There is a disgustingly deceitful so-called Open Enrollment Q and A entry up on Consumer Reports October 18. Although it is correct there is nothing explicit in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) -- better known as Obamacare -- eliminating Part C Medicare health plans, this Consumer Reports answer is highly misleading as to the likely effect of PPACA on Part C Medicare, and is clearly Democratic party propaganda.
The answer says:
"enrollment in these plans has risen from 24 percent of all Medicare beneficiaries to 28 percent (since the passage of PPACA)."
But the author fails to tell readers that none of the PPACA effects on Part C Medicare have begun yet. The plans' recent growth has nothing to do with PPACA and is most likely because Part C Medicare plans are used disproportionately by the poor and minorities who have been especially hurt by the current economic problems. These PPACA changes are going to force many to change doctors to continue to get the lowest premium Medicare plans.
The article quotes three far-left-wing so-called Medicare experts as sources but quotes no Republicans and doesn't even do the obvious and go to the source, the Medicare Trustee reports or the Medicare actuary.
The Consumer Reports author quotes one of the left-wing "experts" as saying
"The (Part C Medicare health) plans had been getting paid a lot more than the traditional Medicare program..."
But no where does the author explain that when a Part C Medicare health plan gets a higher payment (what the government calls a "rebate"), the beneficiaries -- not the insurer -- get extra benefits. Examples include annual physicals that are not covered by traditional Medicare. And all Part C Medicare health plans include catastrophic coverage in their base benefits, a major feature also not provided by traditional Medicare.
The Consumer Reports author says:
"As of 2010, these plans, run by private insurance companies..."
This is a typical Democratic-party deceit, brought to perfection by President Obama in his Mediscare politics. All Medicare plans -- not just Part C Medicare plans -- are run by private insurance companies. In fact many (possibly most) Part C Medicare insurers are non-profits while all the private insurance companies that run traditional Medicare are for-profit legal entities (not that I have anything against profits).
The Consuer Reports author says
"And (the Medicare bureaucracy) has also instituted a bonus system that awards extra money to plans with higher scores on quality of care and customer service."
But the bigoted author does not mention that the major PPACA bonus payment program ends next year, conveniently after the upcoming election, and that these bonuses have been judged illegal by the General Accounting Office of the government.
The author says:
"Should you be worried that Medicare Advantage plans will economize by reducing your benefits? "The plans are required to provide all Medicare benefits, so there's no way they can cut them,""
This is just total deceit, mixing apples and oranges. Part C Medicare plans will have to either cut your current Part C benefits or raise premiums according to multiple reports from the Medicare actuary. Consumer Reports is purposely mixing up the minimum requirements of a Part C plan with what Part C plans typically deliver.
Another so-called non-partisan organization has entered the Democratic Party orbit. What a shame.
-- Dennis Byron
