Medicare Advantage: Conservative Politics and The Deceit Of Decontextualization

http://www.life-over-50.com/suddenlysenior/private-medicare-advantage-program.html

Dear J,

Medicare Advantage is a red herring: it is being phased out because "the federal government spent 12 percent more on Medicare Advantage than it did for comparable care under traditional Medicare."

In effect Medicare Advantage (to which a small percentage of seniors have subscribed) was

"paying more and getting less."

As always, the right wing uses "The Deceit of Decontextualization" to score 

political points - political points, which, if rewarded, would work to the detriment of 

America.

Here is the "whole scoop" from Wikipedia:

Effects of the Health Reform

There is considerable confusion about what the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (or ACA) of 2010 did with respect to Medicare Advantage. As part of a broad set of reforms aimed to control the cost of Medicare, the ACA eliminated subsidies which the federal government first used to establish the Medicare Advantage program. The Obama administration launched an $8.35 billion demonstration project to postpone the majority of Medicare Advantage program cuts. According to the General Accountability Office (GAO) this demonstration project will cost more than the combined previous 85 demonstration projects beginning in 1995. As of 2008, the federal government spent 12 percent more on Medicare Advantage than it did for comparable care under traditional Medicare.^[7]These subsidies (which added an additional $14 billion to the Medicare program last year alone) will gradually be reduced until payments to Medicare Advantage are in line with the cost of traditional Medicare.^[8]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicare_Advantage

***

There are two towering ironies in all this: 1.) that Republicans (who claim to be against 

government entitlements) typically cling to Medicare as if it is their only lifeline - which is 

often true; and 2.) Republicans refuse to entertain ANY kind of cost containment despite their relentless 

jabber about "cutting fat."

Truth be told, contemporary Republicans are the porkiest of pigs. http://socialistsarahpalin.homestead.com/

Pax vobiscum

Alan

On Tue, Sep 18, 2012 at 5:18 PM, jt wrote:

 

Subject: Fw: : 2 minute video *** VERY IMPORTANT (Are you on Medicare?) this may surprise you!!!!!!!!

It is important that you be aware of this "coincidence"!!  http://my.brainshark.com/The-President-s-8-Billion-Coincidence-356086344 Forward this to everyone you know and ask them to pass this along. Very important we all know what is going to happen. Something to think about come November. Remember what FDR said, "There are no coincidences in politics..." (Alan here... I would venture this is the first time the sender of this email considered Roosevelt right.)