As Scandals Mount, So Do Calls to Abolish Private Medicare Advantage Plans

[cbabe]

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2022/12/13/scandals-mount-so-do-calls-abolish-private-medicare-advantage-plans

As Scandals Mount, So Do Calls to Abolish Private Medicare Advantage Plans
"Problems with Medicare Advantage are systemic and widespread," said Rep. Pramila Jayapal. "Not only do they too often deny care—they're ripping off taxpayers."

BRETT WILKINS
December 13, 2022

As yet another scandal involving Medicare Advantage made headlines this week, progressive U.S. lawmakers and advocates renewed calls to abolish the private health insurance program that a recent Senate report said is "running amok" with "fraudsters and scam artists."

"In reality, so-called 'Medicare Advantage' is neither Medicare nor an advantage."

In a new Nation article written with health insurance reform advocate Wendell Potter, Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) contend that one of the most confusing things facing elders while choosing their Medicare plans "is a scheme by private insurance companies to prey on seniors and profit off of the Medicare brand, all in the name of padding their corporate profits and shareholder returns."

"The scheme is called Medicare Advantage. But in reality, so-called 'Medicare Advantage' is neither Medicare nor an advantage," wrote the lawmakers, who earlier this year introduced legislation that, if passed, would ban private insurance plans from using the Medicare name.

"It's actually just private insurance that uses the trusted Medicare name to trick seniors and people with disabilities into enrolling, then profits by denying coverage for necessary medical care," Khanna and Pocan added. "It is long past time for Congress to end this scam and ensure that consumers get accurate information about their healthcare options."

…

Nearly half of Medicare's 60 million beneficiaries are currently enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans, and the majority of U.S. seniors are expected to be signed up by next year.

The ACO-REACH program, a Trump-era scheme set to take effect on January 1st that would shift some Medicare recipients to private insurance plans without their knowledge or consent, is also raising eyebrows and ire.

Hundreds of advocacy groups, as well as the Arizona Medical Association, the Seattle City Council, the Texas State Democratic Executive Committee, and the Austin AFL-CIO Council have called on the Biden administration to end ACO-REACH.

…more…

(Over charging, fake diagnosis, and more)

[rampartc]

1. these plans spend so much on advertising

how is anything left to pay for health care?

my wife has a part c plan and it has some plus sudes . she recently had some dental work. but that could be handled easily by approving medicare to handle dental.

i am on "traditional" medicare, and am extremely happy with it.

[louis-t]

2. I'd be so happy if the commercials would just go away.

And the texts. And the emails. And the spam calls.

[2naSalit]

5. I got a...

Spam call yesterday. I usually don't pick them up but I wanted to see what they were peddling.

So the caller immediately starts asking personal questions like what's my name and age. So I countered with, "Wait, who do you think you're calling? You called me, you don't know my name?" The caller, no discernible accent, keeps repeating the opening salvo by minimally identifying themself and blasting the questions. I kept asking, "Who are you calling? You sure are asking a lot of very personal questions without even knowing who you called!"

They hung up.

ETA: They said they represented something with medicare in the name.

[louis-t]

6. Yeah, it's not really medicare, it's part C

So-called "advantage'. It doesn't really pay for anything and is a big rip-off. Private insurance companies that are making a fortune off ripping off seniors.,

[2naSalit]

7. That's what I was thinking.

I have all my medicare stuff handled so I don't need anyone calling me and trying to sell me anything else.

[Rebl2]

3. My

rheumatologist warned me a couple of year’s ago to stay away from those plans because they won’t pay for some of my medications I take for RA.

[jimfields33]

4. It won't go away. Not with half of Medicare users on it.

I think you’d have a fight from those that love the advantage programs. We’ll see what happens when I have to sign up for in 13 years.