Medicare enrollees warned about deceptive marketing schemes

[William769]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Mailers designed to look like official government forms. Buses sporting scam pitches for Medicare websites. TV commercials featuring celebrities who encourage people to sign up for Medicare plans that do not always include their current doctors.

With Medicare’s open enrollment underway through Dec. 7, health experts are warning older adults about an uptick in misleading marketing tactics that might lead some to sign up for Medicare Advantage plans that do not cover their regular doctors or prescriptions and drive up out-of-pocket costs.

“It’s a very complicated environment where people are receiving information from companies that are also selling them plans,” said Gretchen Jacobson at the Commonwealth Fund, a health care think tank. “It’s important we find a way to protect and inform consumers.”

Business is booming in the Medicare Advantage plan marketplace, which offers privately run versions of the government’s Medicare program for people who are 65 and older or have disabilities. Competition for customers is fierce, with insurers turning to marketing agencies and brokers in an effort to help stick out among dozens of plans offered through the program.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/medicare-enrollees-warned-about-deceptive-marketing-schemes/ar-AA13LaXm?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=57ff80f5af8a4b889bfe6001ca8adb06

These private companies prey on the elderly and have brainwashed them to think they have the best plan ever. They are the Devils spawn. I know there's a contingency here on DU that strongly disagree with me but this message is to save the unaffected, from these lying, thieving, money grubbing assholes.

[Wounded Bear]

1. Seems to me I've been hearing Medicare advertisements all year long any more...

not just during the "open enrollment" period.

Annoying, really.

[Ocelot II]

4. They advertise on TV all year but they really ramp up the mailings in the fall.

[jimfields33]

6. I'm not sure why they continue commercials year round,

But I do know numerous retirees who have advantage plans and they love it. I know neighbor who had cancer and they took care of almost everything. They even got to go to Shands, which is a very good hospital. I guess people are afraid of change, but that’s why we have choices. You can stay with traditional, or go with new advantages. I don’t have to worry about it for 12 years thank goodness.

[Wounded Bear]

7. People become eligible all year long, not just in the fall...

Anybody newly entering Medicare because of their birthday is a target of the advertising.

Lots of us boomers still entering the market.

[jimfields33]

10. Oh that's interesting and makes perfect sense as to why commercials run year round

[Maeve]

9. Because people have birthdays year round

They want to get you as soon as you are eligible.

[William769]

11. We live in Fort Myers and my neighbors went to Orlamdo to visit their daughter. This was two years

ago. The husband had to have emergency surgery and found out he had cancer. They had the advantage plan from Humana. Humana is refusing to pay the bill because they were out of area and no one called to get an authorization. to this date, the bill still has not been paid and has been sent to a collection agency. So while he is dealing with cancer, he also has to deal with a collection agency hounding him for the bill. Like I said, the spawn of Satan.

[multigraincracker]

2. If I had a nickel for every piece of mail I got, I could retire.

Wait a minute, I've been retired for 20 years already. I plan to keep my traditional plan that might cost me a couple of bucks, but I can go to about any doctor or hospital.

[Ocelot II]

3. I'm sticking with plain old Medicare,

along with a pretty good supplement for retirees through my former employer. If people want to sign up for private Medicare plans that's up to them but they'd better research them carefully. Considering how much these insurers spend on advertising, I wonder how much real value they offer.

[William769]

5. Thats how I feel.

I just went through a very big medical expense and with my supplemental plan, the cost to me was minimal. The best part was that I was in charge not some insurance agent trying to save money for the company.

People don't realize these companies are HMO's, their only job is to make money at their customers expense.

[unc70]

14. Not all Advantage plans are HMOs

Most in my area are PPOs.

[SlimJimmy]

8. I'm lucky.

I have Part A and B, then my FEHB to cover part C. But, it doesn't stop the stupid mailers and phone calls.

[greatauntoftriplets]

12. I put the mailers in the recycling and tune out the TV ads.

I've had multiple healthcare professionals tell me to avoid Medicare Advantage plans, even though I never considered going with that. The latest "lecture" on this was just last Tuesday from a doctor.

[keithbvadu2]

13. Straight Up Fraud': Data Confirms Private Insurers Use Medicare Advantage to Steal Billions

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/08/upshot/medicare-advantage-fraud-allegations.html

How insurers made billions of medicare advantage.

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https://democraticunderground.com/100217238538

Straight Up Fraud': Data Confirms Private Insurers Use Medicare Advantage to Steal Billions