AARP IS NOT YOUR FRIEND

Try AMAC Instead

A shorter blog today, but useful information for many seniors.  You may not know, but AARP automatically considers you a member when you hit the “magic age” of 50.  To get your card, you have to pay a modest amount, and then you get a decent magazine and discounts.  However, when Obamacare was under review, AARP stood behind the plan despite the impact it would have on seniors.  Their lobbying appears primarily to benefit the organization, not seniors in particular.  During the controversy, 60,000 members quit, myself among them.

Why did AARP align with Obamacare?  Their primary revenue stream is not the modest dues you pay.  Instead, they make their money from royalties on insurance products branded with its name (Medicare plans including both Medicare Advantage and Medigap policies).  Their leaders estimated they would make an extra $1BB over the 10 years after Obamacare went into effect, while continuing to enjoy the benefits of being a tax-exempt organization.  Congress tried to challenge their standing. 

The AMAC Advantage

As many seniors do, I was attracted to the discounts, but I also wanted a seniors’ organization to lobby for our interests, which I saw AARP fail at.  I discovered AMAC (Association of Mature American Citizens),

http://amac.us

, and realized that they had a great number of good discount programs, including the too-often hard-to-afford dental plan that has worked well for us for years.  They also compete head-to-head with AAA on their auto plan; it’s cheaper and uses all the same vendors.

As I got to know them better, I learned they were incredibly active in lobbying for senior interests.  Check out their advocacy arm at https://amac.us/advocacy/about/ and see how they keep up with both national and state issues, engaging members to write letter and call politicians, with a great success rate.  Just under the category of healthcare, see what they are doing to support us right now.

·         Stopping federal price-fixing of prescription drugs

·         Reducing costs by exposing the anticompetitive business practices of healthcare middlemen – group purchasing organizations (GPO) and pharmacy benefit managers (PBM) – in the hospital and outpatient prescription drug supply chains

·         Stopping the Medicare-for-all scheme

·         Promoting hospital price transparency

·         Passing AMAC’s HEALTH Act to increase access to quality healthcare

If you’re conservative, you’ll not only see AMAC advocate for your issues, you’ll also find them aligning their discounts and benefits with your values.  A one-year membership is a modest $16, but you can get better deals with by prepaying ahead. 

I’ve found that over the years, the great people at AMAC are standing by to help you with almost any need, whether you want help (and discounts) on great vacations, to security systems, to phone plans, etc.  I think you’ll be surprised and pleased to learn you have an option.  Check it out now.