AARP Increases Membership Dues

Russ

Guru
1000 Post Club
2,038
Florida
I guess AARP wasn't included in the stimulus package...membership dues going up....

AARP® Membership Dues Increase
Effective February 12, 2009, AARP® membership dues increased from $12.50 to $16.00
per year for a one-year membership in the U.S., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Territories.
This change impacts any new sales in which the applicant is becoming an AARP member
at the time they are submitting an application for an AARP Medicare Supplement
Insurance Plan, insured by United HealthCare Insurance Company (United HealthCare
Insurance Company of New York for New York residents).


http://image.email-uhc.com/lib/fef1...rease+-+Agent+Communication+-+ASI+-+FINAL.pdf
 
I guess AARP wasn't included in the stimulus package...membership dues going up....

AARP® Membership Dues Increase
Effective February 12, 2009, AARP® membership dues increased from $12.50 to $16.00
per year for a one-year membership in the U.S., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Territories.
This change impacts any new sales in which the applicant is becoming an AARP member
at the time they are submitting an application for an AARP Medicare Supplement
Insurance Plan, insured by United HealthCare Insurance Company (United HealthCare
Insurance Company of New York for New York residents).


http://image.email-uhc.com/lib/fef1...rease+-+Agent+Communication+-+ASI+-+FINAL.pdf

People who are willing to pay a membership fee in order to overpay for their medicare supplement insurance are the most special people on earth.
 
I guess AARP wasn't included in the stimulus package...membership dues going up....

AARP® Membership Dues Increase
Effective February 12, 2009, AARP® membership dues increased from $12.50 to $16.00
per year for a one-year membership in the U.S., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Territories.
This change impacts any new sales in which the applicant is becoming an AARP member
at the time they are submitting an application for an AARP Medicare Supplement
Insurance Plan, insured by United HealthCare Insurance Company (United HealthCare
Insurance Company of New York for New York residents).


http://image.email-uhc.com/lib/fef1...rease+-+Agent+Communication+-+ASI+-+FINAL.pdf

Wow I was really behind the times on this one. Elsewhere I posted that it was $5.00. I guess it is the effect of inflation. I hope this hurts their membership.
 
Sad to say but... the AARP med. sup. is the most cost effective in Florida. All the other companies are at least 25-30 dollars more for f and g plans. The only one that can come close to aarp is Mutual of Omaha and that is only for the female rates. The male rates are rediculous.
 
People who are willing to pay a membership fee in order to overpay for their medicare supplement insurance are the most special people on earth.

I'm curious, Newby. Are you a AARP member?

Are any of you on this forum who denigrate the AARP members? Any of you?

I am a member.

I don't own any of their plans.

From what I hear you say it is a fact that I and the other 25 million are being duped into buying their insurance. You are absolutely sure that there are no other benefits? You really think that 25 million people are as stupid as you imply?

Do yourself a favor. Don't work the senior market with this attitude... because you are going to starve to death with your patronizing attitude toward people over 50.

There is a reason this organization has 25 million members. Figure it out... and you will be far more successful than you are now.

It's the same with the NRA. There is a reason it has so many members (over 4 million.) It's the same reason the AARP has so many members. I won't tell you why. You would not believe me anyway. You need to figure both out for yourself.
 
I'm curious, Newby. Are you a AARP member?

Are any of you on this forum who denigrate the AARP members? Any of you?

I am a member.

I don't own any of their plans.

From what I hear you say it is a fact that I and the other 25 million are being duped into buying their insurance. You are absolutely sure that there are no other benefits? You really think that 25 million people are as stupid as you imply?

Do yourself a favor. Don't work the senior market with this attitude... because you are going to starve to death with your patronizing attitude toward people over 50.

There is a reason this organization has 25 million members. Figure it out... and you will be far more successful than you are now.

It's the same with the NRA. There is a reason it has so many members (over 4 million.) It's the same reason the AARP has so many members. I won't tell you why. You would not believe me anyway. You need to figure both out for yourself.

Al, I have to respectfully disagree with you.

I have a problem with AARP because they position themselves as an organization that "looks out" for the interests of seniors BUT in reality they DO NOT.

They sell them down the river with bad choices...at least in my part of the country.

Their AARP Med Sup rates are $30 to $50 overpriced when compared to Great American and United of Omaha for the exact same thing.

Their Medicare Advantage plans have horrible hospital co-pays when compared to Humana, Coventry or almost anyone else.

Many seniors buy their term life insurance WITHOUT understanding that it ends at age 80 OR that the rates increase over 500% from age 55 to age 76. I know...buyer beware! But I don't think that should apply to a not-for-profit senior "watchdog."

Thier whole-life product is way overpriced for MOST ages AND it "reserves the right to increase rates in the future." If AARP was REALLY watching out for seniors they would tell them NOT to buy their whole-life product UNLESS they NEED guaranteed issue due to seriously bad health because they can likely get better rates and immeadiete coverage AND a guarantee against future rate increases elsewhere.

It's not just me AL. Others are on to AARP also:

Bloomberg.com: News

Have you seen the recent show on Bloomberg titled

Al, I have worked EXCLUSIVELY in the senior market for over 12-years now. Thanks for your concern but I'm doing fine. And my clients are fine too. And do you want to know how I know that? They ALL have my home phone number, and my cell phone number AND know where my office is and guess what? I don't get complaints. How could that be?

Al, what I don't like about AARP is that they purposely allow seniors to THINK they are endorsing the insurance products that offer the seniors the best deal. And you are smart enough to know that is far from the truth. They are after the almighty dollar and that is corporate America and wouldn't be a bad thing IF they were honest about what they are really doing.

And for you Al to think that everyone over 50 loves AARP or to even think that AARPs members even agree with AARP's politics is VERY misguided. Many seniors HATE AARP and have figured out that AARP has NOT done them any favors.

Me? I'm a member just because I like junk mail.
 
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I have many senior clients that do not like AARP. However I'm going to call them all and let them know that Al thinks AARP is great. I'm sure they'll all join.

After all, my good friend Al is always right.

Rick
 
Al, I have to respectfully disagree with you.

I have a problem with AARP because they position themselves as an organization that "looks out" for the interests of seniors BUT in reality they DO NOT.

They sell them down the river with bad choices...at least in my part of the country.


Me? I'm a member just because I like junk mail.

Wait a minute... after all of your AARP bashing... you are a member? That makes no sense.

I'm over 60 and I have a ton of smart, professional, highly-educated friends and clients who are members of AARP. Only one of them that I know of has their insurance (a female surety bond agent (age 75) who has the AARP branded $90/mo UHC Med Sup for herself.)

Yes, AARP does a lot of marketing of insurance. So does just about every other organization. Are you telling me that the majority of the people you sell to already have AARP (branded) products? I won't agrue, except that has not been my experience in Northern CA.

In my experience, people join AARP for the discounts, for their excellent publications, and their lobbying efforts on behalf of older people. I don't see much difference between AARP and the NRA and/or any other large association open to a large segment of the public (including the auto clubs.)

As for working the older market, if you go into a client meeting and beat them up because they send $12 a year (now $16?) to AARP it would show me that you simply don't understand THEIR needs and concerns. It would be the same with me walking into one of the right-wing conservatives (on this list) homes and castigating them for $ubscribing to the Rush Limbaugh newsletter or being a member of the NRA. And it would be the same if I went to the home of a San Francisco liberal and criticized them for being members of NPR, or Common Cause, or GRL.

People, especially older people simply are not as stupid as you imply.

If you sat in my living room and saw the AARP magazine on the coffee table and started in on me because I'm a member, I'd boot your ass out in two seconds.

If you want to compete with AARP with your United/Omaha supps, fine. Make your pitch. But I can only assume that you tell your clients what you've told us here about how stupid everyone is who sends their money to AARP.

Older people (BTW, do you know that senior's hate being called "seniors"... bet you don't) are simply not as stupid as guys like Rick here think we are. If we were, each of us would have the full complement of AARP products and guys like you and Rick would be sitting on the hood of my car asking people for spare change! :D

No one says you need to like the AARP and no one will argue with you that they have some issues or that they are imperfect. But to imply that because I'm a member that I must somehow be an *** is kind of a stretch (unless you ask Rick.)
 
People traditionally joined AARP because it cost next to nothing and they got motel room and other discounts.

Seriously, it was for "benefits" of that nature. I personally joined because there was a large discount available on a car purchase I was about to make anyway.

There is a misconception as to what AARP is really about. It was founded by a life insurance guy to help him sell life insurance. It was a brilliant idea from a selling standpoint.

It grew to be much more, including the political angle. I would have played the political angle to if I ran the AARP show.

It is an organization that was founded for the best interests of Seniors? Hell no. Is it OK if you go in knowing the background and make no assumptions that whatever they say is best is actually best? Yep, sure it is. Was it worth $6 a year? Sure. Is it worth whatever they want now in exchange for their crappy magazines? That's your call. I still like the occasional hotel room discount I can get.
 
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