AARP?

[COcheesehead]

Love 'em. My $12/year gets my wife and I 30% off eyeglasses and exams. We switch glasses or prescription sunglasses about every two years, saving us hundreds. We also use the discounted cellular at Verizon, the grocery coupons, free movie passes, hotel discounts. For us its a no brainer.

 

[Another Reader]

I don't care for the political slant, but I will have to join to get the UHC Medicare supplement insurance. My folks had it for years with zero problems. The pre-Medicare retiree health plan was through them. The only hiccup is that they wanted 90 day prescriptions to go through their captive mail order pharmacy, which I would not do.

 

[easysurfer]

I have both AARP and AAA. Not sure if AAA allows for a small discount off my Consumer Cellular bill, so I use AARP for that.

 

[ERD50]

... They also lobby politicians on behalf of seniors, and that is a good thing for all of us on this board.

I wonder whether something truly becomes a good thing merely because I may personally benefit from it.

Gotta agree with Mdlerth here.

I certainly understand "looking out for #1" first, but I can't accept that across the board.

What if they promote something that is 'good for us seniors', but bad for our children and grandchildren? Need to look at the big picture.

-ERD50

 

[38Chevy454]

Like many on here, I do not agree with their policies and political leanings, so never will join. I can get plenty of discounts without AARP.

 

[harllee]

I like what AARP has done for me at a local level. For example, our North Carolina state legislation did away with the medical deduction for income tax purposes. Thant really hurt me and many seniors in our state. AARP got involved, lobbied hard to get the medical deduction back and we did get it back. So I really appreciate AARP.

 

[Fedup]

I have both AARP and AAA. Not sure if AAA allows for a small discount off my Consumer Cellular bill, so I use AARP for that.

They don’t but it’s small potato savings category for me.

 

[audreyh1]

I don't care for the political slant, but I will have to join to get the UHC Medicare supplement insurance. My folks had it for years with zero problems. The pre-Medicare retiree health plan was through them. The only hiccup is that they wanted 90 day prescriptions to go through their captive mail order pharmacy, which I would not do.

I thought you didn’t have to join to get the UHC supplement.

 

[RobbieB]

Hehe, the amount I save from my AT&T cell bill more than pays for the membership.

 

[gayl]

I can't get them to leave me alone!! And mom died in 2012 but they won't stop sending her sh!I addressed to my house

 

[Another Reader]

I thought you didn’t have to join to get the UHC supplement.

You have to be a member when you sign up. It's not clear if you have to be a member after the first year.

 

[COcheesehead]

I can't get them to leave me alone!! And mom died in 2012 but they won't stop sending her sh!I addressed to my house

If you knew her account sign in, you can control how much they send you. There’s a preference setting.

 

[gayl]

I've called them, sent them a death cert as requested and she did nothing online. She received no magazine, insurance thru them (had tricare), or linkage. I get multiple mails from them and I've never solicited or accepted them. They're relentless. I think it has to do with needing to increase their 'member base' for PAC gain

 

[audreyh1]

You have to be a member when you sign up. It's not clear if you have to be a member after the first year.

I thought people here were getting direct quotes from UHC for their Medicare supplement plans without being AARP members.

 

[Another Reader]

UHC may sell plans outside of AARP? I only see the AARP plan on my list of plans in my area. Nothing else from UHC.

From the CDI (California Department of Insurance) website:

"Rates vary according to Medicare enrollment date and discount eligibility. Must be a member of AARP at the time of issue. "

 

[MichaelB]

UHC may sell plans outside of AARP? I only see the AARP plan on my list of plans in my area. Nothing else from UHC.

Both are definitely available in my zip code. My understanding from other posts is the AARP version still offers the option to change the plan without underwriting. There also may be some additional benefits for seniors, such as gym memberships. I'm hoping to call them in the next week to check on this.

 

[W2R]

I refuse to join because they are basically a PAC that I disagree with in every way.

+1

Back in the 1998, when I turned 50, my dear sweet departed mom signed me up for a year of AARP as a 50th birthday present/joke. I refuse to renew because I don't agree with their politics, so for the past 20 years I have been getting frequent, voluminous junk mail from them. It will never stop; so much for conserving trees.

My mom's politics were about like mine right now; I guess she just assumed AARP was non-political.

 

[Another Reader]

California Department of Insurance only shows one UHC plan. What's really bizarre is that Blue Cross and Blue Shield are shown as being under the Department of Managed Care jurisdiction in the CDI spreadsheet. What is that about?

 

[COcheesehead]

I've called them, sent them a death cert as requested and she did nothing online. She received no magazine, insurance thru them (had tricare), or linkage. I get multiple mails from them and I've never solicited or accepted them. They're relentless. I think it has to do with needing to increase their 'member base' for PAC gain

I don’t get this. I am an actual member and I get not much more than the magazine.

Have you tried marking the mail with some notation such as “no longer at this address” and putting back in the box?

 

[gayl]

I don’t get this. I am an actual member and I get not much more than the magazine.

Have you tried marking the mail with some notation such as “no longer at this address” and putting back in the box?

I wrote dead ... buried at ×--''. They still send. Hate AARP and now they're hounding me. The only way I deal with it is to dump it in the recycle bin b4 entering house

 

[COcheesehead]

I wrote dead ... buried at ×--''. They still send. Hate AARP and now they're hounding me. The only way I deal with it is to dump it in the recycle bin b4 entering house

Try putting in a change of address form for your mom to an address of your choice.

 

[gayl]

Try putting in a change of address form for your mom to an address of your choice. [emoji23]

[emoji106]

 

[mamadogmamacat]

cant stand AARP

I joined the alternative AMAC five yrs ago. have gotten back my membership cost and then some with the discounts they offer. i also much prefer their politics and advocacy am involved in the local chapter too Their magazine is better too. More focused in issues and history and not at all on hollywood

 

[skipro33]

I have a vet card issued by my county here in California. Also California will post veteran status on resident driver licenses. I've never been turned down for a vet discount if I ask. Just got home from Idaho and asked at the hotel desk if they offered veteran discounts. They asked me to wait a moment and came back with 15% off. At the airport I asked Enterprise car rental the same thing. I had a full sized car through Costco for $66 for two days plus tax and fees. They bumped me up to a full sized Suburban after offering me a Tahoe, mini van or Subaru Outback. I chose the Suburban just because that thing is HUGE! Ha! Plus it was a 2019 with 300 miles on it. Pretty nice, I felt like I was driving the president around in that thing.
Denny's has 15% discount for AARP. I stopped in at the Boise Airport and asked if they have a vet discount and got 15% off the whole bill, not just my meal.

Since I don't need the supplemental insurance yet, I'll just keep asking about vet discounts since it works for me.

I am a little self conscious when I'm thanked for my service. I usually reply with a thank you of my own for the recognition.

 

[Golden sunsets]

Former member. Ultimately concluded that AAA discounts were equally valuable and I didn't like their political views so I stopped renewing.

PB; Could you give me some idea of where you use your AAA discount. I have AAA but never think to use it as a discount-perhaps because I don't know where to use them.


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