AARP Launches New Health Care Radio Ad Blitz

Ads Complement Age Tax TV & New Social Media Ad Focused on Bill Crafted in Secrecy

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Jun 20, 2017, 18:40 ET

WASHINGTON, June 20, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AARP today released a new radio ad urging seven Senators to oppose the health care bill because it would strip coverage away from millions of Americans.

The radio ads launching this week ask constituents to contact U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Cory Gardner (R-CO), Dean Heller (R-NV), Rob Portman (R-OH), and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), to ask their Senators to vote 'NO' on the health care bill. It tells Senators "It's your choice whether to stand with us, or support a bill being written in secret – a bill that could make it harder for us to afford to go to the doctor, fill our prescriptions, or get the basic medical care we depend on. Just one vote could be enough to stop this bill."

The ad compliments a major TV ad campaign focusing on the Age Tax that would dramatically increase costs for older Americans. The TV ad is running in eight states (Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Ohio, Nevada, Tennessee, and West Virginia).

"We urge the Senate to scrap the House bill and start over to craft something without the harmful policies that would create an Age Tax, undermine protections for people with pre-existing conditions, and cut Medicaid taking away coverage and putting some of our most vulnerable citizens at risk," said AARP Executive Vice President Nancy LeaMond. "AARP is sending Senators a message that we're watching and will inform our members how they voted on this high-cost, less coverage bill."

AARP's new social media video spot features the health care-loving stuffed animal squirrel named Charlie, who returns home after traveling to the secretive Senate in search of public hearings on the health care bill. Charlie's post-journey report can be found here: https://youtu.be/TtSyD2V3oeY

AARP's television ads may be seen here.

The full scripts to the radio ads may be seen below with Nevada as an example:

Voice-over:
Most [Nevadans] don't have a choice. We don't get to decide how much our health care costs go up. No one's asking us if older Americans should be charged five times more for coverage than everyone else.

And it's not our decision if Congress cuts Medicaid, leaving millions of seniors without the care they need.
No, we don't get to make those choices.

But [Senator Heller]…you do.

And the choice you make on the new health care bill in Congress will decide whether countless Nevadans keep their health coverage or have it stripped away – especially people over fifty.

It's your choice whether to stand with us, or support a bill being written in secret – a bill that could make it harder for us to afford to go to the doctor, fill our prescriptions, or get the basic medical care we depend on.

Just one vote could be enough to stop this bill. And [Senator Heller], that vote is yours. Call [Senator Heller] today. Tell him to vote NO on the healthcare bill. Paid for by AARP.

About AARP
AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering Americans 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With nearly 38 million members and offices in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, AARP works to strengthen communities and advocate for what matters most to families with a focus on health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also works for individuals in the marketplace by sparking new solutions and allowing carefully chosen, high-quality products and services to carry the AARP name. As a trusted source for news and information, AARP produces the world's largest circulation publications, AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org or follow @AARP and @AARPadvocates on social media.