AARP, the 40-million-member association of older Americans, today announced its endorsement of the sweeping House health care reform bill. The organization’s backing is seen as a major boost for one of the bills that aims to overhaul the nation’s health care system, and it comes as Democratic lawmakers are preparing to bring the measure to the floor for a vote.
 
The announcement came at a press briefing in AARP’s Washington headquarters. Surrounded by boxes holding 1.5 million member petitions supporting health care reform, AARP Chief Executive A. Barry Rand said the organization supports the House bill over other proposals because the measure does more to lower drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries, strengthen Medicare and bar insurance companies from denying people coverage because of their health or age. The bill also would lower premiums for Americans ages 50 to 64 who have to buy insurance in the private market and would create a voluntary long-term care insurance program.

"Under the House plan... insurance companies will not be able to reject you or charge you an outrageous premium because you got sick once, you may get sick again, you lost your job, you're over 50 years old or because your employer dropped your coverage," Rand said at the briefing. "Millions of Americans will start to regain control over their lives."

Bonnie Cramer, chair of AARP’s volunteer advisory board, said one key factor in the organization’s decision to support the House bill was that it won’t add to the national deficit. “Our members are worried about financial security for their children and grandchildren,” she said.
 
The AARP endorsement is important because older Americans have been on the front lines in the health care battle, with insurance companies and lobbying groups spending millions in the past months to influence their opinions, sometimes generating misinformation about how health care reform would affect Medicare.

Today’s endorsement, marks the first time in this legislative battle that AARP has put its full weight behind a comprehensive health care reform package. In the coming days, AARP will be informing its members about the health care reform package through its publications, paid advertising and more than 5 million calls and e-mails to its grassroots activists.

In a surprise appearance at the White House briefing  today, President Obama told reporters that he welcomed AARP’s endorsement of the health care reform. He urged Congress to “ listen to AARP “and other supporters and “ and pass this reform for hundreds of millions of Americans.”

Many Republican lawmakers, Blue Cross Blue Shield and other health insurance companies oppose the House bill, in large part because it includes a public option—a government-run insurance plan that could compete with private insurers.

The House legislation would provide health insurance to almost all Americans with a price tag of about $894 billion over 10 years, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. And the CBO estimates the bill would reduce the federal deficit by $104 billion over 10 years.

Paying for the bill

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