AARP did its best to work with The Washington Post in reporting today’s story. The statement below was provided to The Washington Post along with extensive other materials, including ample evidence that AARP did not singularly oppose the Medigap reforms referenced in last year’s deficit reduction talks – we were joined by consumer groups and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. AARP also offered Rob Romasco, AARP President, for interview, but that interview offer was declined.

We are disappointed in a rehashed attack that detracts from the important issues at hand. Most importantly, we’re disappointed that the Post failed to ask the most important question: How would these policies affect the health and economic security of older Americans?

AARP remains focused on the conversation that needs to be had about strengthening Social Security and Medicare for today’s retirees, their children, grandchildren and future generations, rather than simply shifting costs to seniors as part of a rushed end of the year budget deal.

Statement from AARP to The Washington Post:

For more than 50 years, AARP has been singularly driven in our work to improve the lives of our members and all older Americans. AARP’s all volunteer 25-member National Policy Council and 22-member Board of Directors make policy decisions for the Association. These individuals represent almost every walk of life imaginable – academics, advocates, businesspeople, medical professionals, Democrats, Republicans and independents. And they stand to gain nothing from AARP’s financial success or failure. They are motivated by nothing more than a heartfelt desire to ensure that every American can age with dignity. AARP does not calculate or consider any potential financial “impact” of policy options on AARP because they are not relevant to our policy decision-making process.

AARP has lobbied for and against different Medicare reform proposals, including Medigap proposals, throughout our history. Your question refers to AARP “lobby[ing] against Medigap reforms, as it did last year, because one of the types of reform discussed last year would lower premiums for seniors.” AARP supports additional options for seniors that offer lower premiums in return for higher cost-sharing. Indeed, such plans exist today. However, AARP did oppose a budget-driven effort to shift additional costs onto seniors. Specifically, AARP opposed the elimination of current options that offer low-cost sharing (e.g., plans with first dollar coverage) and other alternatives that would increase the cost of such plans for older Americans by imposing additional premiums or taxes for beneficiaries choosing such plans. We oppose elimination or added costs for such options because we know that our members like the certainty and cost stability that these policies provide. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) and numerous other consumer groups joined us in opposing such reform. The NAIC has its own working group and has produced reports on the issue – which were shared with the reporter – addressing concerns and uncertainties about such reform.

AARP believes seniors should continue to have Medigap options that offer different premium levels and different coverage and cost-sharing; someone may choose a policy offering first dollar coverage while someone else might prefer a lower premium with more cost-sharing. AARP has also supported Medigap reforms in other areas, such as prohibiting insurers from denying Medigap coverage to individuals with pre-existing conditions.

AARP – along with most groups representing seniors – has been clear in its position against raising the eligibility age for people in Medicare. Such a change would, again, shift costs to seniors. It would increase premiums not only for those aged 65 and 66 or older who are forced back into the private market, but it would also worsen the risk pool by removing the healthiest Medicare beneficiaries from the program, thus raising premiums for those still in Medicare.  And by adding these older persons into the private market, it would raise costs for employers and those under age 65. Indeed, raising the eligibility age would actually increase total health costs. AARP opposes budget driven decisions that merely shift costs to seniors – who are already paying more and more out of pocket for healthcare expenses – and fail to address rising health costs.

Beyond advocating for older Americans in Washington and state capitols, AARP advocates for older Americans in the marketplace. By lending our brand to only high-quality, consumer friendly products and services, we’ve helped shape a variety of industries – insurance included – to better serve the needs of our members and all older Americans. For example, the AARP Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans insured by UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company enrolls 99 percent of applicants. The AARP-branded hearing care program from HearUSA includes consumer protections; three-year warranties on all hearing aids, three-year supply of batteries and on-going follow-up care – offerings that have now become the standard in the marketplace.

Once again, AARP’s advocacy decisions are driven solely by our commitment to meeting the needs of our members and all Americans 50+.  If we were driven in any way by financial considerations, AARP could have supported proposals – such as “premium support” in Medicare and private accounts in Social Security – that would have forced more seniors into purchasing private health and financial products, including those that AARP brands.

The truth is that we do not even know if those assumptions of insurance market impact are true, because that has never been a factor in AARP’s advocacy determinations.

AARP understands our duty to be transparent with our members and all Americans.  AARP is transparent about the royalty revenues we receive from branding products and services, and older Americans are familiar with the highly visible ads run by the insurance providers who offer AARP-branded plans. As part of our commitment to transparency, we make our annual reports and financial statements available on our own website and encourage anyone interested to see for themselves.

These royalty revenues help to fund our advocacy efforts – such as the fight for access to affordable health care for all – as well as AARP’s driver safety program, volunteer initiatives, health and consumer guides and many other programs and services that improve the lives of people 50+.  These revenues also allow us to keep our dues low – which helps keep our membership more affordable for millions of older Americans.

This election season showed that most Americans are tired of personal attacks, and AARP will continue to keep its focus on acting in the best interests of older Americans.

Denver, CO—Earlier this evening the Presidential candidates discussed AARP, Social Security and Medicare during the first Presidential debate of the 2012 general election.  AARP, a sponsor of activities at all four of the 2012 Presidential and Vice Presidential debates, released the following statement in response.  AARP Senior Vice President John Hishta said:

“We’re grateful that this evening the candidates engaged in a more robust conversation with regard to Medicare.  We’re also pleased Social Security was included in tonight’s debate. But America’s voters deserve more than talking points and 30-second sound bites. Our members and older Americans want to hear how the candidates would strengthen Social Security, Medicare, and financial security, and we encourage the candidates to offer more specifics about their plans before Election Day.

“Across party lines, older voters say that getting more information on the candidates’ plans on these crucial economic security programs will help them determine their vote. We know that our members vote, and they want the candidates to tell them how they’ll fix Medicare and Social Security for them, their kids and their grandkids.

“Earlier this year, we launched You’ve Earned a Say, a national conversation on the future of Social Security and Medicare, to engage people in communities across the country so they have the pros and cons of proposals currently on the table in Washington and on the campaign trail. 

“While we respect the rights of each campaign to make its case to voters, AARP has never consented to the use of its name by any candidate or political campaign. AARP is a nonpartisan organization and we do not endorse political candidates nor coordinate with any candidate or political party.  

“We remain focused on providing voters with balanced information on where candidates stand on the key issues, so they can make their own decisions on Election Day.  For more information on where the candidates stand on premium support and other Medicare topics discussed tonight, see AARP’s Voters’ Guides at http://vote.aarp.org.”

Join the conversation on Facebook.com/AARPAdvocates and Twitter.com/AARPAdvocates.

For more than 54 years, AARP has been driven solely by our mission to improve the quality of life for all Americans as they age. As the nation’s leading advocacy group for Americans 50 and older, we work with lawmakers — regardless of political affiliation — at the national, state and local levels to advance the interests of our members and all older Americans on issues including consumer fraud, utilities, age discrimination, health care and Social Security. Our all-volunteer Board of Directors are experts on the issues on which we work and they drive AARP’s advocacy decisions.

As we have found repeatedly over the years, our leadership on high profile and politically contentious issues sometimes leads to accusations from one party or another when our goals of helping older Americans don’t fit with their political interests.

If AARP were motivated by partisan interests during the health reform debate, we could have easily agreed to support early legislative proposals that failed to meet the needs of older Americans. Instead, AARP never lost focus in pushing for measures that addressed the critical health concerns of our members and all older Americans. We are proud that the law includes provisions that we put so much effort into, including measures to close the “doughnut hole” coverage gap in Medicare’s prescription drug program and expand access to health care for Americans over 50 and not yet eligible for Medicare.

AARP’s key priorities during the health reform debate were informed by our policy research and by years of listening to our members and other older Americans. Despite the rancorous, emotional and unfortunately partisan debate, AARP members consistently and overwhelmingly — across party lines — support the provisions we fought for, including limiting insurers from charging much higher premiums because of age, prohibiting denial of coverage based on pre-existing conditions, closing the doughnut hole, and improving coverage for critical preventive services like cancer screenings.

As was the case following our leadership in the debates to create a prescription drug program in Medicare and prevent the privatization of Social Security, we will continue to build on these successes to better address the needs of older Americans. For instance, the health reform law didn’t address the Medigap market, which is regulated separately from the under-65 private market. AARP believes more needs to be done to ensure seniors are getting the best value for their dollar and that’s why we continue to work with Congress to improve the Medigap marketplace for seniors.

To be clear, AARP is not an insurer, and never has been — we encourage companies to offer products that will meet the needs of older Americans. Some of these products, which meet our high standards and carry the AARP name, also help provide revenue to AARP — money that we use to keep our dues low and to offer programs and services that help people 50-plus live their best lives.

It’s the size and strength of our membership and the depth of our resources that make AARP effective in responding to the wants and needs of the 50-plus population. While not all of AARP’s members were happy with our work during the health reform debate, more than 1.3 million members and volunteers took action with AARP in support of our work.

For some who opposed the Affordable Care Act, attacks on AARP have become a regular part of a continuing crusade against the law. But our support for the new health care law was based solely on the vital benefits it provides our members and all older Americans. Under our Board’s leadership, AARP will continue our work to make sure older Americans have their voices heard in Washington and on the campaign trail. We invite you to join us.

According to a new survey AARP released last week, just over half of voters age 18-49 have confidence they can afford to retire while half of voters 50+ think they can never afford retirement.  55 million Americans now depend on Social Security and as voters 50+ who haven’t retired form a new “Anxiety Index,” this election may alleviate that index or see it grow as younger workers pursue careers and a path to sustained economic security.

Before releasing the survey AARP turned up the heat on the conversation about Social Security’s future, launching a “You’ve Earned a Say” tour across America that can speak to American families from younger children to retirees.  Today the tour stops in Billings, Montana, and goes on to all of the political conventions and debates.  Does the tour come through your town?  Find out here.

The internet and cable news commentators have been abuzz in recent days about Medicare and Social Security and what might happen to both under the next President and Congress.  Quite frankly, we’re thrilled some of the buzz adds to the conversation we’ve been having with over 2.1 million Americans at over 2,400 events with “You’ve Earned a Say.”

In our survey, Americans say they want to know where the candidates stand on the future of Social Security and Medicare.  So no matter what the Presidential candidates tell us about their views during the campaign, they’ll be speaking to an electorate hungry for more than another Social Security birthday cake: voters want to know what the candidates plan to do about issues that matter to us.

And what better way to celebrate the happy, healthy program than by having an honest dialogue out in the open, beyond the closed doors in Washington?

Photo credit: Library of Congress

Hopefully one thing everyone can agree on is this: there needs to be less screaming from all sides – and more listening.

This month AARP released new analyses, a new national advertisement, new questionnaires, new interactive tools, and a new interactive photo and video board as part of You’ve Earned a Say, a conversation that neither screams nor whispers about Social Security and Medicare, but instead directly speaks to American people about the ideas floating around Capitol Hill and what they’d like to see get done.

We want to continue to get your input and understand your views on these important issues.  At AARP we’re hopeful that the Washington politicians have similar conversations around the country with Americans of all political stripes from Maine to California and everywhere in between. We think if they have open dialogues with the people they’ve earned the right to represent, then they stand a better chance of coming to a solution about the problems America faces in our future – including the long-term solvency and adequacy of Social Security and Medicare.

We’ll also be working to ensure Congress and the presidential candidates hear what our members are saying by producing state-by-state reports that feature the results of our three questionnaires and comments from people in every state.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Congress must take action to address our nation’s tough challenges. When it comes to Medicare and Social Security, they also need to talk to the American people and listen to them. You’ve earned a voice in the debate.

Photo Credit: Library of Congress

The reason Simpson gave for calling AARP playground names was that he hadn’t “heard a peep” from AARP with regard to the 2012 Social Security Trustees report released last month.  One of many such examples of Simpson’s willful ignorance appeared on CBS News, who commented on AARP’s response the day the Trustees report was released saying “I’m sure the report’s release will unleash the usual rhetoric from both sides of the Social Security funding issue. The AARP took a refreshingly middle of the road approach.”

That approach is, simply, that Social Security provides the foundation of retirement security in this country and Americans who have earned their benefits deserve a voice in any discussion about the future of this program. “You’ve Earned a Say” – the conversation Simpson insists we’re not having – is helping Americans make their voices heard at events in all 50 states, on earnedasay.org, via mailings, e-mails and telephone town halls.  ”You’ve Earned a Say” is working to get Washington to listen to how different proposals politicians are discussing would affect millions of Americans and their families.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Mr. Simpson’s rhetoric does nothing to further an open, national conversation about how to strengthen Social Security, which must start with the facts.  Social Security, in fact, has a $2.7 trillion surplus.  The program is not in crisis, but will require modest changes to ensure current and future generations receive the benefits they’ve earned.  If we don’t panic and consider any  proposed solutions thoughtfully, Social Security can remain the stable program it’s been over the last 76 years.  Please join us in this important conversation.

The piece helps underscore a key reason AARP has launched You’ve Earned a Say: to raise the voices of Americans of all ages and get Washington politicians and the media to listen to what Social Security means to them.

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Our members and other older Americans know the importance of Social Security to our retirement security.  The points CJR makes in the article demonstrate why now more than ever Americans need to tell the politicians and media operating behind closed doors in Washington what matters to us.

Take Betty from Kentucky who says “Social Security and Medicare are investments in our future, our children’s future, and our grandchildren’s future for years to come.”

Or Frank from Texas who says “With Social Security, if they were to cut it, I’d lose 56% of my income…We have already paid for it so we’re entitled to it.”

Click here to view the embedded video.

Those are just two examples of Americans talking about how much Social Security matters to them and why we need to strengthen the program.  Members of the media have attended dozens of “You’ve Earned a Say” events around the country and we hope to see them at many more because they’ve been getting to see firsthand how important these programs are to Americans and sometimes they’re learning about what this article says they don’t know.

As a final example take AARP Ardmore President Barney Allen from Ardmore, Oklahoma.  In a television interview he told Oklahoma television station First 12 News “Social Security is self-funded.  We pay in and draw that money out and the government has borrowed money from us, a lot of money, and we just want to be paid back for that.”

If the media keep listening to AARP members like Betty, Frank and Barney, CJR might get to write a new piece detailing the media’s more accurate coverage very soon.