Humana Scares Seniors about Losing Medicare Benefits

by Mary Jane Stern

On Tuesday, September 29^th many seniors enrolled in Medicare protested at the local Humana Insurance office here in Palm Beach County Florida because of a letter recently sent out by Humana.

The Humana letter used scare tactics and warned seniors that health insurance reform could cause many to lose benefits, which, of course, is totally false.  Humana is working with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to resolve this issue.

Here’s the real issue.  Humana offers Medicare Advantage plans throughout the country.  These plans became very popular with the insurance companies because the Government, with our taxpayer dollars, pays anywhere from $800 – $1,200 per month per beneficiary enrolled in an Advantage plan.  According to statistics for 2009, there are 10,259,669 people enrolled in the Advantage plans.

The Government has determined the Advantage plans are much more expensive to taxpayers than Original Medicare and is considering cutting back the subsidy, which means “less profit.”

Seniors here in South Florida are joining together to stop the rumors, scare tactics and propaganda by politicians and the insurance industry.  Seniors are now considering who is really representing them or who are our politicians really representing.  Medicare is valued very highly by almost every senior or disabled person here in the USA.  It’s a great program and allows anyone enrolled to choose who, what or how they receive healthcare.

President Johnson enacted Medicare back in 1964 to help people over the age of 65 stay insured.  Insurance companies wouldn’t write policies for this age group. Unfortunately today, you don’t have to be 65 to be denied insurance coverage, you can be denied at any age, for any reason.  Insurance companies are denying coverage for acne, allergies, gout, and a sore throat, not to mention, of course, major medical problems like heart disease, diabetes or cancer.  You just can’t get insurance with a major medical condition.

People of any age need an affordable health insurance option like Medicare.  So why are your representatives voting NO for a public option for Main Street America?

Well, it was stated today that my Senator, Bill Nelson, Democrat from Florida, has received $2.5 million dollars from the insurance industry and Senator Max Baucus, Democrat from Montana, has received $7.9 million dollars over the last 20 years from the insurance industry.  That’s a whopping $395,000 per year for Senator Baucus; and they have both voted NO for a public plan.

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Hmm, I wonder who they really represent.