Saul Friedman | Gray Matters - Newsday
It was only a matter of time before AARP's
multimillion-dollar health-insurance business would lead to problems. Now, sales of one of its policies has been suspended and is under congressional scrutiny. And, Medicare advocates say, AARP's prescription drug and Medicare Advantage insurance business has become an obstacle in efforts to roll back the recent erosion of traditional Medicare.
Health-care expert and advocate Marilyn Moon, a former AARP official, told Bloomberg News last month, "There's an inherent conflict of interest. A lot of people there are trying to do good, but they're ending up becoming very dependent on sources of income," largely from health insurance royalties.
AARP, with 35 million dues-paying members over age 50, is the nation's largest secular organization and is supposed to be devoted to advocacy on behalf of older Americans. But the tail of its insurance business may be wagging the dog, compromising AARP's senior programs.
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