Idaho AARP’s Jim Wordelman threatened Governor Butch Otter yesterday for his promises to defend Idaho from the health care boondoggle pending in Congress. In doing so, Wordelman merely seeks to defend the billions his organization is about to receive from Democrat pals in Washington.

It is the height of political cynicism for the AARP to attack Otter for “selling out” Idaho when the organization has gleefully endorsed a half-trillion slashing of Medicare budgets, which are guaranteed to jeopardize Idaho seniors. Just last week the Mayo Clinic announced it would no longer accept Medicare patients at one of its Arizona clinics because of absurdly low reimbursement rates. That situation can only become a spreading crisis if ObamaCare becomes law.

So why is the AARP, supposedly an organization dedicated to protecting the interests of seniors, working overtime to sell America on a reform package which threatens the very lives of vulnerable seniors?

Money. A lot of money.

Most of the AARP’s large budget comes not from its $16 membership dues – but from Medigap insurance kick-backs. The AARP is currently losing potential revenue to seniors that purchase Medicare Advantage health plans to supplement Medicare benefits. Grace Marie Turner of the Galen Institute declared back in November that the AARP leadership determined it was essential to end the Medicare Advantage program by forcing seniors to buy Medigap insurance instead.

Ben Nelson and Mary Landrieu were not the only ones to trade their integrity for some big pork:

Galen reports that ObamaCare “would dramatically cut money out of Medicare Advantage programs, forcing people to buy the Medigap policies that are such a big cash cow for the AARP.”
Insurance kick-backs netted the AARP some $650 million in 2008. That figure will dramatically increase if ObamaCare becomes law.

Governor Otter deserves a great deal of encouragement for his declared intention to fight ObamaCare in federal court. More than that – given the proven manipulative power of the AARP – Otter needs encouragement to follow through on his righteous determination to protect Idaho seniors, as well as the rest of us, from Washington’s outrageous scheme to remake the entire culture.

Hopefully Butch will put some additional energy into exposing the corruption of the AARP.