I was just about to ask if anyone thought Medicare Advantage was a scam like I do. After much review, it looked very suspicious. Especially with the extreme number of companies that have been created to make referral fees in the guise of “helping seniors decide what’s best for them.”
If this travesty becomes law we will see a decline in life expectancy. Likely we won't know the extent, because CDC may never gather the Morbidity and Mortality data.
Excellent explanation, Merrill. As you wrote, most Medicare members will want to know how such deep Medicare spending cuts will affect them and their doctors, hospitals, other providers and MA health plans. Great job writing this: During the coming debate in the Senate, the general public needs to hear how these cuts will affect beneficiaries -- not the top line dollar number for the cuts. Thank you. I'll be watching for your next post on this issue.
Best regards, Joe Burns. I cover health policy and insurance for the Association of Health Care Journalists.
The first thing people must realize is that Advantage is not a Medicare program. Yes it is paid by the government from taxes but unlike traditional Medicare the program’s main drive is corporate bottom line and making significant profit off of human illness, by pushing the rules to the extreme. It glorifies itself as a no premium program, with extra care for eye, hearing and dental.
The care provided by Advantage is more expensive and as proven by multiple studies its outcomes are not any better than traditional Medicare. It is bankrupting the Medicare system. It makes obscene profits for company executives and stockholders by delaying and denying essential care, and increased co-insurance costs. It has been found in many instances to fraudulently upcode the severity of a visit to garner higher reimbursement. The system pushes and rewards its clinicians to upcode.
The hammer needs to fall on this travesty. Unfortunately many of our lawmakers are bribed to continue backing the corrupt practices. And in many states it is difficult to switch from Advantage to the traditional Medicare system because of another privatized part of the Medicare system, Medigap insurance, which cover 20% of Part B outpatient fees. Once a person gives up Medigap or never signs up for it, in order to get coverage those people must go through an underwriting procedure and often pay higher prices for needed Medigap.
Of course the best answers is for Medigap insurance coverage be paid by an expanded and equitable Part B fee, or better yet, go to a universal healthcare coverage as seen in all other industrialized countries in the West.
I appreciate the way you always lay things out so clearly. I’m a 76 y/o progressive; obviously this shit matters to me on a personal level.
I’m also a retired surgeon, and from where I sat, it was always transparently obvious that Mcare “Advantage” was a fucking scam from the get-go.
I was just about to ask if anyone thought Medicare Advantage was a scam like I do. After much review, it looked very suspicious. Especially with the extreme number of companies that have been created to make referral fees in the guise of “helping seniors decide what’s best for them.”
You are spot on.
And shame on all the celebrities shilling for this crap on TV.
If this travesty becomes law we will see a decline in life expectancy. Likely we won't know the extent, because CDC may never gather the Morbidity and Mortality data.
Excellent explanation, Merrill. As you wrote, most Medicare members will want to know how such deep Medicare spending cuts will affect them and their doctors, hospitals, other providers and MA health plans. Great job writing this: During the coming debate in the Senate, the general public needs to hear how these cuts will affect beneficiaries -- not the top line dollar number for the cuts. Thank you. I'll be watching for your next post on this issue.
Best regards, Joe Burns. I cover health policy and insurance for the Association of Health Care Journalists.
The first thing people must realize is that Advantage is not a Medicare program. Yes it is paid by the government from taxes but unlike traditional Medicare the program’s main drive is corporate bottom line and making significant profit off of human illness, by pushing the rules to the extreme. It glorifies itself as a no premium program, with extra care for eye, hearing and dental.
The care provided by Advantage is more expensive and as proven by multiple studies its outcomes are not any better than traditional Medicare. It is bankrupting the Medicare system. It makes obscene profits for company executives and stockholders by delaying and denying essential care, and increased co-insurance costs. It has been found in many instances to fraudulently upcode the severity of a visit to garner higher reimbursement. The system pushes and rewards its clinicians to upcode.
The hammer needs to fall on this travesty. Unfortunately many of our lawmakers are bribed to continue backing the corrupt practices. And in many states it is difficult to switch from Advantage to the traditional Medicare system because of another privatized part of the Medicare system, Medigap insurance, which cover 20% of Part B outpatient fees. Once a person gives up Medigap or never signs up for it, in order to get coverage those people must go through an underwriting procedure and often pay higher prices for needed Medigap.
Of course the best answers is for Medigap insurance coverage be paid by an expanded and equitable Part B fee, or better yet, go to a universal healthcare coverage as seen in all other industrialized countries in the West.
Two words: Trickle Down
Those MA premiums will rise ...