Just called Sen. Kennedy's office with ?--Does AARP have a conflict of

[Gloria]

interest??

After calling AARP and giving them an earful, I then called Sen. Kennedy's office. Phones ringing off the hook...took awhile to pick up.

Anyway, after telling the nice guy that I supported Sen. Kennedy on his Medicare bill fight, I asked the following question:

Does AARP have a conflict of interest in this? The guy confirmed when I said I thought we would be handing money over to pharmaceutical/insurance companies to "encourage" them to stay in the plans....
AARP lends it names/offers prescription plans, hospital plans, and other insurance plans, inc. supplemental ins. and supplemental disability plans.

WHAT IS THEIR CUT OF THE ACTION???? Is this a reason why they are supporting this bill???

This is a question that everyone should ask if they call AARP and their Senators!!!!

The nice assistant said he would bring this question to the Senator's attention!!! Come on guys, let's make a chorus of this so it really gets to him!!

[La_Serpiente]

1. Here is the AARP statement

http://www.aarp.org/Articles/a2003-11-17-medicarestatement.html

AARP Endorses Medicare Prescription Drug Bill



November 17, 2003

AARP today announced its strong endorsement of the prescription drug bill offered by the conference committee and will work vigorously for its passage.

AARP believes that millions of older Americans and their families will be helped by this legislation. Though far from perfect, the bill represents an historic breakthrough and important milestone in the nation's commitment to strengthen and expand health security for its citizens at a time when it is sorely needed.

The bill will provide prescription drug coverage at little cost to those who need it most: people with low incomes, including those who depend on Social Security for all or most of their income. It will provide substantial relief for those with very high drug costs, and will provide modest relief for millions more. It also provides a substantial increase in protections for retiree benefits and maintains fairness by upholding the health benefit protections of the Age Discrimination and Employment Act.

AARP is pleased by the improvements made to the conference report in recent days. A new structure called "premium support" which required competition between traditional Medicare and private plans was downsized to a limited test starting in 2010, which has significant protections for those in traditional Medicare. The government will provide coverage in areas where private plans fail to offer coverage. The integrity of Medicare will be protected.

An unprecedented $88 billion will encourage employers to maintain existing health retiree benefits. The legislation will help speed generic drugs to market and add important new preventive and chronic care management services. Finally, this legislation protects poor seniors from future soaring prescription drug costs.

AARP is launching a national grassroots, advertising and information campaign this week to explain the legislation and urge bipartisan support for its passage.

[Gloria]

2. Yeah, the AARP lady started reading this to me, but I cut her off...

My little, suspicious brain tells me AARP will get a cut of the action....

I would like to believe that Kennedy's office has had the same thought....but one never knows. The guy on the line sounded intrigued....

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

3. Yep.

The sure do. Do you think they offer all those things for free?

What do their execs make? What is their ratio of effective usage of every charitable dollar they receive? You can tell a lot about them from that.

[Gloria]

4. YUP!!!! So call Kennedy with those questions!!!!

Give him some new talking points!

[HFishbine]

7. A question

isn't a talking point. Is there anything other than suspicion?

[madfloridian]

5. Dean's statement on the Medicare deal. Right to the point.

http://www.blogforamerica.com/

Statement by Governor Dean on Prescription Drug Bill
BALTIMORE--Governor Howard Dean, M.D., issued the following statement today:

"The Republican Medicare drug bill is a real-life HMO: Huge Missed Opportunity. Instead of taking this opportunity to come together and provide a meaningful drug benefit seniors can count on, Republicans and the White House have put the interests of the drug industry and HMOs ahead of the best interests of older Americans.

"This bill drives seniors out of traditional Medicare into heavily subsidized private drug HMOs. Under this plan, seniors could end up paying more out of pocket than they receive in benefits, and retirees could end up losing valuable drug benefits that they worked hard to earn. And the poorest seniors -- 6 million or more -- would have worse coverage than today, yet be forced to pay more for it.

"Just as with the war, politicians in Washington will be under enormous political pressure -- this time from the White House, drug lobbyists and HMOs who are mounting a full court press to pass this special interest boondoggle. But, just as with the war and NCLB, the damage this bill causes to our seniors will come back to haunt this administration and those who support it for years to come. I urge Democrats to stand up for our seniors and stand strong against the special interests and political pressure. We will have a Medicare prescription drug benefit in this country that works for our seniors only when we change Washington, change presidents, challenge corporate special interests and change the direction of this country."

I am just furious over this. I have talked to AARP 4 times today. They are still stuttering and stammering.

[Malva Zebrina]

6. What do we do with our old?

Nothing can be trusted by any person who is alert and aware and is a senior citizen--we are screwed much of the time and will be screwed by the Republicans ever the more so, and exploited more than any other group in this society. We cannot afford this and so what do we do? Go out on the ice? LOL, what a way to end a life of concern and duty toward one's fellow human beings. Being screwed out of health care because one does not have the money to pay for the insurance, which they thought they paid for all of those years they worked their asses off. LOL--incredible. I suggest that this society needs to revert back to the extended family concept--where children cared for their parents and did not resort to sending them off to nursing homes to be isolated and to die in away from their family and away from the children they carried and birthed, sometimes in extreme difficulty.

We put our old and withering parents out on the ice because we are too busy to care for them, or because we cannot deal with them and their smells and their confusion. Go away--you are too despicable and I cannot deal with you. Put them in a nursing home and then let them rot there, day by day, sitting in a chair until one day, a nurse finds them dead in the bed and then the children come to visit.