A letter to AARP Executive Director, Mr. Rand

RE: AARP Executive Director Mr. Rand

Dear Mr. Rand,
Recently you sent us a letter encouraging us to renew our lapsed membership in AARP by the requested date. While we have proudly maintained our membership for several years and have long admired the AARP goals and principles, regrettably, we can no longer endorse it's abdication of our values. Your letter specifically stated that we can count on AARP to speak up for our rights, yet the voice we hear is not ours. Your offer of being kept up to date on important issues through DIVIDED WE FAIL presents neither an impartial view nor the one we have come to embrace. We do believe that when two parties agree all the time on everything presented to them, one is probably not necessary. But, when the opinions and long term goals are diametrically opposed, the divorce is imminent. This is the philosophy which spawned our 200 years of government.

Once upon a time, we looked forward to being part of the senior demographic. We also looked to AARP to provide certain benefits and give our voice a power we could not possibly hope to achieve on our own. AARP gave us a sense of belonging which we no longer enjoy. The Socialist politics practiced by the Obama administration and empowered by AARP serves only to raise the blood pressure my medical insurance strives to contain. Clearly a conflict of interest there!

We do not understand the AARP posture, feel greatly betrayed by the guiding forces whom we expected to map out our senior years and leave your ranks with a great sense of regret. We mitigate that disappointment with the relief of knowing that we are not contributing to the problem anymore by renewing our membership. There are numerous other organizations which offer discounts without threatening our way of life or offending our sensibilities.

This Presidential Administration scares the living daylights out of us. Not just for ourselves, but for our proud and bloodstained heritage, but even more importantly for our children and grandchildren. Washington has rendered Soylent Green a prophetic cautionary tale rather than a nonfiction scare tactic. I have never in my life endorsed any militant or radical groups, yet now I find myself listening to them. I don't have to agree with them to appreciate the fear which birthed their existence. Their borderline insanity presents little more than a balance to the voice of the Socialist mindset in power. Perhaps I became American by a great stroke of luck in some cosmic uterine lottery, but in my adulthood I CHOOSE to embrace it and nurture the freedoms it represents as well as the responsibilities it requires.

Your website generously offers us the opportunity to receive all communication in Spanish. ARE YOU KIDDING??? Someone has broken into our 'house', invaded our home without our invitation or consent. The President has insisted we keep the perpetrator in comfort and learn their language so we can communicate our reluctant welcome to them.
I DON'T choose to welcome them. I DON'T choose to support them. I DON'T choose to educate them. I DON'T choose to medicate them, pay for their food or clothing.
American home invaders get arrested. Please explain to me why foreign lawbreakers can enjoy privileges on American soil that Americans do not get? Why do some immigrants have to processed to be welcomed and others only have to break & enter to be welcomed?

We travel for a living. Walt hauls horses all over this great country, averaging over 10,000 miles a month when he is out there. He meets more people than a politician on caffeine overdose. Of all the many good folks he enjoyed on this last 10,000 miles, this trip yielded only ONE supporter of the current administration. One of us is out of touch with mainstream America. Since our poll is conducted without funding, I have more faith in it than one which is power driven.

We have decided to forward this to everyone on our mailing list, and will encourage them to do the same. With several hundred in my address book, I have every faith that the eventual exponential factor will make a credible statement to you.

I am MAD as hell, and I'm NOT going to take it anymore!

White House Issues a GAG Order to Humana for informing patients of the possibilities

A special shout out to Bconsdr8 (on Twitter) for this story. Insurer Humana receives a W.H. "Gag Order" for speaking about how coverage might be effected. Read the whole article http://ow.ly/qBh2

Side bar: A government agency working WITH a privately funded group that benefits from that alliance is 'COLLUSION'.

Mitch McConnell addresses President Obama for violating the 1st amendment with this outrageous gag order MUST SEE http://ow.ly/qCeF

The Republican party rushed to defend Humana with this letter...


September 22, 2009

Charlene Frizzera
Acting Administrator
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
7500 Security Boulevard
Baltimore, MD 21244

Dear Acting Administrator Frizzera,

I am writing to express my deep suspicion that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) may be selectively and inappropriately using its regulatory powers to intimidate and silence those who under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution are expressing legitimate facts about the Medicare cuts proposed by President Obama and Congressional Democrats.

This morning, CMS acknowledged it has initiated an investigation into one Medicare health care plan provider, Humana, because it contacted some of its 1.5 million Medicare Advantage (MA) beneficiaries to inform them that these cuts could negatively impact seniors' benefits and out-of-pocket costs.

Given the importance of health care to America's seniors, I am sure you will agree seniors currently enrolled in MA have a right to know about how pending policy changes could affect them. I am certainly aware that MA marketing regulations are supposed to be used to ensure that communications from plan sponsors or affiliated groups do not include inaccurate information that would inappropriately steer seniors to certain MA plans. I have read the letter from Humana to its members and it does neither.

Moreover, I am concerned that CMS has taken action for political purposes, which threatens the integrity of the agency and of our democracy. To my knowledge, Humana is the only such plan to be targeted for investigation for speaking out against the Administration and Congressional Democrat's plan. However, today CMS issued a ban on all MA health plans from distributing similar information.

I note that no such pressure has been applied to those supportive of the President's Medicare cuts. AARP, which has the largest MA plan in Medicare at 1.7 million enrollees, has been a vocal advocate in favor of the President Obama and Democrats' health care proposals. They have spent millions of dollars communicating to its members the group's support of President Obama's proposed changes to Medicare via bulletins, television ads, newsletters, and its website. According to USA Today, AARP sent 8 million direct letters about health care reform and Medicare policies under consideration in Washington to its members over Labor Day. Additionally AARP has a "Health Action Now!" website that asks seniors to contact Members of Congress using an AARP-drafted letter that seniors can send via e-mail. These communications seem to be largely similar to the communications sent by Humana, other than they are in support of President Obama's position.

For example, AARP's website states that it's a "myth" that "health care reform will hurt Medicare", saying that it's a "fact" that "none of the health care reform proposals being considered by Congress would cut Medicare benefits or increase your out-of-pocket costs for Medicare services." This flies in the face of what the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has found as it relates to the MA cuts.

CBO'S findings about the $156 billion in MA cuts contained in H.R. 3200, the House Democrats' health care bill, should be of great concern to senior citizens. According to CBO, the legislation "could lead many plans to limit the benefits they offer, raise their premiums, or withdraw from the program." CBO also predicts that H.R. 3200 will result in 3 million seniors currently enrolled in MA losing their coverage.

Given the requirement that communications by MA plans, or their affiliates, to current and potential MA enrollees, not contain inaccurate information, it would seem that CMS' resources would be better served ensuring AARP no longer falsely suggests that the President's plans to cut $500 billion from Medicare will not have any negative impact on MA enrollees.

In light of CMS' seemingly uneven and potentially politically-motivated use of its regulatory authority, I therefore request that:

1. CMS immediately suspend this virtual gag order on efforts by an MA plan to let its enrollees know how they could be hurt by the health reforms plans being pushed by President Obama and Democrats in Congress;

2. CMS immediately publicly indicate that the providing of accurate information by MA plans to its enrollees is not prohibited by applicable federal rules and regulations and that no adverse action will be taken against any plan choosing to do so;

3. Provide, in writing, by September 28, 2009, an explanation of whether similar enforcement activities were taken against other MA plan and its affiliates, including AARP, and if not why no such action was taken.

I look forward to your timely response.

Sincerely,
DAVE CAMP
Ranking Member
Committee on Ways and Means

Missing the Facts on Townhall Concerns

* Taxpayer-funded benefits for Illegal immigrants

* Government Takeover of Health Care Systems

* Funding Abortion with Taxpayer dollars

Organizing for America and liberal community organizers are actively being cheered on by President Obama's supporters http://ow.ly/kRRR

Missing the Facts on Townhall Concerns » The Foundry

Be sure to listen to Congressman Mike Rogers statement http://ow.ly/kShi