To the editor:

AARP claims to be all about representing the interests of seniors, but when it comes to health care reform, they are selling seniors down the river to line their own pockets.

AARP endorsed the gargantuan PelosiCare bill that passed the House, despite the fact that the bill proposes more than $400 billion in cuts to Medicare, certain to lead to rationing, and inferior care.

Why? As they say, follow the money.

PelosiCare will also cut Medicare Advantage by $170 billion. Medicare Advantage allows seniors to purchase private insurance with their Medicare payments, but these cuts will drive many of these seniors into inferior Medigap Plans.

AARP has a vested interest in seniors being driven out of Medicare Advantage into Medigap plans because AARP makes a fortune in royalty fees from Medigap plans. More than one-half share of royalty revenue by far… The more seniors are forced our of Medicare Advantage into Medigap plans, the more money AARP makes.

In other words, under PelociCare, seniors lost but AARP wins big time.

The Washington Post noted the conflict of interest: Democratic proposals to slash reimbursements for Medicare Advantage are widely expected to drive up demand for private Medigap policies like the ones offered by AARP. (Source: Tim Wildmon-AFA)

This is one reason that we do not like the health care bill.

Another is that we will be paying for this bill for four year before anyone gets a single “benefit” from it. And we all know what is happening to the Social Security payments. They are supposed to be in a “lock box”and safe from being used for other things. But all that is in there is a bunch of IOU’s.

Will all that money be there when all these so call “benefits” kick in?

We think that this bill is unconstitutional. When a government can say that unless you pay into this insurance, you will be charged an excise tax, (2.5 percent of adjusted gross income under PelosiCare, and $750 or 2 percent of income, whichever is larger under Reidcare) it is going beyond the limits that is put on legislators.

All this plus all the new bureaus that this will create. The Grant Program for Health Insurance Cooperatives, the Telehealth Advisory Committee, the Community Based Medical Home Pilot Program, the Center for Comparative Effectiveness Research, and the Qualified Health Benefits Plan Ombudsman.

Who is going to pay for this?

We the taxpayer.

The Healthcare bill is creating an enormous new $2.5 million octopus of federal regulations that will increase premiums, contribute to medical costs, reduce quality and choice of care, all on top of the millions we already owe.

And don’t forget the bribes to wavering Senators to go along with this monstrosity that will not allow you to keep your insurance plan if it does not pass muster. (see above committees). Additionally, it only covers 21 million of the supposed 31 million that do not now have health insurance.

And they won’t be covered for four years.

There must be something rotten about this bill when the Congressional leadership needs to bribe members to vote for this bill and to rush it through before people can read and understand what is in this bill.

Call your senator and representative and tell them no, we don’t want this bill and to start over in a bipartisan manner.

Bill and Doris Heyns

Cape Coral