really need to change their name. But what would be even better is that they simply stop soliciting money from older Americans. They are nothing but an insurance company who happens to make obscene profits from Americans over the age of 50 and that fact should be fully disclosed. Bastards!

[Mend]

5. Us, too....permanent shit list. eom

[MaineDem]

6. Same here

I've joined the Older Women's League
http://www.owl-national.org/about/index.html

There are other organizations out there as well. I will NOT support AARP after they rolled over for the Medicare bill.