Divided We Fail: A Letter to AARP Members from President Erik Olsen and CEO Bill Novelli

Dear AARP Member:

Our nation is reaching a tipping point, with millions of Americans concerned about their health care costs and long-term financial security. People face many difficult demands: affording health care, saving for retirement, sending children and grandchildren to college and supporting aging parents. Many Americans are now asking: Am I one illness away from financial ruin? Will Social Security be there for me and for my kids and grandkids? Do I have enough money to retire?

It doesn't have to be this way.

And we have to do something about it.

That's why we're going forward with a dramatic new initiative for AARP to confront some of our country's greatest challenges. Divided We Fail is our new national campaign to amplify the voices of millions of Americans—including our 38 million members—who believe that health care and financial security are the most pressing issues for our nation here at home.

It's time for individuals, businesses, nonprofit organizations and government to come together to find solutions. So we are starting a national dialogue on the need for affordable, quality health care and long-term economic security for our generation and for future ones. All Americans deserve to have the peace of mind that comes from knowing that we won't outlive our savings and that a health emergency won't ruin us financially.

While AARP stands ready to lead, we don't pretend to have all the answers. That's why we are seeking your stories, opinions and ideas about the central questions of health care costs and lifelong financial well-being. We intend to create "Millions of Voices for Change." And we will have many partners with us in this effort.

We've already heard from some of you, like the retired high school teacher in Michigan who told us, "I never dreamed I would be stressing about the possibility of not having enough money to live—we are middle-class people who live a pretty simple life. I don't want to ask my wife not to retire, but that might be our only option if our house doesn't sell."

You can share your thoughts and learn more by logging on to our website, Divided We Fail. We'll take your words, stories and ideas to state capitols, the halls of Congress, the Oval Office and corporate boardrooms throughout the country. We'll present them to elected officials, opinion leaders, business executives and the media. Your views will become an integral part of the national debate and discussion. Also, while you are on our website, please sign the pledge to support our call for all of us to have quality health care we can afford and peace of mind about our financial security.

Divided We Fail is a major undertaking, but all of the other things you count on from AARP—services, travel, discounts and information—will still be there, and better than ever. So join with us in this opportunity to make a difference—strengthening Americans' financial security and reining in skyrocketing health costs. In the months ahead, you will hear more. Divided We Fail, but together we will accomplish amazing things.