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Medicare DisAdvantage strikes again! [1]

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Date: 2023-10-31  

There have been many posts here about the advantages and dangers of Medicare Advantage (MA) for the average consumer. They are extremely appealing with low or no cost policies, and more benefits than standard Medicare. But if you choose MA, beware that you are back in the pool of private for-profit corporate insurers. And they have one motive, and it ain’t to provide you with good health care.

Now there is an article out from NBC News that I will excerpt from below, that points out an additional huge problem with MA. Private profiteers don’t like actually paying out for needed medical care, and do everything they can to avoid paying. And this is impacting hospitals big time, especially those in rural areas. The full article is here: Deny, deny, deny

Here are some key passages if you don’t want to read the whole thing:

'Deny, deny, deny': By rejecting claims, Medicare Advantage plans threaten rural hospitals and patients, say CEOs Medicare Advantage plans "are taking over Medicare and they are taking advantage of elderly patients," said the CEO of one Mississippi facility.

Even worse, because the plans routinely deny coverage for necessary care, they are threatening the existence of struggling rural hospitals nationwide, CEOs of facilities in six states told NBC News. While the number of older Americans who rely on Medicare Advantage in rural areas continues to rise, these denials force the hospitals to eat the increasing costs of care, causing some to close operations and leave residents without access to treatment.

“They don’t want to reimburse for anything — deny, deny, deny,” Dr. Kenneth Williams, CEO of Alliance HealthCare, said of Medicare Advantage plans. “They are taking over Medicare and they are taking advantage of elderly patients.” Williams is something of a local hero in Holly Springs. When the area hospital was in danger of closing in 1999, he marshaled resources and bought it to keep it open. Alliance serves a county with 38,000 people. Still, this spring he had to shut down a long-time geriatric psychiatry program that had served the community for over eight years. Coverage denials from Medicare Advantage plans killed the program, Williams said.

Another reason for the growth may be the significantly larger commissions the government pays to brokers selling Medicare Advantage plans. In 2024, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid will pay brokers a commission of between $611 and $762 for the first year of a Medicare Advantage plan, depending on the state, and roughly half that on annual renewals. On Medicare supplements, by contrast, CMS will pay just $100 in initial commissions and $50 a year on renewals.

So, when choosing you seniors are choosing your medical care insurance, please beware of the dangers and side effects of MA. Not only could it cause you harm, you could be damaging the entire healthcare system of your community.

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/10/31/2202835/-Medicare-DisAdvantage-strikes-again?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=trending&pm_medium=web

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