AARP chose to speak for its 35 million members with no input from members – no questionnaires, no polls, no advance notification of its participation in drafting the 1,100 page “Medicare” bill.
AARP members were taken aback to learn that this well-established organization, which was supposed to represent its members, chose to support this $400 billion giveaway of taxpayer money to begin the process of privatization of Medicare.
The article in the December issue of the AARP Bulletin makes reference to the enormous help the bill will be to low-income seniors. When did income become a factor in the allocation of funds for Medicare? The entire article poses more questions than answers.
The following are quotes from the December issue of the AARP Bulletin. “AARP worked very hard with both political parties to shape this legislation … Without the broad bipartisan consensus AARP had hoped for, the bill squeaked through the House by five votes (220-215) after strenuous arm-twisting by the White House, and passed the Senate 54-44…”
Not only does the bill prevent Medicare from buying affordable drugs from Canada, it prohibits Medicare from using its purchasing power to negotiate for the huge discounts available to corporations.
A six-year pilot program was proposed “…. In which private plans receive subsidies to compete with traditional Medicare” (AARP Bulletin, Dec. 2003).
Corporations and businesses covering prescription drug benefits for their Medicare retired employees benefit to the tune of $88 billion.
In my opinion, a more rational and less expensive solution than the $400 billion “Medicare” bill would be to simply add drug prescription benefits to our current Medicare program. This would still fall short of universal health coverage in effect in all other industrial countries for more than 20 years.
Camano Island
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