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Why Insurers Love Medicare Advantage


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2009 Oct 11, 11:03pm   697 views  1 comment

by elliemae   ➕follow (3)   💰tip   ignore  

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_13528202

"Democrats, led by President Obama, say eliminating a subsidy given to private insurers who offer Medicare Advantage plans will help pay for health care reform and improve traditional Medicare. Republicans, led by Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch, have mounted an unsuccessful campaign to protect the subsidy. Hatch argues the plans are a boon to rural areas in particular.

"I hate to say it but there are times I actually believe the only reason they want to get rid of Medicare Advantage is that they consider it a Republican program," Hatch said during a recent Senate Finance Committee hearing."

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No, he doesn't hate to say it.  It's the mantra of both parties.  Medicare Advantage programs are HMO's that are designed, like all HMO's, to deny benefits to patients.  They cost us more, provide less service to the customers, and pay higher commissions to the agents so they're pushed over traditional Medicare supplements. 

Hatch argues that they're a boon to rural areas - WTF?  He can say whatever he wants, they limit service and line the pocket of big insurance.  How does that benefit rural areas?  It actually forces providers in rural areas to either join the plans or patients to travel hundreds of miles for care.  Medicare Advantage programs require contracted providers, which lowers the reimbursement to doctors, hospitals, pharmacies, dme providers, etc; costing the senior more in travel, gas, etc costs to travel to providers, and raises the govt reimbursement to the insurance companies. 

Physicians have a hard enough time managing their patients without an insurance company up their collective asses.

#politics

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1   PeopleUnited   2009 Oct 13, 12:16pm  

"Physicians have a hard enough time managing their patients without an insurance company up their collective asses."

Nice. I hate it when the collective asses are in control too. No one should have anything in their ass they don't want there.

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