All you want to know about AARP and its benefits
The AARP used to be the American Association of Retired Persons.
The AARP is known for representing and speaking on behalf of
aging populations based in the United States.
It is involved in all kinds of activities such as:
negotiating reduced rates for prescriptions, housing, tourist
attractions, automobile rentalsm motels and hotels.
It is at present involved politically with the Medicare
Prescription Drug Program.
The AARP was founded in 1958 by Ethel Percy Andrus and hopes to
have 70 million members in the next ten years due to the
increasing age of the US population.
It is interesting that the AARP is fighting the proposed changes
to Social Security.
The AARP has changed its role over the last few decades so as to
reflect current living standards and the way in which we now
approach age with dignity and purpose.
On its website discounted trips to Hawaii and Alaska are
advertised as well as news specifically geared to seniors, such
as employment news, legal advice, health and fitness information
and other interesting items.
At present some of the hot button items the AARP is working with
are:
Prescription Drugs;
Prescription Drugs over the last 5 years have increased much
more rapidly in costs than the rate of inflation and as such are
a heavy burden on Seniors.
The AARP makes available the results of studies of changes in
manufacturers' prescription drug list prices for 200 brand name
and 75 generic drugs most widely used by Americans age 50 and
over.
Social Security;
President Bush seems to think that there will not be enough
money in the future to pay for Social Security benefits for
Seniors at today's level.
His private accounts plan would allow workers to invest up to
one third of their payroll contributions in the Stock Market.
Based on Stock Market results for the time President Bush has
been in office this would have resulted in a loss for the
average Senior taking inflation into account.
And the indexing plan that Bush embraced at his April 28 press
conference would preserve the present defined-benefit approach
only for low-wage workers--those currently earning less than
about $20,000. For everyone else, 70 percent of workers, the
system would be flipped upside down--so that the more you earn
and pay in, the more your benefits are cut.
Consumer alerts;
Last year Americans spent more than $20 billion on anti-aging
products of which a sizeable amount was for so called "snake
oil" products such as "human growth hormone " pills which sold
for $80 per bottle per month and promised to cure anything that
ails you. The US Food and Drug Administration does'nt regulate
over-the-counter products so it is buyer beware.