[ThirdOfFive]

Originally Posted by tsmall22204

I belong to AARP. My problem with them is that after you join they keep asking for money. They have gotten as bad as NRA. I dropped my NRA membership over that and will probably not renew AARP.

Agree. I dropped AARP about 10 years ago, not long after joining in fact, due to the absolute flood of unwanted mail not just from AARP but also from other sources that could have only gotten my address and some other info if AARP had given (sold?) it to them, and also to the fact that their constant angling for money was beyond tiresome. Plus, discounts available these days in many cases are simply senior discounts, and you don't need an AARP card for those.

[TedfromGA]

Originally Posted by JohnN

AARP gives a $5/month discount on Consumer Cellular. If you use them, that pays for itself.

That is the only reason I use AARP. I also belong to AMAC as they lean in the direction that aligns with me.

[Haggar]

There are AARP discounts available at Bonefish, Outback, Dennys and other restaurants.

For Eyes Discount for belonging to AARP was larger than the annual cost of AARP.

I go to Bonefish & Outback many time a year

Some of their articles in their magazines are excellent.

For a relatively low cost this "investment" is worth it.

[montagnard1969]

AARP Comment

My wife joined and by default I am a member. I have contacted them regarding their advertisers and their tactics regarding their “AARP discounts”. The issue for me is using a group as a sounding board to obtain business when in fact the so-called discounts amount to a ploy to entice people to buy under the group name. People then perceive the business represents a true discount, when actually it is no better than a person could obtain on their own. Some of these businesses tactics are less than straight forward in dealing with the customer through their advertising or sales presentations.

I also have a negative opinion of a group that represents such a diversity in membership but seems to concentrate on smaller groups within their membership to focus attention on. I have no issue with being inclusive, however I don’t like a particular groups lifestyle or race being constantly put in focus. It appears to be that this group is giving its members the opinion that these groups are more important than the greater majority of the membership. I personally do not care about these small groups, but I do object to this organization promoting these groups as being acceptable above all others. The majority may not share their lifestyle or race, but these small groups are being made to appear more worthy of consideration than others in the organization.

For me it comes down to this group not making me feel like a valued member through its advertisers and opinions which do not align with my personal opinions or perspective.

[fgaba1949]

Originally Posted by mulligan

Also, keep in mind that they are owned by an insurance company.

AARP is NOW an insurance company hiding under the AARP umbrella

[JP]

Originally Posted by montagnard1969

AARP Comment

My wife joined and by default I am a member. I have contacted them regarding their advertisers and their tactics regarding their “AARP discounts”. The issue for me is using a group as a sounding board to obtain business when in fact the so-called discounts amount to a ploy to entice people to buy under the group name. People then perceive the business represents a true discount, when actually it is no better than a person could obtain on their own. Some of these businesses tactics are less than straight forward in dealing with the customer through their advertising or sales presentations.

I also have a negative opinion of a group that represents such a diversity in membership but seems to concentrate on smaller groups within their membership to focus attention on. I have no issue with being inclusive, however I don’t like a particular groups lifestyle or race being constantly put in focus. It appears to be that this group is giving its members the opinion that these groups are more important than the greater majority of the membership. I personally do not care about these small groups, but I do object to this organization promoting these groups as being acceptable above all others. The majority may not share their lifestyle or race, but these small groups are being made to appear more worthy of consideration than others in the organization.

For me it comes down to this group not making me feel like a valued member through its advertisers and opinions which do not align with my personal opinions or perspective.

Couldn't agree with you more. Their agenda is not mine and hence I dropped the membership actually years ago. It used to be a good organization believe it or not.

[manaboutown]

Originally Posted by JP

Couldn't agree with you more. Their agenda is not mine and hence I dropped the membership actually years ago. It used to be a good organization believe it or not.

I joined AARP when I hit 55 for the discounts. When I got on medicare at age 65 I enrolled in its United healthcare supplemental health and prescription insurance plans. I rarely have needed a prescription but the health insurance supplement seems to pay most charges (of which there have been few) just fine. Although I have other options my feeling remains that AARP enrolls so many people in its insurance plans they will continue into the future.

Actually I initially enjoyed the AARP magazine and the discounts when I remembered to ask for them but its imperatives drifted over the years and went from merely being offensive to quite repulsive to me. When I found I could drop the membership and keep the health insurance I did so.

[Boomer]

AAA and AARP were redundant for road trip hotel stays. Couldn’t use both.

Then we needed a tow truck. Trying to get AAA was a joke. Fortunately, we were back home at the time and knew the territory well, so we finally just called a known towing business, not AAA connected. They got there fast.

Your experience might be different. But we dropped AAA and kept AARP for the hotels and their interesting reading sometimes.

BUT, to those of you who think your Medicare is being protected by those you admire so much, please take the time to expand your sources of information by googling the phrase “plan to privatize Medicare.” Get the whole picture. The plan to privatize Medicare is alive and lurking.

Most lobbyists have bottomless pockets and the insurance industry is loaded. Politics is a lucrative business for the self-serving. (said Boomer, stating the obvious) Therefore, I have no problem with a watchdog on my Medicare — yeah, I know, those watchdogs are lobbyists, too. . .

And, yes, AARP is connected with United Healhcare for all those choices of types of plans. And, yes, insurance companies now get a piece of the Medicare action. BUT, for now, ‘choice’ is the operative word.

Privatization of Medicare would hamstring your right to choose the type of Medicare coverage you want.

Some now choose to have an Advantage plan where the private insurance companies get paid directly by Medicare to take on the risk, turning over total management of your healthcare to those highly profitable private companies. Granted, the premiums are less expensive than having Medicare as the primary and your choice of a supplement as the secondary. And Advantage plans seem to work fine for some. BUT, they were allowed to choose an Advantage plan.

AND, you can bet your sweet bippy that if Medicare were to be privatized, there would be no more choice of having Medicare as primary with the secondary plan of your choosing.

But. . .most “believers” will not bother to look between the lines of those promises to protect Medicare. Be careful what you wish for — and please read up on this stuff.

But (sigh) I will not kid myself. Those who need to recognize this will never bother to learn what they do not want to learn. . .

And, btw, I guess I should not really care if some choose to go like lambs to the slaughter believing those promises to “protect” Medicare — but I do care because as they go — so go the rest of us — so I have to keep trying to get the believers to learn more about what could be in their future. Please understand that it all depends on what the word ‘protect’ means in those promises. Words matter — as does the nuance of words.

Cassandra Boomer (Medicare, Primary, Plan F Supplement)

[richl]

AARP Medicare Supplemental Plan F is great and worth joining AARP for.

[coffeebean]

Originally Posted by Haggar

There are AARP discounts available at Bonefish, Outback, Dennys and other restaurants.

I know about the three you mentioned. What other restaurants?

[Almanurse1]

You can get a one-time only 50% discount from AARP for your Ancestry Account. My yearly Ancestry membership is $400.00 (I’m subscribed to the “All World” option) so it was a significant discount for me.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by coffeebean

I know about the three you mentioned. What other restaurants?

AARP(R) Member Benefits: Browse All Discounts & Programs

Also, if you ever buy anything at Walgreen's you can link your Walgreens rewards card with AARP and get a % back on purchases.

AARP also provides free tax services, which is a free community service to anyone (paperwork prep and use of office space for volunteer prep workers paid for by AARP dues).

There are benefits that aren't worth the effort, such as airfare and hotel discounts (often you can find better pricing without applying a discount code at all, and the discount is only off "rack rate")

They are also a huge resource for Senior advocacy.

[manaboutown]

I just read an article on AARP I cannot provide a link to here as it contains some observations and comments which could be construed to be political. It seems AARP generated over $1.5B income last year, about half from its insurance sales commissions.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by BlueStarAirlines

The bottom line is AARP is a for-profit organization whose primary focus is to make profits. Secondary is advocating for those over 50. While this could be overlooked because of all their coupons and discounts, these are available from many other sources.

I could see no reason to join. They are like Costco where there is a membership fee, they try to sell you stuff, and instead of free food samples you get coupons and discounts at other retailers.

If you really want to fund an organization that advocates for seniors, join AMAC (link previously posted). If you really like the coupons and discounts, join AAA. If you want to help fund a corporation, then join AARP. The CEO make around $1.8 million last year, so I'm sure he is grateful.

I'm sure SHE works her butt off to earn every cent of her compensation. I'm sure if SHE were to disparage YOUR company SHE would at least do the minimal work to find out who your company's CEO is, first.

Her name is Jo Ann Jenkins. And yes, even big non-profit organizations pay people. Not all of them are volunteer gigs.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by manaboutown

I just read an article on AARP I cannot provide a link to here as it contains some observations and comments which could be construed to be political. It seems AARP generated over $1.5B income last year, about half from its insurance sales commissions.

Instead of "reading an article on AARP" that offers opinions about where AARP gets its funding, you could just look at the AARP's actual financial documents. They're available to the public, here's the link:

AARP Annual & Financial Reports- AARP, AARP Foundation and AARP Services