Romancing AARP

By Robert Farley, Catharine Richert
Published on Wednesday, August 12th, 2009 at 5:05 p.m.

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AARP is "endorsing" the health care reform bill.

Barack Obama, Tuesday, August 11th, 2009.

Ruling: Barely True | Details

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President Obama, shown here at an AARP forum, keeps saying the group endorses his health care plan.

With polls showing seniors are the most skeptical about the health care reform bills working their way through Congress, President Barack Obama sought to ease some of their concerns during a town hall meeting with a little high-powered name-dropping.

The name: AARP.

Several times at the town hall in Portsmouth, N.H., on Aug. 11, Obama specifically mentioned AARP's support for health care reform. It's little wonder why: The AARP is the country's largest and most powerful advocate for seniors.

"We have the AARP on board because they know this is a good deal for our seniors," Obama said at one point.

And later, in response to a question about whether the health care plan would reduce the availability of medications through Medicare, Obama said, "Well, first of all, another myth that we've been hearing about is this notion that somehow we're going to be cutting your Medicare benefits. We are not. AARP would not be endorsing a bill if it was undermining Medicare, okay?"

So was Obama correct that AARP has endorsed the plan? We checked the facts and rated his claim Barely True .