News & Blogs

Jon Decker: AARP’s support for Medicare “negotiation” not in seniors’ interest

In a recent op-ed discussing health care and inflation, AARP’s West Virginia chapter called for a Medicare “negotiation” scheme to address prescription drug prices. This tired proposal would be disastrous for pharmaceutical innovation – and, ultimately, for the seniors the AARP claims to represent. Medicare negotiation is tantamount to government-imposed price controls, forcing manufacturers to set prices on certain medications at the government’s direction or face a 95 percent excise tax. And while the AARP…

Learn More

AARP is an organization that purports to represent seniors 50 years of age and older, but who do they really represent?

It might surprise people to learn that AARP members sign up to be marketed to by one of the largest insurance companies in America – United Healthcare. And that AARP earned more than $1 billion dollars from royalties from this health insurer and other partners according to their 2020 tax reporting documents. Of these royalties, it is estimated that hundreds of millions came from their partnership with United Healthcare. So the question any AARP member…

Learn More

AARP’s Billion-Dollar Bounty

In September, AARP, the giant organization for older Americans, agreed to promote a burgeoning chain of medical clinics called Oak Street Health, which has opened more than 100 primary care outlets in nearly two dozen states. Fortune logo This story also ran on Fortune. It can be republished for free. The deal gave Oak Street exclusive rights to use the trusted AARP brand in its marketing — for which the company pays AARP an undisclosed…

Learn More

How AARP Betrayed Arkansas’ Elderly

Arkansas seniors are justifiably angered by recent headlines that OptumRx, a pharmacy benefit manager (PBM), allegedly “endangered the lives of thousands of Arkansans and Americans who cannot afford insulin” due to a pricing scheme that potentially violates the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.   This is hardly the first time OptumRx, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth (the nation’s largest health insurance company), has come under fire for raising the cost of medicine for the most vulnerable. For this…

Learn More

Does Big Insurance use AARP to pad their profits? UnitedHealth responds.

UnitedHealth, one of the nation’s largest health insurance companies, pumps hundreds of millions of dollars every year into AARP’s coffers in the form of “corporate royalties.” AARP, meanwhile, advocates for policies that financially benefit UnitedHealth even though they may hurt seniors. Take price controls on prescription drugs, for example. The AARP is disingenuously pushing for a “negotiating” scheme on Medicare that imposes dangerous foreign price controls under the threat of a 95 percent tax on…

Learn More

Jon Decker: AARP’s support for price controls is the wrong prescription for seniors

During President Biden’s recent State of the Union address, he called for a Medicare “negotiation” scheme to “lower drug costs.” If you follow AARP’s social media accounts, this call to action likely sounds familiar to you. Don’t fall for their policy sleight of hand. AARP has been beating the drum for Medicare “negotiation,” particularly for Nancy Pelosi’s H.R. 3, which was introducedin 2019. This draconian bill, which never passed the Senate, would supposedly “save” billions of dollars on drug spending. But how,…

Learn More

Jon Decker: AARP’s Support for Price Controls Is the Wrong Prescription for Seniors

During President Biden’s recent State of the Union address, he called for a Medicare “negotiation” scheme to “lower drug costs.” If you follow AARP’s social media accounts, this call to action likely sounds familiar to you. Don’t fall for their policy sleight of hand. AARP has been beating the drum for Medicare “negotiation,” particularly for Nancy Pelosi’s H.R. 3, which was introduced in 2019. This draconian bill, which never passed the Senate, would supposedly “save” billions of…

Learn More

Commitment to Seniors Announces Minnesota Media Campaign Highlighting AARP’s Financial Relationship with UnitedHealthcare

WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 17, 2022) – Today, Commitment to Seniors, a project of American Commitment, announces a new Minnesota media campaign designed to shed light on the AARP’s financial ties to UnitedHealthcare (UHC). This effort is a part of Commitment to Seniors’ ongoing seven-figure ad buy “celebrating” AARP’s milestone of receiving more than $1 billion in corporate royalties, which eclipses what the group takes in in membership dues. The announcement comes ahead of today’s virtual…

Learn More