Attempts by the government or private entities to entice Medicare recipients into moving into privatized programs such as Medicare Advantage are abusive and must be halted. Already, Medicare Advantage (better yet called Medicare (Dis)Advantage) has stolen hundreds of billions of dollars from the Medicare Trust Fund(s) while denying or delaying services to those who listened to government sanctioned lies. This is the manner in which these privateers make their money: by abusing seniors who depend upon them for medical care in their retirement years. The federal government abets this abuse and pushes the unknowing and unsuspecting into private insurance with bogus claims of saving money and receiving extra benefits.  

That which I described above is elder abuse in one of its most cruel and repugnant forms, perpetrated by a government that should be acting in a protective role. Government actions with respect to Medicare (Dis)Advantage easily fit with the USC Center for Elder Justice definition of financial abuse:

"Financial: the illegal, unauthorized, or improper use of an older person’s resources for monetary or personal benefit, profit, or gain, or that results in depriving an older person of rightful access to, or use of, benefits, resources, belongings, or assets.

Examples include but are not limited to: 

  • Misusing or stealing an older person’s money or possessions 
  • Coercing or deceiving an older person into signing any document such as a contract or will
  • Improper use of conservatorship, guardianship, or power of attorney 

*Fraud and scams are characterized by acts perpetrated by a stranger or someone outside of a trust relationship. Deceit or misrepresentation are used to convince another to relinquish their money, property, or assets."

With this in mind, consider the document received by a friend of mine in early August.  (See RELATED FILES below)  Here the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) propose two options for saving money: a Medicare Savings Program and Extra Help. Medicare Savings Progams may be a valid option for some Medicare insureds, however, the programs require that you go through your state Medicaid office to apply. Given the recent and massive federal cuts to Medicaid and Medicare with the passing of the One Big Beautiful Care Act, becoming involved with Medicaid offices may present problems in the future with program funding, functioning, and staffing. I recently found the following on the website of Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University in an article entitled. "How New Federal Legislation Will Affect Health Care Costs and Access for Americans."

"Medicare Savings Program (MSP) enrollments will also be affected. A 2023 CMS rule that was set to take effect this past fall would have streamlined the process for enrolling in an MSP and retaining coverage. This legislation blocks that rule from being implemented until 2034. This delay will impact low-income individuals who need this cost-sharing support to afford things like prescription drugs, medical supplies, hospital stays, and nursing facility care."

The Bloomberg article should be read in its entirety as it speaks to the Act's effect on both Medicare and Medicaid as well as on the program known as the Affordable Care Act. Uncertainty now is the name of the game so, if your are of Medicare age, go slowly and tread lightly. 

As for the Extra Help program, if you are not already in a Medicare Part D (prescription) Plan, to qualify you must become a member of a Medicare (Dis)Advantage Plan with prescription drug coverage. That will remove you from Traditional Medicare and place you into a private insurance plan wherein your medical treatment will be managed by an insurance company whose income depends on saving money and not on providing you with quality and timely care. The answer to all this medical insurance folderol is Single Payer for all, but given that medical health delivery is a nearly $5 trillion industry in the U.S., the chances of seeing a major change to this model in the near future is about nil. Greed controls all.