AARP Plans California Media Campaign Pushing Health Reform

AARP has announced plans for a statewide media campaign to endorse an overhaul of California's health care system, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The organization is not supporting a specific health care reform proposal but instead is promoting legislation in general that would reduce health care costs and expand coverage.

Mark Beach, a spokesperson for AARP, said, "We don't want to miss this very unique opportunity in California." He added, "We want to keep the issue before voters and make sure that legislative leaders know that our members and all Californians will hold them accountable for producing real reform this year."

Beach would not disclose how much the organization is spending on the campaign.

The announcement by AARP comes the same week that health care reform proposals by legislative leaders moved forward in the Senate and Assembly (Chorneau, San Francisco Chronicle, 4/26).