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moveon.org
Excerpt from moveon.org e-mail newsletter, Nov. 20, 2003--
AARP is selling out on Medicare
The AARP has endorsed a bill that would make two fundamental changes
in Medicare: 1. First, it would force people to make a stark choice: either pay
sharply increased premiums to stay in traditional
Medicare, where
they can choose their doctor; or be forced out, into an HMO.
Newt Gingrich, the former House Republican
leader, said in 1995
that he wanted to let Medicare to "wither on the vine." This
change would lead to that result,
with cost incentives driving
people out. (Not coincidentally, AARP CEO William Novelli
recently wrote the forward to
Gingrich's book. [2])
2. Second, it offers a prescription drug benefit, but requires people
who want this coverage
to buy it from private insurance plans.
This part of the bill also bars the government from doing the one
thing
it could do to actually reduce the cost of these drugs --
negotiate for lower prices, using the size of the Medicare program
as
leverage. Drug prices are soaring now, and unless they're
brought under control, they will eventually bankrupt Medicare.
AARP
itself sells insurance and also sells prescription drugs, so
the group stands to reap huge financial gains from this change.
The
bill has been opposed by a host of liberal groups [3] as well as
by major conservative groups, including the Club for Growth,
The
Heritage Foundation, the American Conservative Union, The Cato
Institute, and the National Taxpayers Union. It's
also been assailed
by virtually every one of the Democratic presidential candidates. [4]
In endorsing this bill,
the AARP has broken faith with its members. In
a recent poll, 65% of AARP members said they're opposed to it. [5]
The
group has also violated its own written principles. In July, CEO
William Novelli wrote to Congress stating the requirements
for AARP's
support of a Medicare bill. [6] Yet the bill AARP has just endorsed
fails to meet nine separate requirements
stated in that letter. [7]
We need to hold the AARP responsible for selling out its members. If
the organization
sees sufficient backlash from its members and
prospective members, it could still change course and effect the
outcome
of this legislation. Please call your local AARP branch
today.
Sincerely,
--Carrie, Eli, James, Joan, Noah, Peter,
Wes, and Zack
The MoveOn.org Team
November 20th, 2003
-----
[1] 85 Representatives wrote to Novelli, canceling
their memberships: http://www.moveon.org/HouseAARPletter.pdf[2] From the foreword by Novelli to Gingrich's new book, "Saving Lives
and Saving Dollars".
[3] See
http://www.moveon.org/medicare.html for a complete list of
organizations.
[4] See:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A54358-2003Nov17.html[5] Poll: a majority of AARP members oppose the Medicare bill:
http://www.moveon.org/Medicaresurveypr.pdf[6] AARP July letter on minimum acceptable standards
http://www.aarp.org/Articles/a2003-08-18-drugbenefitinmedicare.html[7] How AARP goes back on its word
http://www.house.gov/schakowsky/Document_AARP_Priorities_11_17_03.html[8] http://www.aarp.org/leadership/Articles/a2002-12-18-aarpfactsheet.html
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