Remember the AARP ads during the debate about Obamacare? Remember the AARP telling seniors how good the program was going to be for them? Remember Andy Griffiith telling all of us how good Obamacare was for senior citizens?
Well, Obamacare is so good that the AARP is going to be exempt from it (after all that advertising). Yesterday's Daily Caller reported that:
"...the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) rate review rules, which it finalized on Thursday, exempt "Medigap" policy providers, like the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), from oversight when such providers increase payment rates for their supplemental insurance plans."
If the program is so good, why are they asking for (and receiving) an exemption?
On March 31, I reported (rightwinggranny.com) that:
"# As a result of the new health care law, the Obama Administration estimates more than 7 million seniors will lose their current Medicare Advantage plans, resulting in a massive migration of seniors to Medigap plans. AARP is the nation's leading provider of Medigap plans and has a contract in which AARP financially gains for every additional Medigap enrollee.
"# Based on low, mid and high-range estimates, AARP stands to financially gain, over and above the millions of dollars they currently receive from United, between $55 million and $166 million in 2014 alone as a result of new Medigap enrollees stemming from the health care law's cuts to MA, which AARP strongly endorsed.
"# Under the midrange estimate and under their current contract, AARP's financial gain from the health care law could exceed $1 billion during the next 10 years. This is because AARP will see their royalty payments increase as seniors are forced out of MA plans and buy AARP Medigap plans instead."
It's time to scrap Obamacare, have an honest debate on healthcare (and health insurance) in America, and come up with a program that is fair to everyone. I really hate the way the Obama administration is using the government to reward the people it sees as helping their agenda. I realize that people in Washington play politics, but this is beyond the pale.
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