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The AARP, formerly the American Association of Retired Persons, is a non-profit organization for people over 50, regardless of retirement status. It was founded by Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus in 1947 to address health insurance and retirement issues for retired teachers, but expanded to all occupations. The AARP has faced criticism for lobbying for laws that may not benefit all members and for its relationship with insurance companies. However, it offers discounts and a magazine to its 30 million members.
The American Association of Retired Persons is now known exclusively by its acronym, AARP. This is because membership is not limited to those who are retired and, as is often the case, many people over the age of 50 continue to work. The AARP defines itself as a nonprofit, nonpartisan group for people over the age of 50, but it has been plagued by allegations that it lobbying for passage of laws, such as the Medicare Prescription Act of 2003, that may not always be in the interest of all its members. There are over 30 million members of the AARP, making it one of the largest non-profit membership organizations in the United States.
The founding of the AARP was inspired by the National Retired Teachers Association (NRTA), founded in 1947 by Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus. With the NRTA, Andrus has sought to address some of the issues facing retired teachers, particularly concerns about health insurance and the tendency for retirees to feel displaced after they leave their jobs. Andrus had numerous theories of productive aging and was particularly concerned about the small pensions awarded to teachers. The NRTA and its large group of members enabled Andrus to approach large health insurance companies and eventually find companies willing to cover retired teachers at minimal cost.
In the 1950s, Andrus began to realize that retirement and health insurance issues were not unique to teachers. Having small pensions has tested many workers in many fields, making life very difficult. Thus the AARP was created to accommodate retirees of all occupations, provided they were age 50 or older, and in the late 20th century, the AARP welcomed any American over the age of 50, retired or less.
The AARP has received some significant criticism and investigations regarding its status as a nonprofit. Some critics argued that the AARP had become no better than a broker for various insurance companies. Those allegations were enough to warrant a government investigation into the state of the organization in the 1990s. These investigations revealed insufficient evidence to change the organization, and because the AARP is classified as a 501c4 nonprofit, lobbying is permitted under federal law.
In addition to offering or approving certain insurance plans for retirees, the AARP has proven particularly beneficial to its members by negotiating discounts for seniors or its members. Reduced fares for travel, airfare, hotel stays, and discounts at retail stores, restaurants, and theaters can help a lower-income retiree still participate fully in leisure activities. The AARP also publishes a bi-monthly magazine, called AARP: The Magazine, which tends to address issues common to the over-50s and offers social or political advice to its members.
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