Do not believe that Humana's letters to their Medicare Advantage clients.
CLICK FOR THE FACTS
Humana's letter, sent in an envelope citing "important plan information", told customers that Democrats' bills could hurt 'millions of seniors and disabled individuals could lose many of the important benefits and services that make Medicare Adbantage health plans so valuable,' according to CMS.
'No one is saying Humana or any other company cannot put out a position that articulates their belief,' said Precht, whose group backs Democratic healthcare efforts. 'What they're saying is they cannot send letters to their plan members under the guise of plan communication that is really political propaganda.'
In his comments, Mr. Blum said that Humana has agreed to suspend the mailings to Medicare Advantage recipients.
“We are concerned that the materials Humana sent to our beneficiaries may violate Medicare rules by appearing to contain Medicare Advantage and prescription drug benefit information,” Mr. Blum said.
He said that such information “must be submitted to CMS for review.”
The portion of his statement which angered the American Health Insurance Plans, was, “We also are asking that no other plan sponsors are mailing similar materials while we investigate whether a potential violation has occurred.”
Mr. Blum made clear that Humana, and by implication, other MA providers who send such mailings, could be subject to “appropriate compliance and enforcement actions.” end quote
CMS issued the directive because of the likelihood that seniors and people with disabilities would believe this information to be “official communication about the Medicare Advantage program” rather than the opinion of the health insurance company. Furthermore, CMS indicated this kind of communication may be a violation of both federal regulations and federal law because these companies were misusing official Medicare enrollee data to lobby against legislation. end quote
IF you have taken a moment to even look at the actual letter, you will see that it implies it is a Medicare Directive of the bill. It is NOT!
This is just another sad attempt at the insurance companies chickenheartedness to truthfully acknowledge what the bills says.
I believe it was during Mr. Obama's healthcare speech that he said that the people who are spreading these lies will be dealt with.
Perhaps Humana (and by implication, other MA providers) do not think it needs to listen to our president and are above the law of their own contract with Medicare?
If you really want to know what is going on, just follow Buffets recent trading. (Am guessing he knows this healthcare reform will pass and he is jumping on that wagon). He is a smart, smart, man. "If a health care bill gets passed, there's a pool of 47 million uninsured out there, many needing prescription drugs for chronic conditions.
Add insurance and stir = instant profit."
XOXO
Me
A few notes and comments from other sites...
ReplyDeleteFrom: newsbusters.org/
Wow, Newsbusters is making the Right look stupid.
So the government is suppose to let private companies simply lie and mislead their constituents?
Government: "Stop lying!"
Humana: "O.k."
Newsbusters: "Why is the big bad government impeding on this innocent corporations right to lie?"
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From livejournal.com/
GOP to America: "Leave the Health Insurance Industry Alone!!"
GOP Rushes To Defend Insurance Companies From Dem Attack
Republicans took to the floor of Congress, the Internet and the Wall Street Journal op-ed page Tuesday in a rush to defend a health insurance company that used taxpayer-subsidized communication to terrify seniors with the prospect that health care reform will cut their Medicare benefits.
(The) Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) cried foul, protesting that the mailings were misleading and instructing them to stop.
Communication between the private Medicare Advantage providers and beneficiaries is strictly regulated because the private companies are using public dollars.
Comments:
1.
Why would anyone in their right mind trust insurance companies over organizations like those of doctors and nurses?
Right now the insurance companies are capitalizing on people's misfortune and it disgusts me. I got an email that originate in my congressman's local office about how awful SAFRA is because it could put private student loans companies out of business.
Why is the GOP trying to protect companies exploiting people with no other options (sick people and students in these cases) and the people (again, sick people and students)?
This is not how our government should function.
2.
Another straw man argument from the GOP- big surprise. They try to make it a 1st Amendment issue when the real problem is the funding source.
And so many will buy it, hook, line and sinker.
3.
decrying what they called a "gag order" and reading the First Amendment on the floor of the Senate.
Surely there's some kind of law against outright lying to sell your product. ?
4.
Why is the GOP trying to protect companies exploiting people with no other options (sick people and students in these cases) and the people (again, sick people and students)?
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I think the thought is more of...we will loose less money paying fines then we will if this bill passes.
ReplyDeleteNot that a fine will fix things, the damage of the lie is already done. A rumor is never completely reversed.
ReplyDeleteYou are sadly, and probably, right about that.
But the again, this is a contract with the government...
Hmmm- I believe then they have a license...
Maybe they should think about their licenses before defrauding their own customers?
Anne, this is one of those incidences where somebody is hoping the rest of us don't "read between the lines."
ReplyDeleteSometimes those "implications" is leading us down the path they want us to be on till we need to use it then they will say it said something else.
You almost have to be a Lawyer to understand what it is these "clauses" are really saying. And purposely, I think they are hoping we accept things as we think we see them.
Darn it Anne! Now I am even more confoosed!
Well...I don't care much for our new Prez, but I hope he can stick it to the insurance companies for what they do to people. This has been hurting people for a very long time and It's about time something is done about it.