St. Pete Times Editoral...12/7/2008

[Russ]

An editorial means squat. It's whatever their political leanings are. Medicare is rife with fraud and waste. As stated, with original Medicare, a person with a stroke would go bankrupt.

Supplements are over-insuring. It's stupid to pay a premium for small ticket items in health care. All anyone needs is catastophic and then maintenance coverage.

Rather than pay a premium, I would rather bank the money and pay the 20%. Bet I come out ahead.

Just about everything is rife with fraud and waste.

A person w/a stroke needed an LTC policy.

Problem w/Medicare...no stop-loss on the 20% of part B....thus the need for med-supps....plus, we're usually not talking about 30 year-old healthy people either.

 

[Googly Moogly]

Typical editoral, this person never talked to a senior who got wacked with a huge CAT scan bill or a bunch of doctors bills that kept them up at night. I've sat at the kithcen tables of these seniors and it's very sad, many are on such a tight budget and any illness or problem and there underwater. Most of these MA plans will pay for preventive testing, limit the cost of the big test and put a cap on annual costs. These ploticians and so-call journalits never talk about the crying senior who worked hard there whole life and have to decide between food and healthcare expences.
These plans work. Original Medicare is based on a 40 year old model....not todays cost. Lets help the seniors, there the ones who put into the sytem in the first place.

Here is a copy of a little I sent to them.

I am writing in response to the editorial on December 7 about the Medicare Advantage program. It was a thoughtful and well written piece; however in fairness to Medicare beneficiaries, as well as, insurance company employees I believe it would be nice for the Times to really be honest. The Times not only wants to eliminate Medicare Advantage you also want to make health care more expensive for some seniors and you want to eliminate jobs. In fact you might want to let your Advertising department know that some of its income is going to be eliminated as well.
Yes over payments should be examined and a compromises should be reached. However, with the Times myopic viewpoint about the reality of the Medicare Advantage plans maybe it would behoove the editorial board to examine some of the advantages of the plans. First, it helps some of the most vulnerable seniors keep their medical costs reasonable. Sure some can get extra help from Medicaid, however many cannot. Remember not all doctors accept Medicaid. Another advantage to these health plans is that they employee thousands of taxpaying US citizens. That is right taxpaying US citizens. That means that salaries are paid and tax dollars return back to the federal government, which in turn funds the Medicare program. With these Medicare contracts funds are out in the public and private sector. Eliminate the plan and this industry will become obsolete with thousands of jobs gone and tax revenues diminished. The Medicare Advantage plan may have some problems;
however it does more good than appears on the surface.
Tell us how much the Times has made from Medicare Advantage Plans…..will you?



The Times however deleted two sentences from my letter. Both dealt with the advertisment department at the Times.

" In fact you might want to let your Advertising department know that some of its income is going to be eliminated as well."

"Tell us how much the Times has made from Medicare Advantage Plans…..will you?"

Both deleted. I wonder why?

Of course this is only a editorial but it plants seeds into the populace's head.
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I am kind of pissed at myself because I meant to add something in about Alexander Hamilton's Report of Manufacturers...which came out in 1791. Oh well.
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It seems to me that the Medicare Advantage programs actually expands the economy whereas getting rid of the programs wouild constrict the economy.

Plenty of ancillary business making money as well.

St. Pete Times gets thousands a day from MA companies for ads in the paper.

hahaha

 

[captain94]

I think the end is coming for the MA business.