Posted by
Patrick Henry on Wednesday, October 07, 2009 12:46:01 AM
The American Association of Retired Persons has cut a deal with Barack Obama that effectively sells
10,000,000 seniors down the river. That's right! A desperate president whose healthcare reform concept is
in trouble and desperately needing AARP's endorsement, threw the left-leaning profiteers at AARP a
whopper of a bone in return.
AARP makes millions through a partnership with United Healthcare in which they jointly market
medicare supplement plans to seniors, i.e., AARP's members. Medicare covers only about 80% of
Medicare recipients' medical costs. The supplement picks up a percentage of the rest. The catch? It's
on top og the $96 plus mnthly Medicare deduction and it's expensive. But ten million seniors found a
better way when competing insurers partnered with government to offer Medicare Advantage. By
bargaining with providers of medical services, equipment and drugs, Medicare Advantge was able to
secure the lowest possible prices for seniors, as well as providing preventive care and extra services
like chiropractic care and accupuncture that other programs don't cover. Medicare Advantage plans
begin at zero payment in addition to monthly Medicare but may require some minimal payment if
higher risk patients demand additional coverage. AARP and United Healthcare, of course, don't like
Medicare Advantage because it detracts from their business selling high cost Medicare supplements.
The answer? Come out in national support of Obamacare while he and his Senate cronies make
Medicare Advantagego away. Take the trouble to read the bills currently in the Senate and you'll see
that that's what they've done. AARP has already launched national television ads debunking "myths"
about Obamacare spread by critics.
Let's look at an example of what this foolish move will mean for millions of senior, using the case
with which I am most familiar, my own. My wife and I both have Medicare Advantage plans. I pay $67
monthly for mine, over and above the $96.40 Medicare, while my wife pays nothing additional, If both
of us were forced to go on an AARP/United plan with the minimum protection offered, our joint tab,
based on prices at the beginning of the current year, would be over $300 monthly above and beyond
what we pay for Medicare. That's over $500 a month, and doesn't even include the prescription drug
plan we have now, or any of the ancillary benefits afforded by Medicare Advantage, In my case, the
promise of Obama and AARP that if I like my plan I can keep it is a flat LIE. I can't keep what will
no longer exist, and may not be able to keep my doctors, depending on who does and doesn;t accept
my new plan. My total out-of-pocket will be over $300 a month or $3,600 a year, so the claim that
Obamacare will cost this senior less while mainatining the same services is, again, a flat LIE. Current
healthcare reform bills will be financed on the backs of seniors -- at least the ten million of us that
have Medicare Advantage plans. Democrats' claim to the contrarty are an embarrassing tissue of lies.
Obama is so desperate to pass his miserable excuse for a health reform plan that he is clearly wiiling
to blatantly lie to Americans in order to get it. AARP, which has been lying about a lot of things for a
very long time has signed onto this latest whopper for the basest of all reasons: GREED. There are
ten ,illion of us who will remember you in 2012, Mr. President, for exactly what you are. And while
we're busily burnng our worthless AARP cards, we'll also be filling out our ballots -- FOR ANOTHER
CANDIDATE!