AARP Spent Millions Advocating for New Laws That Likely Benefit a Major Corporate Backer

Old Person

AARP, an organization that represents the interests of retired Americans, spent tens of millions of dollars promoting provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) that likely benefit the bottom line of one of the group’s major corporate backers.

AARP spent more than $60 million between 2019 and summer 2022 advocating for a provision that eventually made it into the IRA allowing Medicare to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies over the prices of certain drugs, according to an article posted on the group’s website. The provisions would require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to negotiate the prices of certain drugs with drug manufacturers starting in 2026.

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‘Effectively Overcharges Seniors’: AARP Rakes in Record Profits Selling Brand Royalties While Overcharging Members

old man and woman walking outside together

The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) raked in massive profits in 2020, mostly from royalties on branded health insurance policies, not memberships, according to company financial documents.

AARP’s 2020 Form 990 shows that the organization reported $1.6 billion in revenue, with roughly $1 billion, or over 60%, from royalty revenue. Meanwhile, membership dues contributed under 20% of total revenue.

AARP’s 2019 Form 990 reported $1.72 billion in revenue, with royalties making up nearly 56% of revenue while membership dues contributed just 17%.

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Polls Show Voters Agree With GOP’s Johnson On Key Issues, But Democrat Walz Holds Small Lead in Governor’s Race

Jeff Johnson, Tim Walz

Two new polls released this week show that Democrat Tim Walz has a slight edge over Republican Jeff Johnson in the race for Minnesota’s governor. The first poll, conducted by KSTP and Survey USA, reveals that 47 percent of likely voters back Walz, while 40 percent support Johnson, and 10…

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