Health Care :: AARP commits to help Americans find comprehensive health care information

AARP announced an expanded and innovative relationship with UnitedHealth Group and a new relationship with Aetna, to help provide unique health insurance plans designed to meet the needs of AARP’s diverse 38 million members and others 50+.

AARP has used the power of its 38 million members to link insurers’ revenues with their ability to improve people’s health.

“In launching these initiatives, AARP is driven by our mission to create a healthier America,” said Bill Novelli, CEO of AARP. “These relationships will make the marketplace better and will continue raising standards in health care to meet the changing needs of our members.”

The Aetna agreement will focus on the needs of people 50-64 — ages where insurance often is unavailable or unaffordable at the time people need coverage the most.

The agreement with UnitedHealth Group includes Medicare Supplemental insurance, Medicare Part D plans, indemnity insurance products and Medicare Advantage offerings. This agreement is in addition to a previous AARP UnitedHealth Group relationship, under which United provides an indemnity product that serves the 50-64 population. This AARP-branded UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage program will likely be the only product in the health insurance marketplace for 2008 with a two-year commitment by the provider, doubling the requirement by law in order to provide people greater stability in their health care.

“This is an ambitious undertaking that AARP is uniquely qualified to do. By tying carrier compensation to the health of our members and other innovative measures, we are on the leading edge of health care reform,” added Dawn Sweeney, President and CEO of AARP Services, Inc. “This is patient- centered health care come to life.”

Through the AARP-branded products, the organization will help provide health insurance to an estimated 7 million people today, rising to an estimated 14 million people by 2014. AARP’s portfolio of branded health care products represents the largest health insurance program for people 50+.

AARP has a history of delivering to people what they want and need to make their lives better. These new relationships will enable us to accelerate our efforts to make our social impact goals a reality. For almost 50 years, AARP has used the power of people – today more than 38 million strong — to improve the things our members and society care about and to enhance the public good. Today, AARP also announced that it is dedicating a half-billion dollars over 10 years in royalty revenues from the UnitedHealth Group and Aetna relationships to a new program designed to help all Americans find health information and assistance.

“With great health care products comes the responsibility of helping the public navigate our country’s complex health care system. Millions of Americans are struggling to find accurate and reliable health information and AARP is determined to help its members find answers,” said Novelli.

The new program, called AARP Health AID, will help Americans find answers to their health care questions — anyone, anytime, anywhere. The effort is intended to help people get the health care answers they are looking for, whether it is remote caregiving for older relatives, arranging long-term care services, providing information about health conditions and disease prevention, and information to help encourage healthy lifestyles.


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