Health Reform: Get the Facts

[witness23]

AARP is Fighting for You
Source: AARP.org | March, 2010

Link: How health reform will help you and your families:AARP

As Congress nears the end of its debate over health care reform, AARP has chosen a side—yours.

Where We Stand: How Health Reform Will Help You and Your Family
Since the beginning of the health care reform debate, AARP has been fighting for legislation that will protect guaranteed Medicare benefits, lower drug costs for seniors, crack down on insurance company abuses like denying affordable coverage because of age or medical history, and prevent anyone from coming between a patient and their doctor.

AARP applauds the House for passing critical legislation on March 20 to make our health care system work for more Americans. Both chambers have now passed a bill that will make health care more affordable for American families, strictly limit insurance companies from denying affordable coverage because of age or medical history, and protect and strengthen the benefits promised to people in Medicare.

But the job is not finished.

The Senate must act—and act quickly. The changes to the Senate bill passed by the House on March 20 are crucial to all older Americans and their families. Most importantly, this final package closes the dreaded gap in Medicare drug coverage known as the ‘doughnut hole.’ For too long, seniors in Medicare have struggled with the rising cost of prescription drugs. The Senate must seize this opportunity to ensure that no one in Medicare is ever again forced to split pills in half, or go without the medicines they need.

On Your Side
AARP will not stop fighting to ensure that our members and all older Americans have the affordable health care they need. We look forward to working with the Senate in the coming days to finish this truly historic task.

Get the Facts
Older Americans are asking important questions about how they would be affected by health reform. As the process moves forward, AARP will continue to provide information you need to decide for yourself about what health care reform means for you. You can count on this site for the most up to date information about how health care reform will impact older Americans. If your questions aren't answered on this site, please feel welcome to contact us at 1-866-AARP-449 (1-866-227-7449). And if you want to join AARP's efforts to fix our health-care system, please visit healthactionnow.org.

AARP In The News

3/21: AARP Praises House for Passing Final Health Reform Package

3/19: AARP Statement on Historic Health Insurance Reform Package

3/16: AARP Tells Congress: Continue Progress on Health Care Reform

3/3: AARP CEO on Health Care Reform Developments

2/19: AARP Tells Health Care Summit Attendees: We Have Come Too Far to Stop Now

1/28: AARP to Congress: Pass Health Care Reform This Year

 

[greg334]

Why would AARP or any senior organization be for something that will eventually have a horrible affect on every user of Medicare?

Get the facts?

They said this will cut payments to providers and changes to Medicare will have to happen, but AARP still is for it?

This bill is going to cut services and payments of Medicare and Medicaid procedures to the providers which means less access to medical care and less procedures are going to be offered.

Ah, who cares? the scrips will be covered better now.

 

[layoutshooter]

AARP does not represent me. Neither does the congress, senate or president. Anyone who does not beleive in our Constitution has no business in government. Any citizen who does not should lose their citizenship. We have a Constitution, follow it.

 

[Poorboy]

AARP does not represent me. Neither does the congress, senate or president. Anyone who does not beleive in our Constitution has no business in government. Any citizen who does not should lose their citizenship. We have a Constitution, follow it.

I Totally Agree with you LOS, AARP Has been Pushing this since It's Inception. I wish I could Find a Copy of the Letter I sent to AARP In One of their Return Postage Paid Envelopes "I Think it Got Deleted when My Computer Crashed" Which Basically Said In Not Too Nice of Language, Don't Bother me anymore with Your Ads and Supposed Savings on Your Membership Drives. I Also Enclosed my Cut Up Membership Card! I Still Get the Mailers but they go Straight Into the Shredder!

 

[Turtle]

The AARP is a leftist organization, always has been, always will be. They are so leftist that the AARP CEO Barry Rand flatly stated, "the legislation doesn’t reduce any Medicare benefits and only seeks to eliminate Medicare fraud and waste.” What a load of crap.

Since July 1 of last year, More than 100,000 people have canceled their AARP membership. Many of them have joined the American Seniors Association, the conservative side of the senior coin, a Constitutionalist organization, who have as partners such groups as the National Rifle Association, the American Family Association, The Tea Party Patriots, Americans for Prosperity, and Fairtax.org.

It doesn't have the big stick of AARP, and the benefits aren't as wide ranging or comprehensive, but then again it's not really and either/or situation, you can belong to both. The ASA annual dues is $15, which includes your spouse.

 

[layoutshooter]

The AARP is a leftist organization, always has been, always will be. They are so leftist that the AARP CEO Barry Rand flatly stated, "the legislation doesn’t reduce any Medicare benefits and only seeks to eliminate Medicare fraud and waste.” What a load of crap.

Since July 1 of last year, More than 100,000 people have canceled their AARP membership. Many of them have joined the American Seniors Association, the conservative side of the senior coin,a Constitutionalist organization, who have as partners such groups as the National Rifle Association, the American Family Association, The Tea Party Patriots, Americans for Prosperity, and Fairtax.org.

It doesn't have the big stick of AARP, and the benefits aren't as wide ranging or comprehensive, but then again it's not really and either/or situation, you can belong to both. The ASA annual dues is $15, which includes your spouse.

Thanks for that info, Turtle. I had heard of that other ASA but could not remember the name. I will look that up.

 

[Turtle]

The AARP membership is worth if just for the discounts you get at a lot of places. 30% off eye glasses (although AAA gets you 50% at LensCrafters) more than pays for the annual membership of $16 a year ($12.60 a year if you pay $63 for 5 years at a time).

I have memberships in both organizations, purely for the discounts at AARP, and for the principle at ASA. I wouldn't necessarily recommend giving up AARP for ASA, unless you rarely take advantage of the AARP discounts.

 

[Ragman]

...shesh..

Aww, you said shesh.

 

[copdsux]

Last time we went to Lenscrafters, the AAA dicount was only 30%. As for the ASA, the 5 groups , that you mentioned, as being partners with them, would be reason enough to NOT join.

 

[Turtle]

My most recent visit to Lenscrafters shows a 50% AAA discount on the bill, so I dunno.

Granted, like OVM said, they're overpriced, even at a 50% discount.

 

[chefdennis]

for some reason if you are like me and simply don't pay attention to those discount programs too much....you should. We belong to a "batrter group" with 2 of our other businesse, so we trade services and products based on the retail value. Some companies will offer a discount off of the retail.

I bought new glassses 2 wks ago....my wife gave me the insurance card along with a special service club strictly for eyewear and the professional ervices that go with that. So i had the barter club discount, and the special service discount..I gave all this info and cards to the billing person....she did her thing and ended up telling me that the "special services club" discount was good....ok no problem, i signed everything and left. When i talked to my wife and told her, she hiit the roof. One of her office locations is about 300 yard from the eteclass place, so she walked down there and when he ler, thet had lowered the price by $243.00....

So as i said pay attention, get what you are entitled to or let your wife deal with these type of things.....