Why NY shifting public employees to MA plans should concern all retirees everywhere.
My art is on Instagram @klonskyart.
Some readers have been wondering why I, a retired teacher in Chicago, is following what is happening with retired teacher healthcare in NY so closely.
In many ways NY is the current national epicenter of the fight against Medicare privatization.
The city, in a conspiracy with labor leaders like the UFT’s Michael Mulgrew, have been working to move public employees to Medicare Advantage behind the rank-and-file’s back.
Sixty years ago before Medicare, only 60% of those over 65 had insurance since it was unavailable or unaffordable through private insurance.
Back then seniors could be charged triple the rate of of those under 65 for health coverage.
When Medicare was enacted it was a big if limited victory. Medicare did not provide full coverage for all services.
It is one of the reasons I have resisted calling for Medicare for All. The term Single-payer is confusing.
I prefer nationalized healthcare.
From the begining there has been a drive to privatize and hand over what Medicare provides to the for-profit insurance industry. It is a push that has often been led by Democrats.
President Clinton pushed privatized HMO participation as an add-on in 1997.
In 2003, the Medicare Modernization Act, under President Bush, 2003 marked the beginning of Medicare Advantage plans with private insurance companies covering what should be covered by Medicare.
Defended as a cost-saving measure Medicare Advantage plans expanded but saved the government no money.
In fact, they have been accused of over-charging the government and padding bills.
Their profits come from denying treatment or medication and contradicting the decisions of doctors and other medical professionals.
Under traditional Medicare, patients can go to any doctor or provider that accepts Medicare without prior authorization or restrictive networks.
Requiring pre-authorization has led to routine denials of care forcing patients into lengthy appeals with the insurers who are betting many give up.
That is why public employees in NY are battling their own leaders from changing their coverage from traditional Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan.
If they win, we all win.
Thanks from NYC!! This is the bigger picture that everyone should be alarmed about. Big$, opportunistic lawmakers, as well as colluding labor leaders have been systematically pushing to privatize all our healthcare. What care do they have if we get duped, fleeced and fatally harmed -as long as we provide them with the astronomical funds they crave.
If we don't fight for single payer, or nationalized health care, we will all be thrown back into the dark ages of completely unaffordable health care. It is criminal, that in the richest country in the world and especially during a pandemic where a million Americans, mostly poor and largely people of color have died because among other reasons, there is no good health care system. We have to take to the streets to fight for our rights.