AARP ADVOCATING FOR MEDICARE PRIVATIZATION?

[nd2065]

The AARP appears to be benefiting greatly and encouraging privatization of Medicare. From JACOBIN ... https://jacobin.com/2022/11/aarp-medicare-advantage-privatization-health-care-seniors?emci=38eefd91-...

Meanwhile, AARP has been reaping the financial benefits of its own Medicare Advantage plan, which it has been offering in partnership with the for-profit insurance giant UnitedHealthcare since 2003. Starting in 2021, AARP also launched a lucrative partnership with the major Medicare outsourcing firm Oak Street Health, which is a participant in the ACO Realizing Equity, Access, and Community Health (REACH) program that privatizes Medicare benefits for seniors without their consent, as reported by Kaiser Health News in June.

In 2021, AARP earned $814 million in “royalties” for its health care work, according to a recently released financial statement reviewed by the Lever. That figure is more than double what the organization collects in dues and is 20 percent higher than 2018.

This is VERY CONCERNING - how about some transperancy? Nissa Dahlin-Brown

[GailL1]

Do you even understand the ACO REACH program?

CMS.gov - News release 02/24/2022 - Accountable Care Organization (ACO) Realizing Equity, Access, an...

It is a way for seniors in underserved communities to get care - full care in a convenient manner.

Medicare.gov - Coordinating Your Care

Oak Street Health is just one of many across the country. I am familiar with IORA with One Medical since I know seniors that participate in it and absolutely LOVE IT!

As far as private insurers in the Medicare realm - evidently seniors like MA plans since participation in them is growing by leaps and bounds - 48% of all Medicare beneficiaries in 2022 have a MA plan

KFF 08/25/2022 - Medicare Advantage in 2022: Enrollment Update and Key Trends

From the link: The share of eligible Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Advantage has more than doubled since 2007

Why doesn't Medicare have an annual or even lifetime limit on what the beneficiary has to pay out of pocket as most other health insurance plans? MA plans do -

For those seniors who aren't actually poor enough to get subsidized care (Medicare with Medicaid) they have to buy a Medigap policy (also thru private insurers) and pay a monthly premium to protect themselves financially in case they have an expensive illness. Some seniors would rather know the financial exposure they have in a MA plan than having to pay the escalating Medicare MONTHLY MEDIGAP premiums for the rest of their life which also escalate over time.

[nd2065]

I am not advocating for one over the other, but rather concerned that AARP is pushing Medicare Advantage. Like their efforts for drug coverage, I would hope AARP was looking at making Medicare better - privatization/out-sourcing is not the answer.

[GailL1]

AARP makes a royalty amount off of ALL products and services that they have authorized to use their branded name. They use that money to further their advocacies. If you believe in all that AARP does in their mission they have to have money - you think all that can be done with just membership dues or safe driving courses. Plus their executives do make a pretty good salary as most execs do.

AARP Services, Inc. is the arm that actually develops these money making endeavors and approves the products and services that get to use the branded name of AARP.

Medicare Advantage plans are part of Medicare - they cover everything that the traditional program covers - just in a different way - like I described above in my post.

Medicare Advantage plans are paid on a per capita method for each beneficiary that signs up for a particular plan. CMS bases this payment on a benchmark of health care cost in the geographical area (all health care cost are locally based) - just like they come up with their own traditional program payments to providers.

CMS (the government dept of Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services) controls the rules governing various Medicare Advantage plans, also they control the rules governing the coordination of care programs of ACO REACH, DCE and Cancer Care.

The difference in traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans is the program designs - like I explained above. Unless a beneficiary has dual eligibility in Medicare and Medicaid, there are out of pocket cost to pay somehow - some beneficiaries prefer to have an out of pocket limit to protect them financially in the event of a health problem, others opt to buy a private insurer MEDIGAP plan to cover their cost that the traditional program does not cover.

We each have to make the decision of how to receive our Medicare benefits - smart decisions based on our health and our pocketbook.