Hey old dawgs

[lowell holmes]

Do any of you belong ti AARP?

If so, what are the benefits?
Just curious.

[Wade Lippman]

I do because it was required to buy the Medicare Supplement I wanted. Besides that I haven't found any use for it. It gets discounts at most hotels, but is the same as just being over 65 or having AAA.

[Art Mann]

AARP is a political organization that advocates things I don't like. I suspect a lot of members would not like it either if they took the time to really study what they stand for.

[Al Launier]

AARP is a political organization that advocates things I don't like. I suspect a lot of members would not like it either if they took the time to really study what they stand for.

Totally agree with this!

[Myk Rian]

We belong to it. My Wife uses it for every discount she can find.
We have other health insurance.

[Lee Schierer]

Let's keep the politics out of this or this thread will vanish....

[Tom Bender]

United Healthcare rates are good here and they have an agency just down the street with live people in it.

And the magazine sometimes has something interesting or useful.

[Wade Lippman]

The AARP Medicare Advantage (United Healthcare) plans are not at all competitive (High monthly premiums & Out of Pocket Limits) and their member ratings are among the very lowest in NH.

Around here they don't have Advantage plans, but their supplement plans are the cheapest. YMMV

[Jerome Stanek]

I tried it way back and saw no benefit got better room rates without it and just constant badgering

[Rich Engelhardt]

AARP - backed United Health care dropped the Silver Sneakers program as of last Fall - in my area. They chose not to let anyone know that until after the open enrollment had ended. (pretty dirty trick if you ask me) Thankfully, I have a different supplement provider since I rely on Silver Sneakers to - pretty much keep me alive.
Many of the members at the clubs I go to were understandably upset over this.

I told my wife to drop AARP - but - she insists on keeping it due to the discount we get at Outback -- the three or four times a year we eat there.

[Art Mann]

My contention is that bringing up the subject of AARP is inherently political and should not be a subject of discussion. However, if someone brings it up, I think it only fair that someone else be able to comment on the nature of the organization. The original question is similar to asking if someone is a Democrat or Republican and what do they think of the organization. I think the thread ought to vanish.

Let's keep the politics out of this or this thread will vanish....

[Kev Williams]

To flip the coin, I'll be 65 in 5 months, and while I've obviously known of AARP for years, I didn't know it was considered a 'political' organization. So please, lets DO make it topic of discussion for the sake of information... or dis-information as the case may be, because -flame suit on, and this just my nothing-to-back-it-up-with-opinion--- just because some organization advocates for something that liberals or conservatives may like, doesn't necessarily mean talking about them is 'inherently political'. That blanket statement can apply to almost any company, any organization, or any person.

So back to the benefits, if any, with AARP. Please.

[Bruce Volden]

Joining AARP never will cross my mind-----I'm in Art's camp.

Bruce

[Doug Dawson]

So back to the benefits, if any, with AARP. Please.

It's a Union for old people, fighting for the common rights of geezers like me. Unfortunately, there haven't been any organized strike actions yet, but there _could_ be. Possibly a sit-down strike. Possibly an action that involves not looking after the grandchildren. Possibly a boycott of ageist companies (actually that appears to be the most likely.) "I'm stickin' to the Yoon yun..."

[Gary Ragatz]

According to OpenSecrets.org, which I think is reliable, AARP is among the top 10 lobbying entities in the U.S. (by dollars spent) over the past 20 years. They are officially non-partisan, but their positions on issues tend to align more closely with Democrats' than Republicans' - so it can be a little difficult to distinguish between simple advocacy and politics. But as far as I know, they don't endorse or give money to specific candidates.

Personally, I found some of the advertising they did around Social Security reform during the GW Bush administration to be misleading, if not downright deceptive - and decided then (before I was eligible) that I would never join.

Objectively, membership is cheap - I think it's $16/year - so it doesn't take many discounts on hotel stays, restaurant meals, or car rentals to make it pay off. I've heard mixed reviews on their health insurance offerings.

[Bill Carey]

My contention is that bringing up the subject of AARP is inherently political and should not be a subject of discussion. However, if someone brings it up, I think it only fair that someone else be able to comment on the nature of the organization. The original question is similar to asking if someone is a Democrat or Republican and what do they think of the organization. I think the thread ought to vanish.

AARP offers some pretty decent plans in my area, and some of their discounts are pretty good. Magazine is so-so. It is entirely possible to have a discussion of the benefits (or lack of benefits) of joining AARP without getting into their politics. Indeed, several answers to this thread did just that. I don't think AARP, as a subject for discussion, should be banned anymore than I think the NFL, Black and Decker, or the Chamber of Commerce should be banned from discussion. They all lobby congress for their own ends, but there is much to discuss about each without the politics getting involved. Like the non call in Nawlins.... We, as a group, do well avoiding politics, and the moderators nudge us back in bounds when needed. The fact that this thread remains is evidence of the restraint we exercise in avoiding political responses, and our ability to discuss most anything without politics creeping in. Most, not all. As far as I'm concerned the Off Topic section could vanish altogether. Woodworking, lads and lassies, woodworking.

[Art Mann]

If you think AARP isn't a political organization, look here:

https://www.aarp.org/politics-society/government-elections/

It was started as a lobbying organization, not a seller of insurance.

[John Cole]

AARP is a political organization, they lobby on behalf of their members - older people. I see nothing wrong with having them do so. They also offer discounts and other benefits to their members through alliances with other organizations.

[Art Mann]

Exactly! This website prohibits the discussion of political matters. AARP is primarily a political organization. I am an old person but they certainly don't lobby for the things I want. I only brought the subject up to let people know it lobbies for things they may not agree with either. If we are going to allow discussions of AARP, why not discuss the "Tea Party" or "People for the American Way"?


AARP is a political organization, they lobby on behalf of their members - older people. I see nothing wrong with having them do so. They also offer discounts and other benefits to their members through alliances with other organizations.

[Jim Koepke]

Exactly! This website prohibits the discussion of political matters. AARP is primarily a political organization. I am an old person but they certainly don't lobby for the things I want. I only brought the subject up to let people know it lobbies for things they may not agree with either. If we are going to allow discussions of AARP, why not discuss the "Tea Party" or "People for the American Way"?

The original post asked:


Do any of you belong ti AARP?

If so, what are the benefits?
Just curious.

The other groups are only political, unless they offer discounts for many different products and services.

As far as it appears to me the original intent was to discover if others are members and what are the benefits.

For a person like me who doesn't belong, other than answering the first question no, there isn't much else to say.

jtk

[John Goodin]

I have always viewed AARP as an affinity group that sells insurance or maybe more accurately an insurance company that acts like an affinity group. Yes, they lobby, but lobbying does not make it a political organization. If that were the case just about every non-profit, major corporation, and special interest group would be a political organization. What is interesting in this discussion is how a “political organization” is used as a pejorative.

For the record since 2011 my wife has been eligible to join AARP but hasn’t, I am still a too young but probably won’t and their commercials are awful.

[Scott T Smith]

I too am in Art’s camp with respect to AARP. My wife is a member but I refuse to join.

Today it’s obvious that they are an insurance company. Thirty years ago when I first heard of them the positioned themselves as an advocacy organization for the elderly. A friend of mine looked into them and discovered that they were owned by an insurance company and were actually a insurance business that was misleading consumers into thinking that they were an advocacy org.

[Doug Dawson]

I too am in Art’s camp with respect to AARP. My wife is a member but I refuse to join.

Today it’s obvious that they are an insurance company. Thirty years ago when I first heard of them the positioned themselves as an advocacy organization for the elderly. A friend of mine looked into them and discovered that they were owned by an insurance company and were actually a insurance business that was misleading consumers into thinking that they were an advocacy org.

Your friend might have an agenda, because that's not true. According to the wikipedia article, they are in fact an independent non-profit. Who hates old people? Your friend hates old people! Heck, even some old people hate old people. We shouldn't be so disorganized.

[Art Mann]

Nobody should kid themselves. AARP spends millions of dollars a year lobbying Congress to pass their political agenda. If you do business with them, you are contributing to that effort.

[Mike Null]

I'm 82 and have been a member of AARP. I'm not any longer as I haven't found a good reason to continue. Their insurance (United Healthcare) is expensive compared to others here in Missouri. I have an Advantage HMO which is outstanding and I don't pay anything for it.

[Jim Andrew]

AARP made me sore back in GW Bush's day because of their stance against privatizing any tiny part of social security. So I refuse to join, but hear ads for AMAC which is a very similar organization with the same benefits for the conservative side. Have not joined that one either.