LATEST LETTERS

Discontinuing Medicare Advantage

Friday, March 30 at 12:01 AM

John Graczyk of Monument writes:

As everyone out there is well aware, our country is trying to resolve the dilemma of health insurance and the large amount of Americans that are uninsured. What you may not be aware of is that we may be at risk for increasing that number dramatically. 17% of all Medicare enrollees are enrolled in Medicare Advantage programs which might be in jeopardy. That’s right close to 20% of currently insured seniors and disabled Americans could lose their current health care plans.
Medicare Advantage Plans are private health plans that take part in the Medicare program. If this program is discontinued then it will have a great impact on citizens’ right here in Colorado; as well as nationwide.
Over 150,000 Coloradoans are currently enrolled in Medicare Advantage programs. If cancelled, it would cause them to end up with huge out of pocket expenses. Many seniors already struggle to pay their expenses being on a fixed income. Is it fair that we ask them to continue to pay increasingly high prescription costs, utilities and then slam them with more out of pocket costs because some people in Congress want to take away their current health care plans?
This could be extremely damaging to our fellow citizens. Citizens who have worked their whole lives to make Colorado the place we know and love. What happened to respecting our elders? I encourage you to contact your elected officials and ask them to support the Medicare Advantage plans. Even if not for yourself, do it for a parent or a grandparent.

This letter has not been edited.

READER COMMENTS

Medicare Advantage Plans are a huge rip off to Americans. It needs to be overhauled. It was written and pushed through by the drug companies. It states in the bill that the government cannot negotiate lower drug prices.They must pay whatever the drug companies want to charge.
The VA negotiates drug prices and the program they have in place is working and saving tax payers and Vets billions of dollars per year.

Example: price for Zocor for medicare per year $ 1,500. VA negotiated price $ 127.00 per year.

Do you really think the medicare drug bill is helping this country?It's going to cost the tax payers almost $600 Billion dollars over the next 10 years.Is that a bargain to you?

It needs to be changed so prices for drugs can be negotiated just like the VA does. Then we will have something good for the people.

Posted by Not willing to be ripped off on April 2, 2007 07:43 AM