AARP study says high drug prices hurting Montanans HELENA -- In 2016, 18% of Montanans stopped taking a prescription drug as prescribed due to cost, according to data released this week by AARP Montana. AARP Montana released a study and infographic Wednesday showing the impact of what it said were high prescription drug prices for Treasure State residents, including those who have cancer, prediabetes or diabetes, and heart disease. It was part of a bigger study released at the National Academy for State Health Policy annual conference as part of AARP’s nationwide Stop Rx Greed campaign launched earlier this year to lower drug prices. The program seeks to lower prices through governmental...
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AARP is a non-profit organization that offers a variety of programs for people aged 50 and over. It was founded in 1958 by Dr. Ethel Andrus. It evolved from NRTA (National Retired Teachers Association), which had been founded by Dr. Andrus in 1947 to deal with the AARP life insurance needs of retired teachers. At that time, there was virtually no private insurance for the elder generation. There was an outcry from thousands of people who weren't retired teachers over their exclusion from NRTA benefits. That inspired Dr. Andrus to come up with an organization that would serve all Americans ten years later. NRTA became a division within of the company. AARP life insurance plans gained an...
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Why is the largest consumer advocacy organization sitting on the sidelines as new federal rules make it harder for patients to get the vital medicines they need? That’s the question every senior should be asking AARP, and the organization’s lucrative business interests help shed light on a likely answer. AARP promotes itself as a simple advocacy group looking out for the interests of older Americans. In reality, AARP is a marketing machine with longstanding ties to the insurance industry. The nonprofit group (ahem) generated $1.6 billion in revenue in 2016, according to its most recent tax records . More than half of that total came from royalty payments it received from other entities...
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Until recently, aside from talking about Medicare for All, most Democratic presidential hopefuls haven’t said much about issues of keen interest to older voters. That all changed last week, though, when they answered pointed questions at the AARP Presidential Candidate Forums in Iowa. As Sen. Amy Klobuchar said: “I’m so glad you’re doing this. Hardly anyone except real people has asked me about senior issues.” I watched the live-streamed events, where AARP audience members and moderators from The Des Moines Register and Radio Iowa asked about Social Security; the cost of prescription drugs, health care, Medicare and long-term care; caregiving; age discrimination, housing and more. Sanders,...
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