Thousands Quit AARP Over Health Reform

Tens of Thousands Don't Like the Health Care Overhaul

(CBS)  CBS News has learned that up to 60,000 people have cancelled their AARP memberships since July 1, angered over the group's position on health care.

Elaine Guardiani has been with AARP for 14 years, and said, "I'm extremely disappointed in AARP."

Retired nurse Dale Anderson has 12 years with AARP and said, "I don't wanna be connected with AARP."

Many are switching to the American Seniors Association, a group that calls itself the conservative alternative as CBS News Investigative Correspondent Sharyl Attkisson reports.

Watch Extended AARP Interview Here

Last week alone, they added more than 5,000 new members. Our camera was there Friday when the mail came.

Letters were filled with cut-up AARP cards.

"I think that probably the seniors are most upset with cuts in Medicare," said ASA President Stuart Barton.

The American Seniors Association is flat-out against President Obama's plan, which calls for $313 billion dollars in Medicare cuts over ten years. The AARP is widely viewed as supporting the President.

Last week, Obama told a town meeting in Portsmouth, NH, "We have the AARP on board because they know this is a good deal for our seniors."

The AARP called the President's statements "inaccurate," saying it hasn't endorsed any plan or bill.

Some were left with the feeling that AARP was waffling.

"I feel they're supporting it through the backdoor, and telling members that they're not through the front door," said Guardiani.

"AARP has not endorsed any plan at this point," said Cheryl Matheis, AARP VP for Social Impact.

Public or Co-op? Comparing Health Options

More coverage of Health Care Reform

Yet the AARP's Cheryl Matheis couldn't find anything to quibble with, including the Medicare cuts which she says will not affect benefits.

"We haven't seen provisions in legislation yet, so we're going to reserve judgment until we see them," said Matheis.

Meantime, the AARP's image suffered with this town meeting already seen by hundreds of thousands on YouTube.

Faced with skeptical questions from the audience, the AARP representative ends the meeting abruptly. When the discussion continues, she pulls the plug on the microphone.

AARP says for a group with 40 million members that adds hundreds of thousands each month, losing 60 thousand is just a drop in the bucket. But to the much smaller American Seniors Association it's a flood.

[RonDinMich]

AARP: Associaton for the Advancement of Radical Politicians.

[RonDinMich]

AARP: Associaton for the Advancement of Radical Politicians.

[Slowtap]

Another baby boomer bites the dust. See ya AARP. We are so out of here!

[sdianel]

Check out Barry Rand (CEO of AARP). check into his political contribution to the presidential campaign and check into another company that he sits on the board. You will see the light and then will understand why AARP supports Obamacare. Everyone can find this info. Don't believe others, check it out yourself. I did and it changed my mind. I cancelled my AARP. I don't believe they represent seniors. I believe they are about money. I am not a Republican nor Democrat. I am not a redneck. I am a college grad.

[tomd73]

I quit immediately on the night I heard the president say that AARP supports the heal care scheme. I called AARP within 1 minute of hearing that statement and was told by the operator that at that time, all she could tell me was to go over the web site to see how they felt about health reform. I told her that wasn't good enough, that AARP should be able to tell me right now whether they supported the bill as it stood at the time or they didn't. She would not tell me that AARP did not endorse but read her mantra from her card stating that I should take the time to go over the web site and find out how they felt about health care reform. i told her, i'm all for health care reform, but I am in no way for this hastily written bill which would give the government total control of the way I would be able to handle " MY HEALTH" in the future. I told her I'm concerned over the way i will be able to take care of my own health problems in the future and that I don't trust ANY POLITICIAN with MY HEALTH in any way, therefore, until I see AARP states " AARP DOES NOT ENDORSE THE CURRENT HEALTH CARE BILL IN ANY WAY AND THAT THE PRESIDENT WAS NEVER TOLD THAT THEY DO "..." I QUIT AS OF RIGHT NOW...YOU CAN KEEP " THE CHANGE" YOU OWE ME"...they later sent me $19.00 anyway. I checked with my wife and discovered we had many other products offered by AARP. She has gathered all products ie; insurance ( their main reason for being a " NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION"...is so they can profit off the elderly off selling..." OTHER PRODUCTS'...someone is making some hefty products some way. So anyway, I quit every other insurance company, towing company, subscriptions, and more that were in any way associated wwith AARP...believe me, there are plenty of " COMPETITORS"...and that's is the key word......AMERICA NEEDS TO KEEP COMPETITION IN IT'S MIX...We have succeded very well up to now..! ..........But guess what.....I AM FOR HEALTH REFORM....JUST NOT THIS ATROCIOUSLY WRITTEN JUMP RIGHT IN AND TAKE CONTROL OF EVERYONE'S FUTURE HEALTH....SO CALLED BILL.........i want nothing to do with any organization which associates me with support of this bill

[miguelo1]

I don't understand why we don't work on enhancing what we have to a certain level and come back in two years and go to the next stage and so on. In these times it would be more prudent and to me make a lot more sense.We are in debt up to our ying yang.What's our CBR look like ?I hope all us upstarts keep track of the yea congress and vote them out for there next term. Mike M.

[funnominal]

The point with the AARP dimunution of membership is that the 60,000 who've already quit are just the tip of the future iceberg. AARP will be subject to scrutiny from the burgeoning 'boomer' population who will sense the malevolence in this organization's raison d'etre. Yeh, it costs only $10 but the 'association' makes a fortune peddling it's membership data to 'affinity' groups, including United Healthcare.
Funnominal

[willysjeep1963]

ASBA is better than AARP, just as many benefits without the membership dues, and controversy. Check it out:
www.asbaonline.org

[rbi149]

governess said
"All it takes for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing"
It appears America is on permanent snooze alarm these days"

Yeah, and I suppose you, the insurance companies and the rude a-holes who are blocking meaningful discussions at the town halls while carrying assault weapons are the good guys, right? Once again you right-wingnut sheep never address the issues, but simply change the subject. And who's fault is it that the "country is nearly broke"? Where were you fiscal conservatives when the REPUBLICAN'Ts were running up the largest deficits in history under Bush? The difference is that this spending will actually HELP the American people and eventually REDUCE our costs instead of destroying countries and killing OUR servicemen and women. Oh yeah, your bunch are really GOOD people.

[govmess]

Obama's health care plan will be...
-written by a committee whose head says he doesn't understand it,
-passed by a Congress that hasn't read it,
-signed by a President who smokes,
-funded by a Treasury Chief who did not pay his taxes,
-overseen by a Surgeon General who is obese, and
-financed by a country that is nearly broke.


What could possibly go wrong with such a plan?


"All it takes for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing"
It appears America is on permanent snooze alarm these days.

[rbi149]

another repost:
According to AARP, they lose 300,000 members a month for one reason or another. Since July 1st they picked up 400,000 members, so once again a NON-STORY. And who cares if you gullible REPUBLICAN'T morons are members of AARP or not? Death Panels..right. How stupid can you MENSAs be to believe this cr*ap? Once again you have proven that there is no underestimating the stupidity of those who believe the REPUBLICAN'Ts- on any issue.

On "Meet the Press" last Sunday Rachel Maddow got Dick Armey (who is responsible for orchestrating much of the disruptive mob behavior at the Town Halls)to admit that he won't be happy until Social Security and Medicare are abolished. Don't any of you GET IT? REPUBLICAN'Ts have fought against every major piece of social legislation since 1932. And the argument is always the same- it's Socialism. It's not. It's about putting the welfare of the American people above corporate interests that care more about their bottom line than YOUR HEALTH. After running up the biggest deficits in U.S. history, we are supposed to believe that REPUBLICAN'Ts are suddenly concerned about fiscal responsibility? They didn't seem as concerned when they were lining Halliburton's pockets and waging an illegal war in Iraq. You people are fools if you don't think this crisis in health care is not going to eventually bite you in the tail.

And you gullible, selfish seniors who are so needlessly worried about losing your benefits under health reform are listening to and BELIEVING the very people who are intent on ABOLISHING those benefits in the future. Where would you be now if Bush had been allowed to privatize Social Security with this economy? WAKE UP PEOPLE! REPUBLICAN'Ts WANT TO TAKE AWAY MEDICARE AND SOCIAL SECURITY. The first step will be idiots like you helping them to defeat health care reform.

Our health should not be dependent on an insurance company's profit margin. The only "death panels" that exist are the ones currently run by the insurance companies that determine whether you and I will get the procedures and medications necessary to survive medical emergencies and catastrophic illnesses. "Rationing" of health care is ALREADY TAKING PLACE, administered by those same insurance companies. Those of you who are patting yourselves on the back for the wonderful insurance you currently have can sit there and say "I've got mine- screw the rest of you". Or you can walk the walk and be REAL Christians and look out for your fellow man. Or do it for selfish reasons, because NO ONE is safe under the current system. You will ALL eventually be screwed by it.

[1776blues]

It still amazes me how many people keep thing in terms of Democrat and Republican, you know the false left/right paradigm that divides and conquers America? If you don't then I sugest you take a good hard look at how the political world which includes the media ****** who sold their soul to parrot a party line until the next member of the two-sided one party system attains power.

I'll leave you with this; if Obama is so much different than Bush; why are we still in Iraq, still in Afghanistan, bombing Pakistan, threatening Iran, why is he supporting spying on Americans, the Patriot act, spending like a drunken sailor, and why is continuing the war on terror turned inward started by his comrade Bush?

He, Obama, helped Bush pass the 24 trillion dollar bailout (700 billion you say; think again) by convincing the Congressional Black Caucus (racist by its very existence) to vote for it. The govenment divides us while they rob, rape, and pilage us. What good is health care if you have no job and where did those jobs go and who pushed the agreement that created a fast track highway our jobs took out of the country? Clinton did, but hey don't get excited Reublicans, Bush Sr wanted it passed and so did the majority of Congress. So Obama says NAFTA was bad and would seek to change it but then at the same time tell Canada thats just campaingn rhetoric (lies).

Obama is a puppet just as Bush, Clinton, and Bush sr. were, they work for the money masters who pretty much own this country and he was put into office so the powers that be could use the color of hs skin against you if you disagree with him. With Bush it was unpatriotuc, surely the once anti-war democratic party and its followers remmeber that, right?

The left and the right disgust me!

The Followers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Htyt7yu0NKU

[gringovejo]

Actually, I have been avoiding joining AARP for a very long time. I keep
thinking that when you enter that domain, the door slams tightly shut. However, after reading this story, I realize that, just like that, they just got rid of 60,000 really stupid people. Now, that is more like my kind
of a organization and I may have to reconsider.

[morph01]

I will be joining AARP, and especially so now.

[outwestbutnotca]

My membership is up for renewal. I am seriously considering switching. One of the main reasons is that if you go to the alternative site their email address is right there under "contact us". Try finding an email address for AARP. It is obvious that they don't want to know what we think. If I missed AARP's email address page, please clue me in. After watching the Dallas video I am just about 90% convinced to switch. What she did was bad enough. The interview at the end with the local chapter president was much, much worse. Lost control of the meeting? Lost control of a town hall meeting? What do they think a town hall meeting is? It is supposed to be a place to discuss differing views and try to find a consensus. It is not a venue for delivering a position. Had to cancel the meeting because of interruptions from the audiance? What???

[dinalee2]

Okay, I'll be eligible to join in six months and can't wait to! I just they would quit waffling, do the right thing and speak up to tell Seniors that the Obama plan is the best thing for them, especially since most people can't seem to be bothered finding out for themselves what the truth is vs. the lies that are so freely being told. It's appalling.

[guldifx]

I joined AARP for three years when they were being attached by the Swift Boat Liars for defending Social Security. I might join again if they take a resonable position on Universal Health Care.

[naj1953]

Save a tree...Stop sending out that junk mail...I don't want your AARP and I don't want your junk mail....If I wanted AARP I would get it...

[margroks]

When people whp worked for the insurance industry come forward and reveal they used to be the ones who made false claims about healthcare reform in the past it's time to actually think and look instead of calling people names as some here have been doing. This is exactly the kind of thing big insurance wants-name calling and harrassment of people who want to find a solution to the healthcare crisis. I am fortunate to have insurance through work but others are not so firtunate and they deserve a chance to get insurance. Medicare has worked fairly well for many years and that is government run healthcare. It's nonsense for people to whine about government involvement in healthcare and carry on about socialism and other nonsense adn outright lies the insurance insustry and right wing conservatives use to try and derail honest dialogue when a programs like Medicare has been going on so long and has been relatively successful. This is nothing more than Big Insurance trying to scuttle reasonable discussion about heathcare and people who believe that are the ones who can't think for themselves.

[noloyalisti]

Like the Republi CONS said, you can't negotiate with terrorists. You can't negotiate with greedy, rich, uncaring corporations and their CON tools. They want to continue to ration health care and decide on whether people live and die and who is covered.


The solution is to take the management of health care away from those that profit from it. Universal single payer, like Medicare, is the only sure solution. And it already works.

[Raybbes]

Really, I would like to know how many of these rude loud mouths have health care and what are they paying for it. Personally speaking I have Medicare now and it is great. I am now paying about $200.00 a month instead of $1250.00 for less coverage. Let me seeee, that's a no brainer. I'm thinking all these "conservatives" are really bigots, fighting a man who is trying to help you because of his skin color. These rude, vile loud mouths are probably bible thumper hipocrites.