Tipsheet

Re: McCain Tells Sr. Citizens To Cut Up Their AARP Cards

Why should you cut up your AARP card? Because the organization has advocated, among other things, egregious subsidizing of older Americans' health care by younger Americans. No wonder the AARP is a major player in the reform debate. Here's the WaPo:
[The current reform package] mandates that health insurance premiums for older Americans be no more than twice the level of that for younger Americans. That's much less than the actual health spending gap between young and old. Spending for those age 60 to 64 is four to five times greater than those 18 to 24. So, the young would overpay for insurance that -- under the House bill -- people must buy: Twenty- and thirtysomethings would subsidize premiums for fifty-and sixtysomethings. (Those 65 and over receive Medicare.)
What happened to people saving for their own retirement / declining health in their golden years while they're still young? What sort of incentive will exist for people to actually take care of themselves?