2010 March 13 |

Mar 13

Don’t do away with Medicare Advantage?

South Bend Tribune: Patrica Griffey says… “Don’t do away with Medicare Advantage.”

“Despite losing their super majority in the Senate, congressional Democrats remain confident that they’ll be able to approve a final health reform bill in the near future. The tactics for doing so are up for debate, but leaders in both the House and Senate agree on many major provisions of the reform package, including proposed changes to the Medicare Advantage program.”

“That’s bad news for the 11 million seniors currently enrolled in Medicare Advantage, as reform could make their lives a lot more complicated. Congress is set to cut this popular program by $172 billion over the next decade and use the proceeds to fund other provisions of health care reform. As a result, this sizable population of Medicare patients could lose coverage — and unwittingly drive up the cost of health care for everyone else.”

This may indeed be bad news for 11 million seniors, but there is some light at the end of this tunnel.

We have already witnessed some major cuts over the past two years in the Medicare Advantage program. As a result, many plans have already raised rates. We have seen many plans go from zero premium to $100 per month premium.

With the advent of Medicare Supplement Plan N and Plan M, many seniors will now have the option of choosing a plan that provides all of the benefits of a regular medicare supplement, at a reduced cost. For folks that can afford to pay nothing, this is indeed a negative trend, but for folks who can manage a small premium, this may actually turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

Get a Medicare Supplement Plan N quote now…

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Don’t do away with Medicare Advantage?

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