Ad Highlights AARP‘s Lucrative Partnership with UnitedHealth Group
CONTACT: Jon Decker ([email protected])
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 14, 2022) — Commitment to Seniors, a project of American Commitment dedicated to protecting seniors’ interests in healthcare policy, has launched a new seven-figure initial ad buy “celebrating” the AARP taking in over $1,000,000,000 in annual corporate royalties for the first time ever.
Blanketing the Democratic retreat in Philadelphia last weekend and airing inside the beltway across broadcast, cable, and digital mediums, the ad highlights how AARP took in over an astonishing $1 billion in revenue last year through royalties derived from its financial relationships with corporations – most notably UnitedHealth Group – the nation’s largest health insurance company.
“AARP’s $1 billion milestone highlights a massive financial conflict that would lead anyone to question whether this supposed ‘senior-advocacy’ organization is truly watching out for seniors rather than its Big Insurance benefactors,” said American Commitment President Phil Kerpen. “Seniors deserve to know the truth behind AARP’s motivations in its policy advocacy. Every senior—and lawmaker—should follow the money and ask themselves, ‘AARP advocates for who?’”
Conflict of interest concerns over AARP’s financial relationship with big health insurers is not new. In fact, the New York Times somewhat prophetically editorialized on these concerns all the way back in 1996, stating: “The credibility of the American Association of Retired Persons will be at stake if the organization proceeds with efforts to license its name to managed care plans for a fee… That raises a potential conflict of interest because the policies that might be best for the elderly are not always the policies that are best for the bank account of the AARP.”
Jonathan Decker, the executive director of American Commitment, also said: “It’s time we pull back the curtain on AARP’s lucrative relationship with UnitedHealth Group. Corporate royalties now account for three times more of AARP’s revenues than membership dues from seniors. If you thought their lobbying on healthcare policies and support for price controls was being done with seniors’ interests in mind, just look at their books—and think again.”
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Learn more about Commitment to Seniors by visiting https://commitmenttoseniors.org. Follow Commitment to Seniors on Twitter at @commit2seniors.