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As Medicare Turns 59, We Still Need to Defend It

Before Medicare was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson 59 years ago today, nearly half of American seniors had no hospital insurance. Private insurance companies were reluctant to cover anyone over 65. Even fewer seniors had coverage for non-hospital services like doctor’s visits.  Many of the elderly were forced to exhaust their retirement savings to pay for medical care; some fell into poverty because of it. All of that changed with Medicare.
2024-07-31T09:22:19-04:00July 30th, 2024|Categories: Disability, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Older Americans, Politics, Prescription Drug Prices, President Biden|

What Does Project 2025 Bode for Older Americans? Hint: Nothing Good

The right-wing Heritage Foundation produced Project 2025, a blueprint for a second Trump term.  Though Project 2025 doesn’t specifically advocate for cuts to Social Security, the right-wing think tank has taken positions that would seriously undermine the nation’s most popular social insurance program.  On the issue of Medicare and prescription drug prices, however, Project 2025 explicitly calls for changes that could be devastating for seniors.  We chatted with our senior legislative representative, Maria Freese, about the implications of Project 2025 for older Americans.
2024-07-19T15:23:26-04:00July 19th, 2024|Categories: Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Drug Coverage and Costs, Social Insurance, Social Security, Trump|

Don’t Trust Insurance Industry “News” about Medicare Advantage

Deb Gordon’s piece in Forbes entitled, 88% Of Medicare Advantage Enrollees Are Happy With Their Health Insurance, New Study Shows, is more like an industry press release than a bona fide news story. The writer herself is a representative of the insurance industry, hardly an objective author for a piece about the insurance industry.
2022-06-22T09:09:16-04:00June 21st, 2022|Categories: Equal Time, Medicare, Medicare Advantage|

Medicare Advantage Slammed in New HHS Inspector General’s Report

We have been sounding alarm bells for many years about Medicare Advantage (MA), the privately-run health plans for seniors that are growing in popularity as an alternative to traditional Medicare. This week, an eye-opening report by the Inspector General’s office at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) confirmed some key criticisms by the National Committee and other seniors’ advocates - namely, that MA plans are denying legitimate claims and refusing to authorize reasonable medical procedures.
2022-04-29T20:33:44-04:00April 29th, 2022|Categories: Max Richtman, Medicare, Medicare Advantage|

Aging, Health & Care: A New Resource for Seniors and Their Families

Classic movie star Mae West famously said, “Getting old isn't for the faint of heart.” Most older people probably know what she means. Of course, aging can also be a rewarding time of pursuing hobbies and interests, travel and discovery, and enjoying grandchildren, among other things. But the "not for the faint of heart" part rings particularly true when it comes to participating in our senior health care system
2022-04-14T16:17:08-04:00April 14th, 2022|Categories: Meals on Wheels, Medicaid, Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Prescription Drug Prices, Retirement, senior nutrition|

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