A. Barry Rand Kicks off Vegas@50+

Good morning everyone. It's wonderful to see so many members of the AARP family here to celebrate "Vegas@50+." I'm excited. This is my first AARP "National Event & Expo," and I'm really looking forward to it. We've got a great line up of speakers, programs, educational sessions, and just plain fun. But—what I'm looking forward to the most is the opportunity to meet as many of you as I can.

I was deeply honored last April when the Board named me to succeed Bill Novelli as AARP's CEO. However, I prefer to call myself your "Chief Servant."

I've been at the helm now just over six months, and I have to tell you. I love my work. In these times—with so much at stake—I can't think of any other place I'd rather be—fighting for you; fighting for America.

AARP—all of us—are at the forefront of the transformational issue of our time—the aging of the population and the question of how will society embrace these changes. People are concerned about their health and financial security. They also seek a sense of meaning and purpose. And, oh, by the way, we all still want to have fun.

So whatever your concerns or interests, AARP is here to help you make the most of your life and help you realize your hopes and dreams.

However, the issue that is top of mind for everyone right now is health care reform.

As we head into the final stretch of the health care reform debate, I would like to set the record straight regarding where AARP stands and what we are fighting for.

First, let me be clear: AARP has not endorsed any of the bills currently under consideration. AARP does believe that Americans need health care reform now. To us, health care reform means fixing what's wrong and preserving what's right. It means improving care for all Americans and getting more value for our health care dollar. THAT'S REFORM.

It's a complicated issue, so I want to take a moment and talk about it. Think of this as a working session. Tonight, I'm going to ask you to party, but this morning, I'm going to ask you to work.

AARP is fighting to make sure several elements get into the final bill.

First Goal: Do no harm. This means protecting Medicare benefits for the people who rely on the program. It means ensuring that you can keep your current health insurance coverage if you want to. And it means protecting your right to see the doctor of your choice. Health care reform must ensure that any decision about your health is being made by you and your doctor, not by an insurance company and not by the government. THAT'S REFORM.

Second Goal: Protect and Strengthen Medicare. Seniors today and in the future must have the health coverage they need, and they must be able to afford it.

That means closing the infamous Part D doughnut hole and lowering drug costs for millions of seniors on Medicare. Prescription drugs keep people out of hospitals; out of emergency rooms; and out of doctor's offices. They give people hope and in many cases save lives. But they cannot do any of those things if they are unaffordable. Getting the prescription drugs you need should be based on your doctor's orders; not on the condition of your bank account. THAT'S REFORM.

It also means aggressively cracking down on waste, fraud and abuse in Medicare. We need to stop over-billing, cut out unnecessary paper work and unnecessary tests, and focus on the quality of the care being provided and not the quantity of treatments being prescribed. THAT'S REFORM.

Third Goal: Affordable Coverage Options for People Under 65. Put simply: No one should be denied affordable health insurance because of their age or health status. Period.

AARP supports strict limits on charging Americans 50+ higher premiums simply because of their age. Insurance companies should not be able to charge an older person ten times what they charge a younger person for the same insurance. It's discriminatory and it must change. THAT'S REFORM.

Insurance companies should not be able to reject you, or charge you an outrageous premium because you got sick once, might get sick again, lost your job, are over 50-years old, or because your employer dropped your coverage.

Having quality affordable health insurance will never again be a matter of wealth or luck. THAT'S REFORM.