Explain to me why Medicare Advantage plans are bad.

[healthmyths]

I am on Medicare.
I have a Medicare advantage plan.
The differences...

My Medicare Advantage plan Versus Traditional Medicare Fee for Services (FFS)
More money in my SS check
Under my Advantage plan..My SS check is NOT reduced by $1,156 annually ---
Under Traditional FFS $1,156 deducted from SS.

NO Co-pays
Everytime I see the doctor NO co-pay... no deductibles zero.. nothing
But under FFS Part B I would have to pay the first $162 and then 20% co-pay office visits!

FREE $600 over the counter
Every month I can order FREE up to $50 in over the counter health products.. aspirin, blood pressure meter,etc.

Nothing from Medicare FFS.

Little or NO FRAUD!!!
Medicare pays a flat monthly fee to my advantage plan. NO opportunity for fraud!
Total costs are known! And all done under the lowest bid.
BUT with Medicare FFS hospitals are overcharging sometimes 6,000%!

Continual Monitoring of my health...
I am looking at a list of preventive screenings my Advantage plan wants me to complete!
They know if I take these screenings I reduce greater problems and therefore more costs!
They remind me to have blood tests at least twice a year.
eyes checked every year.
Foot specialists are paid for..

Traditional Medicare... DOES NOTHING!
NO material encouraging me to see my doctor!
NOTHING.

So given the REAL dollars difference
$1,156 MORE in my SS check with my advantage plan
$162 I don't have to pay but would have to with traditional FFS.
NO co-pays versus Medicare 20% for each visit!
$600 a year in FREE OTC products.
Constant monitoring of my health...

Those of you on traditional Medicare tell me you have a better deal???

 

[Greenbeard]

They're not bad. They're expensive, with little resulting consumer surplus to show for it. Their promise of lowering costs never materialized.

 

[NYcarbineer]

They're costing more than traditional Medicare. They're not competitive. That's where part of the savings in Obamacare's changes to Medicare come from. Cutting the subsidies to Medicare Advantage.

 

[healthmyths]

They're not bad. They're expensive, with little resulting consumer surplus to show for it. Their promise of lowering costs never materialized.

DID for me! Nearly $2,000 more with my Advantage plan in my pocket!

 

[healthmyths]

They're costing more than traditional Medicare. They're not competitive. That's where part of the savings in Obamacare's changes to Medicare come from. Cutting the subsidies to Medicare Advantage.

AGAIN... It saved ME $2,000 a year from being on regular Medicare!

So again why would I want the Advantage plan to go away?

 

[Greenbeard]

They're not bad. They're expensive, with little resulting consumer surplus to show for it. Their promise of lowering costs never materialized.

DID for me! Nearly $2,000 more with my Advantage plan in my pocket!

$2,000 more than what?

 

[occupied]

They're not bad. They're expensive, with little resulting consumer surplus to show for it. Their promise of lowering costs never materialized.

DID for me! Nearly $2,000 more with my Advantage plan in my pocket!

I think he was talking about costs to the government, seems you cost the government 12% more than someone on regular medicare.

 

[healthmyths]

Oh and as far as competitive???
YOU evidently know NOTHING about Medicare and the huge markups hospitals charge Medicare.
Do a little research as I've done on EMTALA!
Then see why a "good intention" legislation in 1986 has created these 6,000% markups to Medicare.
And then tell me my advantage plan WHICH doesn't have such an issue.. is NOT cost effective!

Medicare pays my advantage plan $800 per month.
MY advantage plan has less then $200 costs from me so they are ahead AND I"M GLAD!!!!!!
Because as I get older I'll have more expenses BUT the major point is Medicare still has only
$800/month to pay out! Does NOT have 6,000% markups to contend with!

See people like you don't do any research you just mouth off an opinion passed by the biased MSM that are total mouthpieces for the administration!
I bet you still believe there are 50 million uninsured even though the Census says 10 million are
not citizens, 14 million are covered by Medicaid ALREADY and 18 million counted as uninsured
PAY THEIR OWN way when it comes to health services. They are under age 34 , make over $50k have no need for insurance as average expenditure for them per person is less then $1800!
YET they were counted so wrongly that you and others still believe there are 50 million uninsured!
Wrong! Less then 8 million and that fraud was used to pass Obamacare and NO one seems to care that if an organization CAN'T even figure out how many truly need their services what kind of f...king service will they perform? Is it no wonder that Medicare doesn't care they get charge 6,000% over costs!

 

[Greenbeard]

Medicare pays my advantage plan $800 per month.
MY advantage plan has less then $200 costs from me so they are ahead AND I"M GLAD!!!!!!

Awesome. I'm glad the government could pay your private insurer four times what it costs to treat you.

If that's not a good use of federal tax dollars, I don't know what is.

 

[occupied]

Oh and as far as competitive???
YOU evidently know NOTHING about Medicare and the huge markups hospitals charge Medicare.
Do a little research as I've done on EMTALA!
Then see why a "good intention" legislation in 1986 has created these 6,000% markups to Medicare.
And then tell me my advantage plan WHICH doesn't have such an issue.. is NOT cost effective!

Medicare pays my advantage plan $800 per month.
MY advantage plan has less then $200 costs from me so they are ahead AND I"M GLAD!!!!!!
Because as I get older I'll have more expenses BUT the major point is Medicare still has only
$800/month to pay out! Does NOT have 6,000% markups to contend with!

See people like you don't do any research you just mouth off an opinion passed by the biased MSM that are total mouthpieces for the administration!
I bet you still believe there are 50 million uninsured even though the Census says 10 million are
not citizens, 14 million are covered by Medicaid ALREADY and 18 million counted as uninsured
PAY THEIR OWN way when it comes to health services. They are under age 34 , make over $50k have no need for insurance as average expenditure for them per person is less then $1800!
YET they were counted so wrongly that you and others still believe there are 50 million uninsured!
Wrong! Less then 8 million and that fraud was used to pass Obamacare and NO one seems to care that if an organization CAN'T even figure out how many truly need their services what kind of f...king service will they perform? Is it no wonder that Medicare doesn't care they get charge 6,000% over costs!

Stick to your own topic, it is a fact that it costs more to keep you insured under MA and it is a fact that they are structured to push people who are sicker and cost more onto traditional medicare. From a fiscal standpoint they are wasting money on this particular entitlement program, are you not for fiscal responsibility when it might affect your wallet?

 

[Political Junky]

They're costing more than traditional Medicare. They're not competitive. That's where part of the savings in Obamacare's changes to Medicare come from. Cutting the subsidies to Medicare Advantage.

AGAIN... It saved ME $2,000 a year from being on regular Medicare!

So again why would I want the Advantage plan to go away?

So, you're not willing to give up Medicare either, I'll bet.

 

[healthmyths]

They're not bad. They're expensive, with little resulting consumer surplus to show for it. Their promise of lowering costs never materialized.

DID for me! Nearly $2,000 more with my Advantage plan in my pocket!

$2,000 more than what?

Did you read where if I were under traditional Medicare $1,156 would be deducted from my SS check... NOW I'll go slow... BUT under my Advantage plan there is NO $1,156 deduction from my SS check!!

Did you note that I don't have to pay the first $162 in office visits under my Advantage plan that I would have to with traditional Medicare?

Did you not read where I don't pay any 20% co-pay as I would have under traditional Medicare??

Did you not read where I GET in the mail $600 of OTC (that's Over the counter in case you have a problem) sent by my Advantage plan... NOTHING from Medicare!!

I also didn't include that I get FREE health club membership with my Advantage Plan!!!

 

[Clementine]

They're costing more than traditional Medicare. They're not competitive. That's where part of the savings in Obamacare's changes to Medicare come from. Cutting the subsidies to Medicare Advantage.

AGAIN... It saved ME $2,000 a year from being on regular Medicare!

So again why would I want the Advantage plan to go away?

You don't want to lose it because it's good. Obamacare will pretty much eliminate all the good plans people have and we'll eventually all have the worst plan imaginable. Employers are going to drop insurance and people will be forced to go to government, which was what this health care reform was designed to accomplish.

Government refused to allow health insurance companies to compete, which improves quality and lowers cost. The auto insurance companies proved that. Government control is what screwed things up. Now they want to put the private insurers out of business.

There has been a lot of criticism about the so-called "cadillac plans", which is what Medicare Advantage and any other decent plan is considered. Obama and his ilk don't think we deserve to have good plans, so we will have to adjust to lesser plans and lowered quality of health care. It's no wonder Obama and the rest of them excluded themselves from this shit.

Why doesn't the media press him about this? He lies and tells us that Obamacare is a good thing, but apparently not good enough for him and his family. That is what really burns me. While he is taking away your own plan (that he promised you wouldn't have to give up), he himself won't settle for what is being forced on the rest of us.

 

[Greenbeard]

Did you read where if I were under traditional Medicare $1,156 would be deducted from my SS check... NOW I'll go slow... BUT under my Advantage plan there is NO $1,156 deduction from my SS check!!

Did you note that I don't have to pay the first $162 in office visits under my Advantage plan that I would have to with traditional Medicare?

Did you not read where I don't pay any 20% co-pay as I would have under traditional Medicare??

Did you not read where I GET in the mail $600 of OTC (that's Over the counter in case you have a problem) sent by my Advantage plan... NOTHING from Medicare!!

I also didn't include that I get FREE health club membership with my Advantage Plan!!!

And what's your premium? Or does your plan pay you to enroll, at federal expense, as well?

 

[healthmyths]

Medicare pays my advantage plan $800 per month.
MY advantage plan has less then $200 costs from me so they are ahead AND I"M GLAD!!!!!!

Awesome. I'm glad the government could pay your private insurer four times what it costs to treat you.

If that's not a good use of federal tax dollars, I don't know what is.

Are you fu,,,king DUMB???

IT's an insurance policy approach!!! Medicare pays $800 a month. I obviously today don't use $800/month in services! Idiot! But others DO! You dumb.f...k!
And that's why from a good old common sense approach you idiot... the worst case the Government will every have in FRAUD and abuse from my $800 / month
expenditure?
$800 ! You are so stupid!

It is BETTEr to know exactly what costs are and in this case Medicare KNOWS for me and millions like me $800/month! That's IT!!
It is up to my Advantage plan to manage MY health so they don't have to spend $8,000!
YOU are so f...king ignorant as to how insurance, risks, health services and yet you have the stupidity to make such a dumb f..k comment!

I really don't know any other way to explain to you because are so f..ked up when it comes to how money works!!

NO insurance company goes into business saying EVERYONE of the insured will make claims for every dollar spent in premium.. do you understand that concept?

MOre elementary for you..
In my case with Medicare.. MEDICARE knows from statistics that people over age 65 will spend $10,000 a year in services. Duh... Here they are spending $9,600 a savings of $400!
And it's not their responsibility! My Advantage plan must manage these costs!

Geez it is useless trying to explain simple insurance concepts to children!

 

[Douger]

As a proud conn_servative I gave up my medicare to help save my country. #1 She is BTW.
It's you lazy old Marxist, socialist, democratic,commie faggot loving freaks that worship such evul who bankrupted this fine country to begin with.
I don't care if your 85 years old and in a wheel chair. You can at least sit at the local Home Depot with a coffee can and roll up on the sensors to keep the doors open when murkins are bringing out out their carts of Chinkaneez made bullshit ! Be uh murkin ! murka was created by hard work(negro slaves) and the ability to get massive amounts of free land(herding red savages)
Even if you are a quadriplegic you could get a church member(PBUT) to spray you down with a can of safety yellow from the dollar store and lie you in the road near a park where children are selling crack to help slow the cars down. I'm sure they'd be more than willing to pitch in. They'd probably even buy you an iphone so you could text them if da po-po was coming.

BUT. #1 of all. Put your unending faith in GeeZiss and all will be fine.
May Gawd continue to blass murka.
Amen.

 

[Greenbeard]

And that's why from a good old common sense approach you idiot... the worst case the Government will every have in FRAUD and abuse from my $800 / month

The worst case scenario is that Medicare Advantage will cost the taxpayers 117% per beneficiary what fee-for-service Medicare costs. In other words, the current scenario.

Time to reset the benchmarks.

 

[Two Thumbs]

It's partially run by the government.

If medicare declares you dead, regardless of the fact that you are not, they cancel your insurance. And you must PROVE to them that you are not dead. Speaking too them is not enough proof.
It takes about 3 months to prove you are not dead, and if you are on life saving meds..... tough shit.





the above is not a joke or an exaggeration. I worked for a company that provided med-sup. Each week I'd get 1-3 people calling in to tell me they were not dead.

 

[healthmyths]

And that's why from a good old common sense approach you idiot... the worst case the Government will every have in FRAUD and abuse from my $800 / month

The worst case scenario is that Medicare Advantage will cost the taxpayers 117% per beneficiary what fee-for-service Medicare costs. In other words, the current scenario.

Time to reset the benchmarks.

AND that comes from HHS.. a source of ACCURACY that can't even subtract
10 million counted as uninsured but are not legal citizens..
14 million they evidently DON"T know are covered by Medicaid ..yet counted as uninsured?
18 million that PAY THEIR own way health expenses making over $50K and under 34
Simple math here.
42 million from 50 million is ONLY 8 million!
YET you quote a number with 117% ?

AND again.. YOU evidently have NO access to the data that shows some hospitals OVERCHARGE Medicare NOT the advantage plans by 6,000% and you are excited over 17%???

By the way just to show you HOW absolutely ignorant you are ..
GUESS why Medicare SIGNS the contracts with the Advantage plans?
BECAUSE THEY KNOW they will make a profit!!!
AND GUESS what Profit means???
TAXES!!!
So you idiot and idiots at HHS with this stupid 117% number FAIL to comprehend
that money is coming back in the form of TAX REVENUE!
So it's NOT 117%!

And more to the point.. according to you that was:"worst case scenario"!!!

The IDIOTS at HHS that did this DID NOT subtract the nearly $2,000 in my out of pocket SAVINGS ! Remember as I quoted.. I don't have $1,156 deducted which traditional Medicare would do! I get $600 a year in OTC that I don't have to pay for!
I don't have to pay co-pays or the first $162... So right there nearly $2,000 SAVINGS to me! But that wasn't considered in their "117%" worst case scenario!

All in all when you deduct the nearly $2,000 that I would have to pay out AND you deduct the federal taxes/state/local taxes my Advantage plan pays.. this stupid SCENARIO
worst case probably equals less the 100%!
Remember THERE IS NO FRAUD with Advantage plans to Medicare!
They pay $800 and that's it! It's the Advantage plans problem!
So all Medicare's "anti-fraud" expenses don't exist with Advantage plan!

Again the devil is in the details here!!!

 

[Greenbeard]

GUESS why Medicare SIGNS the contracts with the Advantage plans?

Legal obligation.

The IDIOTS at HHS that did this DID NOT subtract the nearly $2,000 in my out of pocket SAVINGS ! Remember as I quoted.. I don't have $1,156 deducted which traditional Medicare would do! I get $600 a year in OTC that I don't have to pay for!
I don't have to pay co-pays or the first $162... So right there nearly $2,000 SAVINGS to me! But that wasn't considered in their "117%" worst case scenario!

Apparently you're not getting this. That 117% of FFS Medicare costs is what it costs the rest of us, the taxpayers currently financially responsible for your health insurance. You actually sound like you're costing us more than most, particularly given your (apparently good) health status and the amount we're spending every month on you despite you not needing any care.

Enjoy your free gym membership.