How Wellpoint is looking out for us!!! | Arthritis Information

 

Around open enrollment time for private Medicare plans, my 70 yr old cousin starts getting calls from telemarketers, "Wouldn't you like to pay less for insurance?  We have a new plan, let our salesperson visit you and just tell you about it."  Interested in possibly saving money, she invites them to her house.  Many of these salespeople are outright liars and devious.  One told her the offer was only good for that day, she had to sign that day.  Another lied about the deadline, saying she until the end of the month when she had til the following month.  When asked for printed literature, one had nothing to give her.  One offered stupid logic, why not pay as you go, why pay a premium of 0, buy his plan for less, and SHOULD she get sick, pay hospital bills then -- well, just what is insurance about?  Insurance plans are very tricky to understand these days, and often these salespeople are just interested in their commission, and not the health care of seniors.

 

Currently, a 10.6% cut in all ready low Medicare reimbursement rates to physicians is to go into effect July 2008.   The consequence, seniors and the disabled on Medicare may have a difficult time in finding doctors to treat them as more gp's and family physicians will not accept them because of low reimbursement rate.  There is legislation being considered now to stop this cut, and to redirect money from the private insurance Medicare Advantage program which costs the government (taxpayers) more money than traditional fee for service Medicare.  Why are we subsidizing private insurance companies at the expense of reducing access to care for elderly senior and disabled patients?

 

I will try and post the legislation that will halt the Medicare cut on another thread.  The reduction in reimbursement is to go into effect July 2008, so there isn't much time.  People need to contact their representatives, and the White House, as Bush has threatened to veto this bill -- he supports private insurance companies rather than consumers.

     

 

 

Sigh,

 

Pip