AARP Is Trying To Help Seniors But

I still think they sold our on the Health Care Bill as the profit from Insurance is what drives them. Not membership dues from members...

But I will give them slack on the below issues on COLA on medicare and on the Congress plans for a salary increase... I want to be fair



The Social Security COLA is prescribed by law to track the Consumer Price Index, so the Congress has nothing to do with setting the COLA. This has been the case since 1975. While we could certainly argue that the COLA may not be reflective of the various inflationary factors seniors, and others, face (for example, under-representing the impact of higher medical costs on older adults), AARP has focused our advocacy efforts on support for a one-time payment to Social Security recipients since there was no COLA this year. The independent Politifact.com site run by the St. Petersburg Times classifies this email as “Pants on Fire” in regard to its truthfulness.

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2009/sep/28/chain-email/e-mail-claims-democratic-congress-blame-no-cola-in/

Additionally, the Congress has not received the COLA. Indeed, members of Congress filed legislation to stop the automatic COLA for Congress. The Senate and House both passed this legislation stopping the COLA, and the President signed it into law on May 14th.

The email is completely false and misleading.

Here’s more on AARP’s position regarding the COLA:
AARP urges Congress to pass legislation as soon as possible to provide relief to millions of Americans who will not receive a COLA next year.
• Today, the financial security of 41 million older Americans depends on Social Security – the guaranteed benefit they worked all their lives to receive.
• Unfortunately, our nations’ economic crisis will deny Social Security recipients next year’s cost of living adjustment (COLA) – an increase they count on to help make ends meet.
• AARP applauds the President’s proposal on October 14 to provide $250 in relief for older Americans, and numerous members of Congress who have also sponsored legislation to provide similar relief. We urge Congress to pass legislation quickly to provide needed assistance for millions of older Americans whose benefits will be frozen next year.
• Unless Congress provides older Americans with this relief, millions will be unable to afford skyrocketing health care and prescription drug costs.
Social Security’s annual Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) is often the only protection against inflation for people who depend on the program as the bedrock of their financial security.
• This is the first-ever no COLA since the inception of automatic COLAs in 1975.
• Although the lack of a COLA was triggered by low overall inflation, the cost of the things seniors depend on most – especially health care and prescription drugs − have continued to rise well above inflation.
• This assistance will help struggling seniors, especially those whose Social Security checks will be reduced because of rising Medicare Part D premiums.
Older Americans do not feel the effects of low inflation in their pocketbooks because one of their largest expenses is health care.
• On average, seniors spend $4,400 out of pocket for health care per year.
• It takes nearly 33 weeks for unemployed seniors to find a new job.
• Household net worth is down 17% since the end of 2007.
• More Americans are becoming dependent on Social Security as their primary source of income – to date, the number of retired worker benefit applications is nearly 7 percent greater than expected this fiscal year.
Protecting Social Security income is a top priority for AARP.
• AARP understands our members’ concerns over recent news of no COLA for Social Security recipients, and has been educating members and activists about AARP’s support for $250 in relief for millions of older Americans.
• AARP has actively reached out to Congress to stress the unique and difficult financial pressures older Americans face and to discuss legislative solutions that have been proposed by members of Congress from both sides of the aisle.
AARP strongly supported passage of $250 economic recovery relief in 2009 for older Americans, veterans and persons with disabilities.
• Millions of older Americans received $250 in relief for one year in the 2009 stimulus bill.
• AARP provided key support in adding this provision to final passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in February 2009.