Aarp

A LADY NEVER discusses her age, but let me hint at mine by saying that, Katie Couric notwithstanding, I am not yet due for my first colonoscopy.But as I creep toward 50, there is another milestone waiting for me: a letter from the AARP inviting me to join. Apparently, this is not my father's AARP. It doesn't even call itself American Association of Retired Persons anymore, choosing instead to be known henceforth by its acronym only. (That is: A-A-R-P, not "arp," which sounds too much like a dog with a toy caught in its throat or your Uncle Norman after Thanksgiving dinner.

WASHINGTON - On the heels of the final presidential debate, Sen. John Kerry is expected to address more than 20,000 people at the AARP's national convention in Las Vegas tomorrow. President Bush has not yet accepted an invitation. AARP, a co-sponsor of tonight's presidential debate in Tempe, Ariz., has invited both candidates to its annual convention in neighboring Nevada, which has drawn 23,000 conventioneers - a record number for the organization. AARP officials said that they were still in discussions with Bush campaign officials over a stop at the convention.

WASHINGTON -- After holding its fire all year, the nation's powerful seniors lobby is declaring war on the GOP's plan to overhaul Medicare, heralding a titanic fight over the future of the medical insurance program for America's 37 million elderly.In a nationwide advertising and mailing blitz set to begin today, the American Association of Retired Persons plans an all-out assault on the Republican plan to reduce Medicare spending by $270 billion by the year 2002."We think $270 billion is too much and seven years is too fast," one top AARP official said Monday.

They giggled and whispered as the teacher talked about traffic rules and regulations, interrupting his instructions on safe following distance and what to do in case of equipment failure with personal anecdotes.Instructor Howard Klug Sr. tried calling them to order, but the whispering and tittering swelled again in minutes.Adolescent behavior aside, this is no typical driver's education class. The students in this course slid behind a steering wheel for the first time before shortages of rubber and gasoline limited the number of cars on the road during World War II.One student, Howard Bonn of Heritage Harbour, recalls his first car was a used 1934 Chevrolet coupe that he bought for $300.

The Patapsco Valley American Association of Retired Persons 3850 hasa lot to report this month.The lunch-bunch group will not meet this month or next. The next gathering will be on March 17 for a St. Patrick's Day lunch at the Beltway Restaurant.For further information, call Bim Wheeler at 859-1499.CharlesHaslup, director of the Notables, reports that the group successfully completed its fifth year of entertainment programs at the end of December and will take a much-needed vacation through February.

GLAMOUR! It exists even for some who have passed into "a certain age." Nowhere was this better proved than at last week's AARP Magazine's "Movies For Grownups" awards at the Bel Air Hotel. The lineup? - Julie Christie, Jackie Bisset, Julie Andrews, Gena Rowlands, Ruby Dee, Angela Lansbury, Shirley Jones and Dana Delany. And a few "glamorous" men such as Michael York, Hal Holbrook and John Cleese. Everybody was in fine fettle. My friend, the equally glam Caroline Graham, put this together, and Hollywood loves her way with a fete.

WASHINGTON -- In late 2003, when the Bush administration was struggling to get its Medicare prescription drug program through Congress, a timely endorsement by the AARP helped turn the tide in its favor. But the program has become more than just a legislative victory for the influential lobbying group and its pro-senior citizen agenda. The private insurance plan carrying the AARP's brand is emerging as the leading choice of Medicare beneficiaries signing up for drug coverage. With at least 1.8 million members and counting, the AARP plan has the potential to generate royalty revenues amounting to tens of millions of dollars for the organization.

WASHINGTON - Despite government attempts to help senior citizens cope with the high cost of medicine, average wholesale prescription drug prices are rising at about three times the rate of inflation, according to an AARP study released yesterday. The increases came just before Medicare began its pharmacy discount card program, negating much of the savings the government promised to seniors, AARP said. The new Medicare law establishing the drug benefit, which AARP supported, has done nothing to discourage steep price increases, the group found after reviewing the top 197 brand-name drugs used by patients 50 and older.

WASHINGTON - AARP, the influential lobby for older Americans, said yesterday that it will seek changes in the new $395 billion Medicare law to allow the government to negotiate lower drug prices for Medicare beneficiaries if private insurers do not rein in drug costs. "We are beginning an all-out effort to lower the high cost of prescription drugs," said William D. Novelli, chief executive of AARP. The law explicitly prohibits the government from interfering in negotiations between manufacturers and the private entities that will provide subsidized drug benefits to the elderly.

They wield enormous financial clout, but many baby boomers and older consumers are poor money managers because they lack the time needed to understand the increasingly complex world of investments, according to a report released today by AARP. "Many are doing well, but many are not. And the markets are really not always working to the benefit of the consumer," said John Rother, director of policy and strategy at AARP in Washington. "Many consumers are having trouble making the right decisions."