At Single Payer Action's web site, PNHP's Dr. David Himmelstein defends single-payer against the health-insurance-peddling AARP's anti-HR676 propaganda. Read it all for specific factual criticisms, or just enjoy the summing up:

AARP: In addition H.R. 676 has not gathered bipartisan support which is important to enacting and implementing any reform.

Dr. David Himmelstein: If freeing the slaves failed to attract bipartisan support would the AARP also oppose it?

Via the ever alert Vastleft: AARP Nationwide Town Hall

Tuesday, April 7, 1:30pm - 3:30pm ET

The President and members of Congress are saying they want to bring about health reform this year. Want to learn more about AARP's role in the health reform debate what we're working for and how we're representing YOU? Sign up to be a part of AARP's first nationwide town hall event and enter your own question for the AARP leaders and expert panelists to answer during the call!

Phony health care campaign under way

AARP’s Stealth Fees Often Sting Seniors With Costlier Insurance

The group, formerly called American Association of Retired Persons, collects hundreds of millions of dollars annually from insurers who pay for AARP’s endorsement of their policies.

The insurance companies build the cost of these so-called royalties and fees, which amounted to $497.6 million in 2007, into the premiums they charge AARP members, according to AARP’s consolidated financial statement for that year.

West Nyack: Meeting about single payer health care - "Medicare for All"

Date : 2 December 2008 From : 7:00pm
Category : Health / Care Location : 10994

Event Description :

A meeting about single payer health care ("Medicare for All")

From the organizers: "We're having a doctor and nurse discuss the need for the Single Payer Health Care system and how it can reduce the cost of health care."

Location:
Jewish Federation of Rockland County
450 W Nyack Rd
West Nyack, NY 10994
Map and directions:
maps.google.com...

Contact: Steve at the email address below.

From an e-mail to AARP members:

Two things happened yesterday you ought to know.

1) The House of Representatives failed to pass an economic plan that would have helped to stabilize Wall Street.

2) Directly after the House vote the stock market lost over $1.1 TRILLION DOLLARS in value.

Is failure to take action on the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression really an option?

We shouldn't pretend that there isn't a justified and real anger in the country today. From the emails and letters we've received we know you feel it. Many of us here at AARP feel it too.

But as real as it is, now is not the time to stoke that anger.

Medicare's Poison Pill

John Geyman has an excellent post examining all the front groups opposing Medicare for All. Highly recommended.

The battle to save Medicare

Reader Jack Wajda, 69, of Orlando, a retired AT&T executive and financial planner, identifies the single greatest problem with the American health-care system as well as anyone. He writes: "To allow private for-profit insurance companies to decide whether and what type of care we receive is incomprehensible to me." ...

... Now, as Wajda correctly writes, taxpayers pay the private Medicare Advantage plans at least $9,000 a year more per patient than for traditional Medicare, with salespeople getting commissions. On top of that, the prescription benefit, Part D, has also been given to the insurance companies, which are earning high profits.

Just a reminder, we have a rotten Medicare prescription drug program in part because of the AARP.

Public Citizen has the details of some of AARP's conflict of interest.

AARP Has Financial Conflict of Interest in Medicare Drug Bill

"Taking its business activities into account, AARP would stand to gain tens of millions of dollars each year in new income under the Republican Medicare bill, a finding that presents a significant conflict of interest for an organization trying to represent the best interests of its members," said Frank Clemente, director of Public Citizen’s Congress Watch.