Letter from Bill Novelli explaining AARP/Medicare position

[barbaraann]

Yesterday I received a form letter from Bill Novelli, the Executive Director of AARP, explaining why AARP support the Medicare prescription drug bill just passed. (I have been waiting to cancel my membership until after they waste a little bit more money on mailings to me.)

Here are some excerpts:

Dear Valued AARP Member,
...
Without the steadfast support of members like you, we could not have secured this historic change to Medicare. And now, as we shift our fight from establishing a Medicare prescription drug benefit, to improving the benefit that we have won, I am counting on our members more than ever before.
...
With our members' needs and wishes in mind, our volunteer board of directors thoroughly reviewed the Medicare legislation, and decided that the most limportant thing was to get SOMETHING passed this year that would establish Medicare prescription drug benefit into. Going back to the drawing board would not serve the millions of our members who need help now.
...
THE BENEFIT IS VOLUNTARY. You do not have to enroll.
...
(explanation of benefits here)
...
Like many of our members, we were concerned that this new benefit might accelerate the trend of former employers dropping retiree health coverage. That is why we fought hard to ensure that the new law devotes $88 billion in financial incentives for those employers to continue to provide their coverage.

We also fought so that drug coverage will be available in all regions of the country. If private firms choose not to offer a drug benefit in a particular area, the federal government will step in and arrange for a way to serve their area.

AARP WOULD NEVER SUPPORT LEGISLATION THAT WOULD THREATEN TRADITIONAL MEDICARE. This legislation maintains the integrity of the traditional Medicare program. While it does offer beneficiaries new managed care choices, beneficiaries are free to stay in traditional, fee-for-service Medicare if they choose.
...
But the legislation is not perfect.
...
FROM THE BEGINNING, AARP HAS SPOKEN OUT AGAINST GAPS IN COVERAGE, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO.

It does not do enough to address the soaring prices of prescription drugs. AARP will also demand that Congress make legal the importation of prescription drugs from Canada. As you can see, THIS IS THE AREA WHERE AARP MUST NOW FOCUS OUR FIGHT FOR IMPORVEMENTS.

WE WILL BE A WATCHDOG TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE NEW PROVISIONS TRULY DO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES AND THE QUALITY OF THE MEDICARE PROGRAM.
...
Sincerely,
Bill Novelli
AARP Executive Director

P.S. You deserve a prescription drug benefit under Medicare that meets all of your needs--and right now so far, we know that the fight is not over. Rest assured that in the coming weeks and months, we will carry on this fight with the full force of AARP's 35 million members.

Thank you for standing with us.
***

Oh, let's see. I see promises that will not be kept, distortions, trickery, half-truths, outright lies, and a hint of fear that AARP members will continue to wake up and see that they are being sold out.

WORST OF ALL, I DO NOT SEE ANY CONCERN FOR THE MILLIONS OF AMERICANS WHO HAVE NO HEALTH CARE WHATSOEVER, MUCH LESS PRESCRIPTION DRUG COVERAGE. THERE IS ALSO NO MENTION OF THE TINY LITTLE PROBLEM OF HOW THIS COUNTRY WILL PAY FOR MEDICARE FOR THE BABY BOOMERS.

[myomy]

1. What hypocrisy, I got this also even though I resigned the day after the

medicare vote. TheyÕre just another insurance company.

[meti57b]

8. even though I called and resigned, I'm still getting their same rubbish

in the mail and I haven't gotten my refund yet.

[Cleita]

2. AARP stabbed its membership in the back.

They have sold out to the corporate for profit health industry. No apologetic letters spinning half truths and out and out lies will make any difference.

[welshTerrier2]

3. Novelli: Lies, Lies and More Lies

I received the same letter ... can't tell you how glad i am after reading mr. novelli's whinings and lies how glad i am that i quit AARP when they sold out to the GOP ...

Mr. Novelli did not point out in his letter that he wrote the forward to Mr. Gingrich's (i think he's the guy who stole xmas) book ...

He also failed to mention his close ties to the GOP ...

He also made some type of reference to the "extensive" surveys AARP took of their membership on "the issue of prescription drugs" ... the membership was strongly in favor of prescription drug coverage being added to Medicare ... gee, no kidding ... but that's not what the Medicare bill was really all about ...

What he failed to mention is that they did not ask anyone what they thought of the specific Medicare bill that will be horrible for seniors ... what he lied about was that, when i called AARP to complain about their endorsement for the bill, they explained to me that "it would have been too expensive to solicit feedback on the bill from their membership" ... sounds like their whistling a different tune now ...

The protest and loss of members must be starting to take a toll ... AARP needs to get rid of Novelli and his allies ... nothing like putting an enemy General in charge of your troops ... AARP needs to wake up and start undoing the massive damage they've caused to one of the nation's most critical social programs ... Novelli's got to go and he's got to go NOW !!

[barbaraann]

4. Here's a rebuttal to AARP from the Alliance for Retired Americans

http://www.retiredamericans.org/rxbill/overview.htm

[welshTerrier2]

5. thanks ...

the link you provided did a nice job recapping the hideous defects in the Medicare bill ...

the day after AARP endorsed the bill, I quit and joined the Gray Panthers ...

here's their write-up on the bill:

http://www.graypanthers.org/graypanthers/medicare-press-rel-2003-11-21.html

[barbaraann]

6. Another good link--thanks.

And they don't mince any words, do they?

[MasonJar]

7. America is no longer America.

America used to be a country where people cared about other people. Older relatives automatically were taken in when possible. Doctors made house calls and took country hams for fees. Animals were loved and protected. The environment was respected. Now the almighty dollar and how many one can accrue have become the standard of value. Our leaders and CEO's are liars and crooks. Waiting to see Westley Clark this morning, I turned on C-Span and caught a caller from the NE railing about the Democrats all being godless heathens who want abortion and, well, you know the list. That diatribe was pure venom. I dialed them to counter, but the station went to Clark. I wish that faux person would have listened to Clark. He is so measured, so self-assured, so optimistic; his policies are clear and well-thoughtout. The exact opposite of what we have now. I pray for America's sake that we unseat the pretender because this country may not survive 4 more years of Bush.