WASHINGTON, Dec. 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AARP Legislative Policy Director David Certner gave the following statement today in response to a new Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) rule.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070209/NYF043LOGO )

"This policy is a civil rights and economic fiasco. It is a wrong-headed move to legalize discrimination, allowing employers to back off their health care commitments based on nothing more than age.

"This is far more than an age issue. The costs of health care are skyrocketing for everyone, from the corporate board room to the kitchen table. By transferring health care costs, the EEOC merely passes the buck to those who can little afford it.

"It's time to stop shifting costs and start controlling them. Our country needs real solutions to control the rising costs of health care. Political, business, union, and non-profit leaders, as well as individuals, all have roles to play in making sure that every American has access to affordable health care."

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to either political campaigns or candidates. We produce AARP The Magazine, published bimonthly; AARP Bulletin, our monthly newspaper; AARP Segunda Juventud, our bimonthly magazine in Spanish and English; NRTA Live & Learn, our quarterly newsletter for 50+ educators; and our website, AARP.org. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. SOURCE AARP

-0- 12/27/2007