AARP’s cynicism is breathtaking. On one hand, it sponsors a high-minded campaign called “Divided We Fail” and runs sentimental TV ads featuring children pleading for a better tomorrow. “Join us in championing your future and the future of every generation,” ended one ad.
Meanwhile, AARP lobbyists scramble to shift their members’ costs onto younger generations. For example, the House health legislation improves Medicare’s drug benefit. That would help the half of AARP members who are over 65. The other half, those between 50 and 64, could benefit from the skewed insurance premiums.
Although premium changes would apply mainly to people using insurance “exchanges,” the differences would be substantial. A single person 55 to 64 might save $3,490, estimates an Urban Institute study. By contrast, single people in their 20s and early 30s might pay about $600 to $1,100 more. For the young, the extra cost might be larger, says economist Diana Furchtgott-Roth of the Hudson Institute, because the House bill would require them to purchase fairly generous insurance plans rather than cheaper catastrophic coverage that might better suit their needs.
Whatever the added burden, it would darken the young’s already poor economic prospects.
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