Tom Suozzi and Lee Zeldin, gubernatorial candidates, joined fellow New York House members: Bowman, Espaillat, Garbarino, Jeffries, Malliotakis, Maloney, Meeks, Meng, Rice, Stefanik, Torres and Velazquez in writing a Jan. 28 letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services praising “high-quality, patient-centered” Medicare Advantage plans.
These members of the House of Representatives claim that Medicare Advantage programs “consistently deliver better care and value” as referenced in their letter to Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, the Medicare administrator.
Remarkably, an April 2022 report from the Office of the Inspector General in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (OEI-09-18-00260: April 2022) raised concerns about some Medicare Advantage plans denying “prior-authorization” requests to medically necessary care, even though the requests met Medicare coverage rules.
It is obvious that these congress members are putting the financial gains of corporate health insurance companies ahead of the health needs of consumers.
Recently, over 65,000 NYC Medicare-eligible retirees opted out of a proposed Medicare Advantage Plan which forces retirees to pay more and sadly makes it harder to get healthcare.
Traditional Medicare unlike Medicare Advantage Plans gives physicians the judgment to request medical tests and procedures.
This OIG Report identified tens of millions of denials issued each year for both authorization and reimbursements, and audits of the private insurers showed evidence of “widespread and persistent problems related to inappropriate denials of services and payment,” the investigators found.
Rosemary Bartholomew, who led the team that worked on the report said that these denials may delay or even prevent a Medicare Advantage beneficiary from getting needed care.
New Yorkers need gubernatorial candidates that put consumers health needs above corporate profits.
Traditional Medicare should be protected and expanded for New Yorkers as opposed to these “Medicare Disadvantage” Plans that deny medically necessary services, even though the requests meet Medicare coverage rules.
Our Congressional Delegation needs to put its citizens first-above corporate health insurance profits.
Contact your Congress members and tell them that corporate profits will not be tolerated by the expansion of “Medicare Disadvantage” Plans. Your good health deserves no less !!!
Joe Campbell
Port Washington
