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Kim Theobald-Stark: a cover-up in the Bush Medicare and Medicare Drug Bill.
Submitted by Howard2 on Friday, November 12, 2004 - 15:16
Howard, Hi. So good to hear from you. I would like to point out a cover-up in the Bush Medicare and Medicare Drug Bill for a Part D and what else that bill does to the consumer for health care that is not being brought to the forefront of discussion by our politicians, our lawmakers and yet little ol' me has found it to be true simply because I am a licensed insurance producer, that means sales and service agent of health care products. I have a captive license means I work exclusively for Combined Insurance Corpporation of America, an AON company. Anyhow, first my beef is the same with the Medicare Drug Act for 2006 and the changes it brings in benefits and options for drug cost help as most seniors have. As Senator Kennedy and our Minnesota state Medicare department representative spoke at Anoka Senior Center on this bill in their attempt to glamorize it and run point for the government in their attempt to basically get in on the baby boomer market in the industry of drug revenue from this huge age group approaching retirement. They said the average senior, being according to them approximately 28 to be precise who responded prior stating they need drugs but could not afford them need this bill. Yet they bragged like it was so great, the savings was going to save this person 10-12% off the cost of their drugs! What this bill states is that private insurance companies can no longer sell a medigap insurance policy with drug coverage in it after 2006, those grandfathered in are OK. What they don't tell you is that that policy in Minnesota for example is our Extended Basic Policy, other states Plan H or J I think, is those policies are providing long term care in the home and nursing homes for the highly medicated or early medicare disabled citizens who stand a snow balls chance in hell of getting through underwriting to get this kind of care the only other way it is available, unless one is wealthy and self-funds, by virtue of a Long Term Care policy! These wonderful Extended Basic policies provide 80% drug coverage and 100% after a $1000 out of pocket simultaneously is tabulated at the 80% level! My own company watchguards how many of these we agents sell because 5% of the senior population buys them because although expensive at $500+ a month for the supplemental policy, usually their drug expense, long term care, and all the other benefits it gives far exceed the policy premium. My own company tells me the expense of these policy for the insurance company 110% of the premium received so they are a burden for insurance companies. Wah, Wah, then my own company should raise it, as other companies Extended Basic policies run as high as $978 per month. Did you understand that Howard? So after 2006 the passage of this drug bill puts the most critically healthy individuals literally on the streets for their home care and long term care or further driving up Medicaid and bankrupting this country instead of on the insurance companies which can leverage themselves well enough and raise rates to avoid bankruptcy if left alone. Analysis shows Part D only benefits the highly medicated because you don't even really started to save anything to make it better than other programs out there that can save you 30-60% through a Medicare approved pharmacy like SavRX, etc. But does it really benefit them, they need these Extended Basic policies as they cover all of ones out of pocket costs after Medicare pay first, and many things Medicare doesn't like custodial care, wheel chairs, ramps up the homes, major dental, and nursing home care. We are indeed in very scary times in this country. Bush stood on values, whose values? Big Business is a materialistic value core when you suffer your elderly and your children and they are so good are covering this up in the passage and discussion of this bill!!! And also what's wrong with Medicare contracted with these HMO companies like Blue Cross Blue Shield? Lots, that is what's wrong with Medicare, is it has misled too many seniors to believe they still have Medicare when they are actually no longer in FULL medicare when they choose any other option than a private insurance supplemental to Medicare. And then they suffer high, unpredictable and unexpecgted and unpromised out of pocket expenses to one of our most vulnerable population groups. (OK BCBS does have an insurance division, but only sell their HMO/PPO product, senior gold to seniors), Medica, Health Partners and U-Care (Our Minnesota based Medicare Managed Care contracted companies) and then there is even more fundamentally wrong with the Unicare and Human choices being allowed to manipulate advertising to seniors to falsely represent their coverage) Well, my kids are home and have earned a chinese dinner out for chores well done! bye Howard, Kim Theobald-Stark
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