Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley is scolding the nation’s most-recognized retirement organization for what he says is a "misleading" sales pitch for a health insurance product. Grassley says AARP needs to account for the way it’s marketing the product which he says could leave policy holders exposed to the potentially high cost of a serious illness.
Grassley says, "I’m involved in a lot of senior citizen issues and we have the AARP selling a product maybe, and I wouldn’t say intentionally, but when you’ve got salespeople all over the country, or you’re sending out literature, there might not be a full understanding of what they’re buying." He says the group’s materials include examples of medical expenses, but the examples don’t reflect how the policy would really work.
"A lot of people thought that they were buying something that would cover the cost of various operations and other procedures and they’re finding out limits on it," Grassley says. "We are pushing AARP to make sure that they’re fully transparent on what the product pays for and what it doesn’t pay for."
The product is billed as being comprehensive but he says it’s actually very limited and would leave "consumers seriously in debt if they need intensive medical care." Iowa is among 29 states where the plan is being offered. Grassley’s also written to the insurance commissioners in each of the states to see if there have been complaints about the "health security" product.