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In reply to the discussion: Dear Senator Warren: we love our private insurancd companies [View all]Nanjeanne
(4,850 posts)17. Sorry you have had such a difficult time. I'm not that familiar with "cost" plans but what I can
find out about them and how they are being phased out doesn't seem to be because of government Medicare but more about private health insurance competition.
From Medicare Resource Guide:
A Medicare cost plan is similar to a Medicare Advantage plan in that enrollees have access to a network of doctors and hospitals, and may have additional benefits beyond whats provided by Original Medicare. But unlike Medicare Advantage plans, a cost plan offers policyholders the option of receiving coverage outside of the network, in which case the Medicare-covered services are paid for through Original Medicare. Some cost plans may include prescription drug coverage. Enrollees can join a Medicare cost plan when its accepting new members, but may decide to return to Original Medicare at any time, since a cost plan works in tandem with (as opposed to a replacement for) Original Medicare.
The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (which rebranded Medicare+Choice as Medicare Advantage) created a competition clause that banned Medicare Cost plans from operating in areas where they faced substantial competition from Medicare Advantage plans. The implementation of the competition clause was delayed, but legislation enacted in 2015 (MACRA) required the competition clause to be implemented as of 2019.
As of 2018, there were about 625,000 people enrolled in Medicare cost plans nationwide. And two-thirds of them were in Minnesota (the rest are spread across Arizona, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Iowa, Maryland, North Dakota, Nebraska, New York, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin; most states do not have Medicare cost plans available).
But there will be far fewer Medicare cost plan enrollees as of 2019, due to the implementation of the Medicare Advantage competition clause. 320,000 people in Minnesota will have to pick new coverage for 2019 (either Medicare Advantage or Original Medicare with the option to supplement the Original Medicare with a Part D plan and/or a Medigap plan). People who still have Medicare cost plans available in their area can still enroll, but the number of people who will have access to such plans in 2019 will be much smaller.
The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (which rebranded Medicare+Choice as Medicare Advantage) created a competition clause that banned Medicare Cost plans from operating in areas where they faced substantial competition from Medicare Advantage plans. The implementation of the competition clause was delayed, but legislation enacted in 2015 (MACRA) required the competition clause to be implemented as of 2019.
As of 2018, there were about 625,000 people enrolled in Medicare cost plans nationwide. And two-thirds of them were in Minnesota (the rest are spread across Arizona, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Iowa, Maryland, North Dakota, Nebraska, New York, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin; most states do not have Medicare cost plans available).
But there will be far fewer Medicare cost plan enrollees as of 2019, due to the implementation of the Medicare Advantage competition clause. 320,000 people in Minnesota will have to pick new coverage for 2019 (either Medicare Advantage or Original Medicare with the option to supplement the Original Medicare with a Part D plan and/or a Medigap plan). People who still have Medicare cost plans available in their area can still enroll, but the number of people who will have access to such plans in 2019 will be much smaller.
For me - looking at Medicare and supplemental plans and various choices and knowing I would never choose an Advantage plan that would limit me to a specific network of doctors or hospitals. We chose regular Medicare and a supplemental that allows us to see any doctor or go to any hospital anywhere in the country that accepts Medicare. The supplemental is from a private insurance company unfortunately but all the various supplemental plans are standardized by the government to provide the same things. Ex - Plan "N" which we have, whether serviced by Aetna or USAA - competes only by price or service. Their N plan must be the same. Thank goodness we "chose" wisely as my husband was subsequently diagnosed with multiple myeloma and by having the plan we have we were able to go to a myeloma specialist in a different state to monitor his treatment. That is what MedicareForAll will allow us all to do and we won't have to worry if we "chose" the correct plan after we get sick.
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Dear Senator Warren: we love our private insurancd companies [View all]
question everything
Sep 2019
OP
You may want to check out executive compensation for your non-profit company.
Sneederbunk
Sep 2019
#1
So what, if they are doing a good job? Fact is that if you made their compensation $0, I bet
Hoyt
Sep 2019
#4
Medicare--Pre-conditions never a problem, unlimited coverage, all prescriptions allowed
at140
Sep 2019
#54
Of course! I do expect anyone providing a product or service to profit
question everything
Sep 2019
#57
Under single payer, you will not be covered for every procedure, test, or treatment. These will
emmaverybo
Sep 2019
#26
So to follow up on your analysis, we need to start talking about whose wealth is being undertaxed
CTyankee
Sep 2019
#43
Well for one, we need to roll back the tax giveaways. Biden has promised to do so as a first bit of
emmaverybo
Sep 2019
#44
A few years ago, hip replacement surgery was re-categorized as elective. These are
emmaverybo
Sep 2019
#56
The kids in the gig economy, those who take 6 months contracts, who change major jobs every 2 years,
crazytown
Sep 2019
#13
I'm sorry your husband died but that doesn't sound like such a great deal to me.
Hassin Bin Sober
Sep 2019
#38
That's the problem with those high deductible plans. People choose them when they think...
Hassin Bin Sober
Sep 2019
#40
Sorry you have had such a difficult time. I'm not that familiar with "cost" plans but what I can
Nanjeanne
Sep 2019
#17
There Is A Reason Other Countries That Are Not Owned Outright By Corporations
SeaTownBlue
Sep 2019
#28
no one loves their private insurance. no one. Consumers are conditioned to say things like this
Kurt V.
Sep 2019
#30
Warren and Sanders say Americans don't like their health insurance. Polls don't back that up
Gothmog
Sep 2019
#37