AARP Pulls the Plug on Obamacare

... or does it?


White House photo by Peter Souza

By Tony Vega

AARP has clearly expressed the need for healthcare reform. Many Americans agree that there is room for improvement in our current healthcare system. Many of us are either directly affected or know someone that is affected by inadequate insurance.

Health is directly related to happiness, life and death. The prospect of not receiving adequate healthcare is a scary notion and to some a reality. Politicians thrive on such fears and exploit the same.

Our healthcare should not be determined by political ideology. A wise man once told me the difference between the way things are and the way they should be would drive a sensitive person crazy.

AARP's position appears to be dubious if not duplicitous; one thing for sure is it's confusing as is the president's 1,017-page manifesto. AARP, formerly known as the American Association of Retired Persons, is currently a large player in the insurance industry.

In 2008, AARP was added to the Medicare Advantage plan, which is privately run insurance subsidized by the government. The government reimburses Medicare Advantage at a higher rate, an average of 12 percent, than it does Medicare's traditional fee-for-service program. [1]

In July, AARP organized a town hall meeting in order for the president to pitch his plan from a friendly platform. AARP does not have a PAC and can posit itself as non-partisan. However, Barry Rand the CEO of AARP donated $8,900 to Obama and even more to the Democrats. [2]

If anyone is half paying attention it is obvious that AARP is a left oriented organization and as a major player in the insurance game stands to make some serious coin with an Obama health plan.

Barack Obama was confident he had AARP's support. So confident that during an August 11, New Hampshire town hall meeting he strolled out and boldly proclaimed, "we have the AARP onboard because they know this is a good deal for our seniors. AARP would not be endorsing a bill if it was undermining Medicare."

AARP immediately responded by stating, "indications that we have endorsed any of the major health care reform bills currently under consideration in Congress are inaccurate." To claim that your ally is “inaccurate” about your alliance is strong language to say the least and indicates a clear dysfunction of the plan.

So what happened? We happened folks and despite the disparaging remarks by Pelosi and her clowns, the American people appropriately responded to Obamacare.

Dissension is the hallmark of Freedom, not just when liberals dissent, but when every American has a right to express their voice. The people are rejecting Obamacare, which should not be confused with adequate healthcare.

Customers ripped up their membership cards in response to AARP's perceived endorsement of Obamacare. The customers’ response resounded effectively and as a result, AARP pulled the plug on its support of Obama's plan. Money talks...you know the rest.

The power of competition and choice is displayed in a recent CBS report. Since July, 60,000 AARP members cancelled their membership and many defected to the American Seniors Association.
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AARP is also scrambling for damage control, damage caused by their out of touch representatives at a Texas town hall meeting. AARP turned their back on the folks, pulled the plug on the microphone and left the building.
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Barack Obama is in a wonderful position to rescue healthcare and emerge as a hero, all he has to do is start listening to the folks. Healthcare is an important issue that past administrations did not adequately address. The Obama administration can truly change America, for the better.

Resources:

1. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=washingtonstory&sid=azbmMd7PoI8I

2. http://thehill.com/business--lobby/new-aarp-chief-gave-big-to-obama-2009-03-12.html

3. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/08/12/obama-claim-aarp-endorsement-inaccurate/