OT: AARP

I may not spell the names right but here's the only time they have made us smile. Someone on The View was talking about the challenge of finding Bin Laden. Woopie Goldberg snipped that they should just put AARP on the job. Anyhow. We take a very dim view of that organization. We believe it pretends to be beneficial for seniors when investigation proves time and again that they have their hands in lots of pockets and make an incredible profit. If there's ever been anyone who's benefitted from membership, we haven't heard about it. We shred and burn everything that comes in here from them; might start calling Leslie to vacuum up the ashes. Polly

"Louise in Iowa" Okay, does anyone have a good reason for joining or not joining? I'm

You know, I quilt giving the PTA my $2 every year because they use it to lobby. I didn't want my money (really just the idea of it, 2$ is negligible) going to what someone else thought should be done in the way of lobbying. They never asked me for my opinion on that end of it, just the money. I got told I couldn't be a room mother if I didn't join. How is that for rats? I think the AARP is similar. They may have come from somewhere ok and still may be at some level but they lobby big. These groups get big and going political just happens. Keep your money imo. Taria

I don't usually watch The View, but I do think I saw that one! Whoopi hit it on the head!

I'm glad to know I'm not the > I may not spell the names right but here's the only time they have made

I may be in the minority here...even though I'm still in my 50's I am a member. Have received discounts on eyeglasses and hotels. But the biggest advantage I have ever seen was when my FIL was ill. He was prescribed an experimental (at the time) medication that medicare and his other insurance did not cover. His supplemental AARP insurance covered every dime of the $10,000/treatment. And there were many of them.

I do agree that the constant mailings are annoying. I have a reminder on my calendar as to when that and my AAA renew (because I think AAA is even worse than AARP when it comes to mailings). I shred the rest. Along with every other piece of mail that is addressed to other than 'resident'. Just can't be too careful.

Kim in NJ

A couple of years ago I joined for a year. Maybe if we traveled more or were retired without good health insurance it would have seemed a better value. It seems like all I got in the mail were life insurance, supplemental health insurance, and renewal offers. And I mean a LOT of them. At least one every couple of weeks.

I didn't see any savings in hotel rooms either. Again, maybe if we had stayed in $200 a night rooms we would have but those kinds of prices just aren't happening on our budget!

~*~ Jeri

We did save a little on hotel rooms - $5 to $10, but for all the more we travel, I'm not sure it's worth it. And DH is retired military, and sometimes hotels have discounts for that, so it would make up for the AARP discount.

You're right about all the > >> Okay, does anyone have a good reason for joining or not joining? I'm

Lots of places have seniors discounts, no need to join AARP. Just ask when you book a room! Shoot, just ask any time you think there's a chance -you don't ask, you don't get :-) DH asks for discounts whenever anything costs more than pocket change, and he often gets

5-10%. I'm not so pushy, but I can see that it works. Roberta >>> Okay, does anyone have a good reason for joining or not joining? I'm

I, too, have no use whatever for AARP, and find their repeated mailings offensive and wasteful. I object to the way they handled the prescription "benefits" for seniors, which actually benefit the drug companies more. I also object to the fact that they are primarily just lobbyists who neither seek nor accept input from the members. Their discounts are small, and can be matched or exceeded without their membership. I would rather put the money into my local animal shelter, where it will do real good.

Howdy!

Amen to that, Roberta. I often repeat, "You don't ask, you don't get."

AARP, essentially an insurance company, sent me an application for the first time on my 30th birthday. I still haven't forgiven them. No intention of signing up; I sometimes "return to sender" their adverts. They also make an acceptable addition (shredded) to the compost heap... which reminds me: I must spread that bag of manure in that corner of the yard.

R/Sandy - "I think of my fabric stash as insurance..." S.E.

You guys all sound like my DH. He was outraged about the prescription "benefits" they lobbied for many years ago, that have cost seniors so much money.

Many years ago DH's cousin told us about the AARP Supplemental Hospital Insurance. They pay a flat daily rate for a nominal monthly cost. I picked it up for my mother 10 years ago when she was diagnosed with terminal cancer. She had very good insurance, but there was still money to be paid out of pocket. The Supplemental insurance helped to offset her out of pocket expenses. I just looked it up & it is still available for a very nominal cost.

I'm not a big fan of AARP, but DH & I both volunteer for the Tax-Aide program, which is sponsored by the AARP Foundation & the IRS. If you are unfamiliar, they provide free tax services for pretty much anyone, with a focus on Seniors. Each tax counselor has to be certified every year before they can touch anyone's taxes. It's a wonderful program. I just learned this year that the AARP Foundation is a separate entity from AARP & receives donations from AARP. Not sure about all the mechanics, but I hope they offer other helpful programs to Seniors. I don't think AARP will ever get the egg off their faces for what they did to prescription drug prices for seniors!!

Pauline Northern California

I've carried an AARP membership card for 3 years now. 2 more years and I'll have to decide whether to renew or not. Maybe since I've moved all the way across country, I don't get as many mailings as y'all do. I do know when we traveled from NY to CA that my AARP card got us discounts at Hotels, Restaurants, Drug stores and even a car wash. Sometimes we used my SIL 's AAA card but mostly we used my AARP card for discounts. Much of the lobbying was targeted For seniors, however, I do believe the lobbyists were not seniors themselves and therefore had no clue what we needed them to do for us. I have inquired about life insurance (i think it's thru the Hartford) and supplimental health insurance (thru United Healthcare), but haven't gotten that info as yet.

My brother had health insurance through AARP (he's a self-employed graphic designer) and it turned out to be crap. They paid for nothing when he had healthcare bills, and I've noticed that very few practitioners around here (NE PA) take United Healthcare. So be sure to read the fine print! Consumer Reports did a piece on healthcare plans a couple of years ago, and they were not kind to AARP plans. (My brother's health insurance is with the Geisinger system now, but that wouldn't be available outside this area.)

Iris