By Jon Decker
A recent article from Crystal Graham highlights AARP’s disappointment that the Virginia legislature rejected the creation of a so-called “Prescription Drug Affordability Board” (PDAB). In doing so, AARP has once again revealed the enormous disconnect between the organizations stated policy objectives and the interests of senior citizens whom they purport to represent.
PDABs are a backdoor method of imposing the same sort of price controls that AARP cheered for in the Inflation Reduction Act. This blatantly misnamed legislation diverted hundreds of billions of dollars from Medicare while putting seniors access to drugs at risk. AARP’s continued support for socialist price controls show that they are either uninformed as to why the government can’t decree items “free,” or are disingenuously working to pad the profits of their Big Insurance backers.
Currently, AARP earns over $1 billion in corporate royalties annually – most of it from big insurer-pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) UnitedHealth. Today, AARP’s royalty revenue is three times the amount they receive in dues from their own members. When AARP calls for government price controls – which will do nothing to promote seniors well-being – policymakers would be wise to ask just who AARP is actually advocating for these days.
Jon Decker is the Executive Director of American Commitment.
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