Report: AARP To Endorse House Health Bill

Officials Tell Associated Press That Powerful Seniors Lobbying Group Will Back Health Care Reform Legislation

(AP)  Officials are telling The Associated Press that AARP will endorse the health care overhaul bill that House Democrats are preparing to take to the floor.

Officials with knowledge of the group's decision told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the senior's lobby has decided to give the $1.2 trillion measure its seal of approval. An announcement is expected Thursday. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the announcement has not been made.

The endorsement, in advance of floor votes as early as this weekend, would be a major boost for President Barack Obama's signature issue.

[choptopford]

Is AARP playing the race card??? LOOKS like it to me Time for a beer

[bruce691]

DEMOCRATS LISTEN UP!!
Listen to Rep Grayson. Put up a clock in every district that keeps track of people dying because of lack of health care coverage. Shove it down their SOCIAL DARWINIST THROATS. Give the idiot americans a simple equation.

IF YOUR FOR THE "IDEA" OF HEALTH CARE REFORM THEN YOU ARE FOR SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE/MEDICAID"

Likewise:::


IF YOUR AGAINST THE "IDEA" OF HEALTH CARE REFORM THEN YOU ARE AGAINST SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE/MEDICAID"

[rocketjl]

I am for health care reform, but it is clear that 'this' will just about put an end to Medicare and Medicaid. Been reading the health bills and I am not sure what real advantage of these health bills will really give us. Most of it is smoke and mirrors. The desperately ill cancer patients that can't get insurance must wait six months to apply for coverage (???????).

[CommentMaker]

AARP never said anything before. Now their spokesman, Barak Obama, is telling everyone they have bought into the plan. That is sad to here. Sounds like something is going on behind the scenes.

[rocketjl]

I am an AARP member and I 'do not' support any of the health care reform proposals currently being offered. A few AARP management folks are blowing smoke in our ears, or they seriously have no idea whats going on. Sounds like it is time to get away from a gang/mob that is run by a few wannabes.

[uisignorant]

Of course they are.
They get to be the administrators of part of it.
That = $$$$

duh...

[faceofus]

This bill is a monstrosity! Here it is, read it for yourself:

http://docs.house.gov/rules/health/111_ahcaa.pdf

Has anyone at AARP actually read this bill?

[askagain]

An article in the Washington Post states that young people will be subsidizing older people when it is mandated that all people must purchase health insurance. Currently, people over 50 cost 10 times what young people pay. Health care reform in one bill would prohibit insurance companies from charging people over 50 more than 4 times what young people pay. Another bill limits this this to 2 times what young people pay. The article said that this will be a large transfer of wealth from young people to older people. No wonder the AARP endorses this plan. Young people will pay larger premiums to make it work. They will pay larger premiums to subsidize older and sicker people. Young people in their 20's, by being the strongest supporters of health care reform, shot themselves in the foot.

[doctor_know]

Hey Genius,thats the way it always has worked. Thats what health insurance is all about, healthy people supporting sick people... if you didn't pay when you were healthy, how can you expect benefits when you are old and sick?

[askagain]

doctor_know - Real Smart. If that is the way it has always been, why are there so many young people without health insurance? Why is it necessary to make health insurance mandatory if that is the way it has always been? It hasn't always been or we wouldn't be facing such deastic changes in our health care system.

[Manslick]

That sounds surprisingly like Social Security!!! What Genius wouldn't want that??

[stryker54]

Time to leave AARP.

[jacqelynn]

AARP does not speak for the seniors. Where is the best place to let AARP officials know we are disatisfied, by not paying dues...if the idiots who are suppose to be helping us, won't listen, then close up the shop... I went onto the AARP. org site hoping to be able to leave my opinion, it appears the only people they want opinions from are those supporting the bill.

[askagain]

jacqelynn - AARP receives around 600 million dollars per year from insurance companies. The AARP does not sell insurance but they endorse the products of some insurance companies for money paid to them by insurance companies. That represents a sizable chunk of their income each year. How objective can they be?

[wdh3007]

Very foolish and the begining of the end of AARP is soon if they follow lunatic Nancy and price Harry Reid in backing the death healthcare plan that bankrupts America even more.

[hungry1968-17]

by whosaid1 November 4, 2009 7:31 PM EST
The day AARP acknowledges support of the bill is the day I cancel my membership....till then, I'll wait and see......







You said that you canceled your membership back in August.

Did you forget?

[whosaid1]

Hungry: Not that it really matters....BUT, you are wrong...what I said the first time it was rumored was essentially, the same thing I said this time...and that is...IF AARP supports the currently proposed bill then I will cancel my membership. But hey,....I'm glad you try to remember every posting from all those that "play" here..........

[newyorkmom]

AARP can kiss another 100,000 members goodbye. They see their members as a group of uneducated, misinformed seniles that cant see past the smoke and mirrors of the liberal propaganda. The entire health system will quickly deteriorate uder the current proposals. Just look at TennCare in Tennessee. A failed experiment in government run care. The seniors are going to blast the AARP. This is getting very interesting.

[bc-1948]

It absolutely amazes me that so many seniors - who are enjoying the best health care (Medicare) with the least amount of paperwork and hassle somehow are against "government" insurance. Please don't just listen to talk radio to get your information - Unless we have health reform - including doing away with the private health insurance "Medicare" Advantage p;rograms, all seniors are going to suffer. This bill actually improves your coverage - does away with the Rx donut hole, allows Medicare to negotiate Rx rates, covers preventative care - which will help ensure Medicare is around for future generations.

You have no idea what insurance costs if you have to buy it on your own at age 65 or older. As as example, for myself (age 61) and my wife (age 60), our premium this year is $21,000 - and it goes up 25% or more each year. We shopped - only got one other quote - $2,900 per month. The only good thing is that it is a group plan and we can't be cancelled as long as we pay the premiums. If it was individual plans, we would have lost coverage long ago - and wouldn't be able to get coverage.

Wake up - AARP is doing the right thing - How many of you are able to pay the type of premiums I just described?

[whosaid1]

The day AARP acknowledges support of the bill is the day I cancel my membership....till then, I'll wait and see......

[bc-1948]

Why? - If you are a senior and can read, you should be very much in favor of this bill. Assume you enjoy having Medicare??

[velma179]

by whosaid1 November 4, 2009 7:31 PM EST

No problem... It'll also be the day I join!

***********

by whosaid1 November 4, 2009 7:31 PM EST

Absolutely correct. The fear mongered-misinformation that has been fed to seniors really ticks me off.
I remember 1961 when ol' Ronnie Reagan was selling the fear about Medicare... the President Reagan kept the system alive and well -- "socialism" and the disappearance of freedom and the American way of life just didn't happen, now did it?

[velma179]

Yikes.. the copy and paste messed up.

My second comment was for:

by bc-1948 November 4, 2009 7:35 PM EST

[stn_sage]

It appears to me that the leadership of the AARP does NOT represent the best interest of it's members...but rather, THEIR OWN!

We need a health care bill...but a GOOD one...and this one is junk...so endorsing it is NOT exactly doing the membership 'any favors'!

[bc-1948]

Easy to make the comment you did - but would you give examples? Assume you are against closing the Rx donut hole, allowing Medicare to negotiate Rx rates, covering preventative care expenses - like colonoscopy screenings - which cost around $3,900 if you want to get one.

So, please explain why it is a "junk" bill?

[joule3]

I predict another massive loss of membership. They don't represent the membership any more.

[bc-1948]

Assume you enjoy Medicare? Explain why you don't think they represent the 60M members?

[velma179]

y joule3 November 4, 2009 7:25 PM EST
I predict another massive loss of membership. They don't represent the membership any more.

**********

They haven't HAD a "massive" loss of membership!

Sheesh, they lost approximately 60,000 members... a tiny drop in the bucket to a huge group. Oh and by the way -- since then their numbers have GROWN!

[kluzer12]

AARP has sold out to the liberal far left. I canceled my membership and I hope many other do. They are no better than ACORN.

[USA_is_back]

The mantra of the "wing-nuts" ACORN...ACORN...Bill Ayers...ACORN...Socialism...Rev. Wright...ACORN...Birth Certificate...Communism....ACORN...ACORN

[bc-1948]

No, they realize the importance of health care for all seniors. To bad you don't.

[us_1776]

Are there cuts to be made in Medicare? Yes. To eliminate a lot of fraud and waste. These are very targeted cuts at very suspect areas in Medicare where fraud and abuse have reigned.

One example would be doctors who offer high priced imaging scans in their offices, or in facilities where they own a financial interest. Doctors who perform MRIs and other tests in their offices have come under scrutiny in recent years because they order unnecessary tests to increase profits.

There is a lot of institutional fraud that occurs in Medicare and the cuts are specifically targeted to clean up these frauds.

I'm sure that AARP has done a lot of investigation and study on all of this before they would ever come out and say they would support the healthcare reform bill.

[joule3]

Why do we continue to allow our Senators and Congressmen the ability to vote on bills that will enrich their own portfolios of stockholdings. They should recuse themselves if they have personal financial dealings with companies their vote will effect.

They are not there for us. They are there to expand their own wealth and power.

[fishguru00]

Cancelled my membership a few months ago. This bill will be especially bad for the seniors.

[skyk-2009]

fishguru00, how's that exactly? Just posting something like this adds NOTHING to the discussion and is like the insanity of the 90's when people made statements without any back up just to start something. I have review the bill and can see NO effect what so ever on Medicare Benefits. The ONLY thing the bill would do is stop the subsidies to Private Insurance to carry Seniors. If they can't do it for what it cost Medicare then they shouldn't be involved. Tax Payers should NOT be bribing these creatures to provide coverage for Seniors when they have Medicare.

[bc-1948]

Care to explain? Getting rid of the Rx donut hole, covering preventative care - screenings for cancer, etc. - allowing Medicare to negotiate for lower Rx rates - where is it bad for seniors? Give me real examples - no something Rush says.

[faceofus]

Affordable health care insurance can only come about if we actually have affordable health care. This bill does absolutely nothing to deal with the cost of health care. It's a government grab for power and more money.

[skyk-2009]

faceofus, you are just wrong and thats all there is to say to your post. Right now we are paying twice what everyone else in the entire world is paying for coverage and you make a statement like this. When you cut out the cost of treating all those uninsured and underinsured at ER's you will save MILLIONS there alone. Taking away the Greedy Insurance Companies exemption in the market place will save more and if we get a strong Public Option to compete with Private Insurance, you'd better believe it will control cost. Besides what options do we have? Has anyone seen the proposal from the Confederate Party? Talk about NOT controlling cost or providing coverage... that does it.

[velma179]

by faceofus November 4, 2009 5:56 PM EST

The bill DOES deal with the costs of actual health care. You may not have heard (or read) about that part since so much of the discussion has centered on the health insurance part of the provisions (especially the much maligned and misunderstood "public option").

The nurses and doctor's and their associations as well as the AARP that support the bill are not stupid people who haven't studied the legislation.

Please. This is not in any way a "government grab for power and money"... unless you think healthier citizens is what that means.

[bc-1948]

If you leave out the public option, I agree with you - but I don't think that is where you are coming from. Care to explain your position -= or have you been listening to Rush? How would you deal with the cost of health care? Please don't say "limit lawsuits" - that is a very small part of the problem - all you have to do is look at the states that have limits - premium rates haven't come down. So, what is your plan? Assume you enjoy having Medicare. Should we do away with it and give you a few $$ and let you buy your own? Oh, by the way, let me give you an example of the cost for myself (age 61) and my wife (age 60) - only $21,000 this year - and it has never gone up less than 25% a year - so in another three years, it will be over $40,000. Do you think the government would give you anywhere close to that amount to let you buy your own? And do you think the insurance companies would continue to cover you if you got cancer or had heart surgery?

Please, tell me what your plan would be?>

[jckbrn-2009]

I'll sign on for the exact same program our elected elite have - - they are not my parents and i don't need their help with anything - -
Government is the problem, not the solution - -
takeover is not "reform" and every other "Gov't" program is a failure and more expensive than anyone ever imagined.

[bc-1948]

Care to explain? Medicare was working fine - like it was suppose to until the Republicans pushed through the Medicare Advantage program - which isn't Medicare at all - but a move to private insurance - which is turning out to be very, very expensive. Medicare has made the lives of millions and millions of seniors much better than prior to 1965 - and given them piece of mind that they can live without the constant worry of getting sick and not being able to pay for it. Do you have any idea what it would cost someone 70 years old to pay for their own insurance? Let me give you an example, I am 61, my wife is 60. Our premium this year is $21,000 - and it goes up 25% every year. Shop for insurance - we did - only one other quote - $2,900 per month. It has never gone up less than 25% a year and will be over $40,000 by the time I get on Medicare. The only thing we have going for us is that this is a group plan and they can't drop us because of medical conditions.

I can afford the premiums - but how many other Americans could?

Greed is the problem - not a "government" program.