Large Hospital Groups Cancelling Contracts with Medicare "Advantage" Carriers

[chowmama]

40. I could have stayed on my work insurance

But chose to go on Medicare when the time came, knowing I'd need a supplement for Part D. My work insurance had double-digit increases in paycheck contributions every single year, for years, with a larger co-pay to boot and sometimes less coverage. My co-workers who made claims from time to time always were denied first and had to contest the first decision to get any coverage at all. It was supposed to be a non-profit company in our state, although they're for-profit in some others. No way was I staying.

I looked at my current year's contribution (knowing it would be larger in a month or two) and used that to see what I could get for the same money, Medicare and supplement counted together. I also wanted a real non-profit company based in my state (Minnesota). And an Advantage plan was not of any interest for reasons I'll state below.

For no more than my work insurance co-pay, counting both Medicare and my non-Advantage supplement, I have better coverage than I had with the work plan. Now, I realize I can afford it because I'm still working, so I'm lucky that way. When I start collecting Social Security in 2 months, I'll still be able to afford it even after I retire. But I've watched my co-workers deal with the plans getting switched around and around, and just continuing to get worse and worse. I'm well out of it. And yet I've had right wingers ask me and DH, "So, Medicare is a good thing?". They listen to Faux News and RW talk radio; they can't and won't believe it. Advantage is marketed to them.

Advantage is a suckers' game, IMO. It was invented to kill Medicare. I don't care how cheap the coverage is now - what do you think it'll be when Medicare no longer exists? When they win, there's no competition, and you have no choice but to buy their product? If possible, they'll lobby to still force people to buy something and they're the only something available.

I'm guessing those great rates will spiral upwards like a tornado, and the coverage will essentially disappear. Get sick enough, they'll find a way to drop you entirely. An entire country with all the sick people on what used to be called 'Sign of the Cross' insurance - none at all. And the healthy people paying through the nose for little to nothing, one big bill away from being in the same boat.

I don't think they can kill it before I die, so if I was selfish, I wouldn't care. But I don't want my kids, grandkids, or anybody's kids to have to live like that. This is still a civilized society, not the permanent feudal state the corporate interests dream of.

The makers of Medicare Advantage are not our friends. We don't have to help them.