AARP's Stake in the Medicare / Fiscal Cliff Debate

AARP Is Highly Influential
Everywhere you go, the AARP is there.  On TV, in the mail.  Medicare beneficiaries are flooded with advertisements.  In addition, it is a highly influential lobbying group in favor of retired people.  This article in the Washington Post points out that the current fiscal cliff debate may affect the AARP's bottom line.

4.95% Commission to the AARP
Perhaps the most revealing statement is the fact that the AARP receives 4.95% commission, in effect.  So, when you purchase a policy "endorsed" by a group that is purportedly supposed to be an advocate for retirees, the AARP has another motive, pure profit.

Bottom Line: The "Advice" Can't Be Totally Unbiased
This post doesn't suggest that the AARP is representing something that is factually wrong.  However, it points out that, on balance, any party may have motives to sway a consumer, under a different guise, to purchase a particular product.

Maximize Your Medicare Doesn't Have Extra Strings Attached
Maximize Your Medicare: Understanding Medicare, Protecting Your Health, and Minimizing Costs is free of any other motive than providing comprehensive information to Medicare beneficiaries.  Hospitals that care about their patients should be providing samples to their most important customers. Physicians can help themselves and their patients by supplying copies, especially to those turning 65, when insurance can be purchased without restriction.  The recent developments regarding the fiscal debate are making protecting yourself, by yourself, even more important.