Class action against AARP?

[The Blue Flower]

This is a quote from my 2001 (the year I joined)AARP Membership Guide:
"Among AARP's priorities are: the protection of Medicare and Medicaid..."

In light of what we've learned this week about Novelli's connection to Gingrich, who has said clearly and repeatedly that he wants Medicare to "wither on the vine", it seems to me that millions of us were lied to about AARP's true agenda. They represented themselves to us all as an advocate for seniors, yet they have shown themselves to be advocates for the insurance and pharmaceutical industries at the expense of the well-being of seniors. I think that state Attorneys General should be asked by all of us to see if AARP's misleading and untruthful statement of mission constitutes grounds for prosecution. I've already written to AARP to cancel my membership and to demand a refund of my dues on those grounds.

[Faygo Kid]

1. Say, I like it - time to throw Novelli out

I'm an attorney, and I think you may have something here. Clearly, we were misled - AARP is now but a shill for the K Street lobbyists, and a money machine that we once trusted. A class action suit just might work; at any rate, it would force them to show their true hand.

[Oracle]

2. Absolutely. AARP truly republican shills!

That's only one of a number of anti-retiree measures tucked away in the bill. It contains several Trojan horse provisions that are clearly intended to undermine Medicare over time — it will allow private insurers to cherry-pick healthy clients in selected cities, and it will heavily subsidize private plans competing with traditional Medicare. Meanwhile, the bill prohibits Medicare from using its bargaining power to cut drug prices; drug company stocks have soared since the bill's details became public.

Yet the bill has a good chance of passing, thanks to an endorsement from AARP, the retiree advocacy organization, which has already begun an expensive advertising campaign on the bill's behalf. What's going on?

Let's step back a minute. This is a bill with huge implications for the future of Medicare. It's also, at best, highly controversial. One might therefore have expected an advocacy group for retired Americans to take its time in responding — to make sure that major groups of retirees won't actually be hurt, and to poll its members to be sure that they are well informed about what the bill contains and don't object to it.

Instead, AARP has thrown its weight behind an effort to ram the bill through before Thanksgiving. And no, it's not urgent to get the bill passed so retirees can get immediate relief. The plan won't kick in until 2006 in any case, so no harm will be done if the nation takes some time to consider.

Many of AARP's members feel betrayed. The message boards at the organization's Web site have filled up with outraged posts. A number of those posts say something like this: "Now you're just an insurance company." Indeed, that may get to the heart of the matter.

Over the years AARP has become much more than an advocacy and service organization for older Americans. It receives more than $150 million each year in commissions on insurance, mutual funds and prescription drugs sold to its members.

Call AARP 1 800 424-3410

[The Blue Flower]

6. I've written my reps

I've written my entire Congressional delegation to make this point. I suggest everyone who is as outraged as I am do the same. If they want to be a lobby and want our money to support them in lobbying, they should tell us. Otherwise, they've blatantly misrepresented themselves to those they take money from.

[oasis]

3. Turn up the heat on quisling Novelli and his AARP board cronies.

[UTUSN]

4. Let's GO for It! n/t

[drfemoe]

5. Go For It

Rather than standing for its members, AARP is campaigning for the republican resident.


But the biggest culprit is President Bush, who has made it clear that he will sign any Republican-designed bill, especially if its flaws can be disguised for a few years, for the transparent and cynical purpose of taking a potent Democratic campaign issue off the table, at least until after the 2004 elections. The GOP's rush job in seeking Congressional approval of the bill before its patent inadequacies become apparent -- indeed, before Members of Congress even have the opportunity to read it -- is part and parcel of the overall Bush plan to subordinate substance to the crassest kind of political symbolism.
http://www.ndol.org/ndol_ci.cfm?kaid=131&subid=192&contentid=252189

[Cleita]

7. If it's possible, let's do it.

This is classic bait and switch.

[The Blue Flower]

8. How to begin?

I think we should start by writing to our State Attorneys General and our reps, unless there's a lawyer out in DU land who has a better idea.

[oasis]

9. Maybe a website for disenchanted AARP members for starters.

From there begin a funding campaign. Get some of the Dem candidates to speak out on the "bait and switch" aspects of the AARP's actions.

[drfemoe]

10. how about the

attorney general in the state in which AARP is incorporated?

Def deserves some research and action.