Before someone else points it out, I had a typo in my prior post. "your" instead of "you're"...Sorry...

When AARP came out in favor of the Bush Medicare drug plan that is now causing havoc, I dropped my membership and vowed never to join it again. Then it had the audacity to recruit members into its drug plan created as an option under the new medicare drug plan.. AARP looks out mainly for itself, and if some of you members don't realize that, shame on you. I'm glad that some like Curious, etc. have caught on. AAA gives you all the travel deals you need.

there: its obvious what your political affiliation is. elderly people are humans too with definate health care needs. not everything has to do with grandkids when the elderly are still living and need it. don't worry EVERYONE is so super involved with children's issues its so politically correct and perpetuates the ageism in America.

It seems that posters here are more informed about AARP than most members - seeing it for what it is - a lobbing organization and insurance seller.

I have no objection to an organization having these as their goals - what I do object to is that AARP is not up-front about what it is they do. I know plenty of oler peole who pay their dues to AARP, seeing them as a neutral organization who just gives them discounts.

Well, I certainly have more to think about than the discounts. Thanks for the information. I will consider it all.

Interesting, as the promotional letter I am holding says, "As a member you'll have resources to exclusive discounts. Dependable insurance programs and investment resources. Improtant helath information and more." Ten on the back of the letter is a list of 22 things AARP does for you. Four of them are related to "standing up for your rights" (described further as confronting age discrimination by employers, strengthening social security, protecting pension benefits, fighting predatory home loan lending).

I didn't intend a political discussion here, but there are politics involved. Anyway, it is more than the travel discounts and similar benefits that are emphasized in the face of the letter.


Thanks everyone.

Sorry I can't help...I'm not eligible as yet...

Well if you are lucky to live long enough, your day will come...

Depends on your needs. The rates are usually the same or higher then the "best internet user" rates, but AARP rates usually offer cancellations while internet rates are non-refundable.

I got the membership going on a tour. $12.50 membership got me $50 off the tour price, but I got the membership only after deciding on that tour.

By the way, if you pay for 3 years upfront, the membership fee is even lower.

I certainly agree with Curious and Budman (no surprise there).
I was a member for 10 years and never used a single benefit.
I feel very much the same about AAA now that Trav Checks are historical relics.
M (SMdA, Gto.)

I hope this doen't sound like a paid advertisement, but their auto insurance rates are by far cheaper than anything else I've found. On the other hand, their hotel discounts can usually be beat just by surfing around the web.

FainaAgain,

It must depend on the hotel chain. When I have compared, the AARP rate has been consistantly lower than Internet Users Rate. In fact stopped even checking the IUR.

Keith

Keith, you got me thinking... what is an unusual thing Where the heck did I see the same rate, only AARP would let me cancel?

Not my next trip to Chicago, no. Maybe Best Western in Tel Aviv? Memory lapse

Lately I have seen hotels listing AARP/and then something like "older guest" - in any event, they do not require guest to be AARP, just over age 50 to get same discount - and I have never had anyone ask for a AAA or AARP card.

I have been an AARP member for less than a year. I enjoy the magazine and have not taken advantage of any of the travel discounts.

I had no misunderstanding from the beginning that AARP would be working hard to serve my best interests with nothing in it for them...same with AAA.

I have my opinions on Social Securtiy and other issues that face older Americans. Have they formed those opinions for me? No. Can they affect my opinions? Well I don't know yet, it's up to them to try.

I just heard an AARP ad on TV claim they have over 2,000,000 members. There must be a reason.

Yes, and 2,882,955 people voted for Ralph Nader during the 2000 Presidential election.

I just went to Pearl Vision to get new glasses (the damn things are expensive). After the clerk went down a litany of insurance and discount organizations, of which one of them was AARP, I got the same discount just by being able to walk and chew gum at the same time.

Stay away from Lensmaster, Budman. I can't guarntee what deal they will give you on the glasses, but their attached opticians will not give you near as good a price.

Keith

Opps, LensCrafters.

Curious, Budman and a few others, you might find it interesting if you haven't read the National Legal and Policy Centers report on the AARP - the link I have in my notes (recent gerontology graduate) and yes, over 50 yrs old, is
http://tinyurl.com/sxwgt

It's the nlpc.org web site if you can't access this link.

People have to decide for themselves, but giving this organization money , in my opinion, requires some thinking and research. It is no longer an advocacy group for the elderly (or soon to be elderly) it is a policial advocacy group which gets enormous funding not just from membership dues but from federal grants, read: taxpayers money and if they are taking money from the federal government and subsidized by them how neutral can they be on some issues (Social Security, taxes, medical, and even some instances of campaigning regarding gay rights and whether or not you are for gay rights, what is the aarp doing lobbying in that area vs. using their time and money to improve elderly rights)

Their membership numbers have also been questioned as they won't release actual numbers even though they've been asked to but just "quote a number" rather than stating the actual number of paying members, which inflates their numbers and inflates their 'power' policitally as a block.

their commercial interests far outweigh their advocacy interests as there are conflicts that naturally arise from a group who earns much of its money not from membership dues but from co-branding with companies (who often do not have elderly interests in mind) and federal grants from various branches. It's a business - they get kick backs from every group they promote as a deal for seniors which is how they also make most of their money.

So, if you are interested in what a group actually does with your money, even the small amount of dues you pay - and if you are interested in what they 'accomplish' by saying they represent x amount of members (without asking those members to vote on whether or not they do indeed support what the AARP lobbies for) everyone should read / research a bit more about them and make up your own mind. The report I mentioned above by the Policy Committee is very, very interesting reading.

Business week also had an excellent article on them back in March of 05 "By Raising it's voice, AARP raises questions" and there are several books also available on what the AARP has become in the past ten years. (Trust Betrayed, Inside the AARP and AARP: America's Most Powerful Lobby and the Clash of the Generations)

Some good resources on elderly issues can be found through the web sites for the American Society of Aging as well as the National Society on Aging.

AARP may have some 'good deals' but whether or not they come at a price - as in your membership supporting things you may not, is something an individual may want to consider.

Politics, politics! one day I am going to join AARP for discounts