Letters to the Editor is a periodic function. We welcome all feedback and can publish a variety. We edit for size and readability and require full names.
In response to Sarah Jane Tribble’s report about rising enrollment in Medicare Benefit plans — and the rising issues — a senior coverage adviser on the Robert Wooden Johnson Basis weighed in on X, previously generally known as Twitter:
Managed care backlash in full swing as extra shoppers turn into conscious of the tradeoffs concerned selecting M.A. https://t.co/7EAMZJ9YJk
— Katherine Hempstead (@khemp64) January 8, 2024
— Katherine Hempstead, Princeton, New Jersey
Medicare Benefit: To Whose Benefit?
Sarah Jane Tribble did a wonderful job reporting on Medicare Benefit plans and the key limitations inside them that depart folks mainly screwed (“Older People Say They Really feel Trapped in Medicare Benefit Plans,” Jan. 5).
Don’t neglect presidential hopeful Nikki Haley at one of many Republican debates said that Medicare Benefit plans are what the vast majority of seniors need and needs to be expanded.
That subsequent morning, I instantly referred to as the South Carolina Democratic Celebration and supplied that they need to be standing on their desks demonizing her as a result of they know full properly that low-income, underserved Black folks in South Carolina rural ZIP codes wouldn’t be eligible for Benefit plans the place care is linked to ZIP code.
Disgrace on all events and candidates who by no means point out single-payer common well being care (except Inexperienced Celebration candidates).
Excellent news story, Ms. Tribble.
— Steve Scuderi, Chicago
A well being companies researcher within the Division of Well being Coverage at Vanderbilt College additionally praised the article on social media:
This piece is REALLY nice (thanks, @sjtribble!). We’re engaged on a grant associated to this subject now (thanks, @LLSusa!) and can’t emphasize sufficient how essential this challenge is for folks ageing into Medicare. https://t.co/lQqFsnUfp9
— Stacie Dusetzina (@DusetzinaS) January 5, 2024
— Stacie Dusetzina, Nashville, Tennessee
The founder and president of Healthcare Navigation, a consultancy, added recommendation for medical health insurance buyers on X:
Beneficiaries who initially enroll in conventional Medicare are assured to qualify for a Medigap coverage with out pricing primarily based on their medical historical past.Discover out extra right here: https://t.co/agG9VH8Hxo pic.twitter.com/pmnq9eDYAQ
— Maura Carley (@MauraCarley) January 20, 2024
— Maura Carley, Darien, Connecticut
Don’t Blame Sufferers for Unaffordable Well being Care
This op-ed (not article) by KFF Well being Information reporter Julie Appleby shames the previous Olympic athlete for her monetary misery and for being unable to handle her funds and well being — whereas in poor health, injured, or chronically disabled (“Mary Lou Retton’s Clarification of Well being Insurance coverage Takes Some Somersaults,” Jan. 12).
The writing implies that an American client or citizen could be a very “profitable individual in your different life” however “not perceive American well being care” and that monetary misery may have been prevented if solely Mary Lou Retton had been extra assertive, knowledgeable, and clever.
Appleby states that “Retton excelled in touchdown tough strikes as a gymnast, however she could have missed the bar when it got here to purchasing insurance coverage protection.”
This notion — particularly amongst well being journalists and newsrooms protecting the well being care mannequin within the U.S. — that business medical health insurance ensures entry to well being care, or that the Reasonably priced Care Act is inexpensive and ensures entry — is a false one. ACA plans are largely managed by personal business medical health insurance corporations. The trade enterprise mannequin is “Denial of Care.” That’s how insurers ship returns on funding to shareholders yr after yr, quarter after quarter, and revenue from sickness, damage, incapacity, and demise. This mannequin as of right this moment continues to be authorized. And, with PxDx software program and synthetic intelligence, corporations are actually denying medical care claims at a price of 100 per 1.2 seconds.
To recommend paying for business medical health insurance guarantees medical care is editorially irresponsible. To recommend a citizen was not clever sufficient to navigate the barbaric and merciless business medical health insurance trade’s non-system of well being care is reprehensible and repugnant. The one one who “missed the bar” was Appleby and her misinformed editors.
KFF Well being Information has been partnering with NPR and CBS for practically seven years on the “Invoice of the Month” sequence. Throughout that point, doctor suicide has reached report highs, medical employee strikes have hit report highs, medical invoice bankruptcies have reached report highs, medical residents throughout the nation are unionizing to guard sufferers’ rights and affected person security, and but, all of the whereas, business medical health insurance trade earnings have reached report highs. And their monetary product divisions proceed to spend money on portfolios that don’t have anything to do with well being care.
By each measurement and metric, over the previous 40 years, the business medical health insurance trade has triggered preventable hurt and demise — deliberately, for revenue. And nonetheless, Appleby suggests it’s the fault of sufferers that they can’t afford medical care? What, particularly, does Appleby recommend sufferers like Retton “do higher?”
It’s time to start reporting responsibly and precisely about statewide single-payer resolutions and laws throughout the US and the nationwide (improved) Medicare for All Act of 2023-24 on the federal degree.
Industrial medical health insurance just isn’t well being care.
— Kimberly J. Soenen, govt director of Some Folks and managing editor of The Advantageous Print, Grand Marais, Minnesota
This text drew swift consideration on social media. Right here’s a sampling of readers’ posts on X, reacting each to the KFF Well being Information and NPR variations:
Retton didn’t have insurance coverage as a result of premiums have been too excessive. She has insurance coverage now; so do thousands and thousands of different Texans. That’s the story right here, not that she didn’t exactly clarify the ranking dynamics of a non-compliant surroundings.https://t.co/EnzjyACn2v https://t.co/SBFSzVNe4Q
— Greg Fann (Professional-compliance Well being Actuary) (@greg_fann) January 14, 2024
— Greg Fann, Temecula, California
I’m glad NPR highlighted this. Don’t know if Retton is ignorant or MAGA. Disgrace on @TODAYshow and @hodakotb for not utilizing this to tell their viewers that preexisting circumstances aren’t a difficulty with the #ACA. Premiums could be $0. https://t.co/Rkl4WVG5wO
— Jody Johnson (@jodywayzata) January 13, 2024
— Jody Johnson, Dallas
I do know too properly {the marketplace} well being rip-off that leaves so many people with out insurance coverage. I’ve a set earnings of $29,000. With a bronze-level plan, which means a $10,000 deductible, and $473 per 30 days for premiums. Are you calling this inexpensive? The actual fact I’m paying $10,000 earlier than my insurance coverage kicks in, plus month-to-month premiums, it’s $15,000 out-of-pocket — a pocket I don’t have except I’m homeless. That is the rip-off.
— Brenda Frantz, Hinesville, Georgia
Yep. Mary Lou Retton’s rationalization for why she did not have medical health insurance did not go the sniff take a look at: https://t.co/AieiuAzD7n by way of @kffhealthnews
— Victoria Colliver (@vcolliver) January 12, 2024
— Victoria Colliver, Oakland, California
Orthopedic surgical procedures??So gymnastics is unhealthy?https://t.co/ki3qRbF7O2
— Lance Cross (@Tea4gunsSC2) January 14, 2024
— Lance Cross, Carta Valley, Texas