#turning 65 medicare

[seniorsourcelist]

Converting Turning 65 Leads into Loyal Healthcare Customers

As the leading provider in the healthcare industry, Senior Source List understands the significance of Turning 65 leads. Turning 65 represents a crucial milestone for individuals as they become eligible for Medicare benefits. Converting these leads into loyal health care customers requires a strategic approach and a focus on building lasting relationships. In this article, we will explore effective strategies to convert Turning 65 leads into lifelong customers. Tailoring Your Offerings to Turning 65 Leads: Understanding the specific needs and preferences of Turning 65 leads is essential to successfully converting them into loyal customers. Conduct market research to gain insights into their healthcare priorities, concerns, and preferences. With this knowledge, customize your offerings to align with their requirements, ensuring that your services cater to their unique needs as they transition into the Medicare system. Building Trust and Credibility: Building trust is paramount when it comes to attracting and retaining Turning 65 leads. Position Senior Source List as a trusted authority in the health care industry through transparent communication, valuable content, and testimonials from satisfied customers. Showcase your expertise and emphasize the benefits of choosing Senior Source List as their trusted health care provider. Personalized Communication: Develop a personalized communication strategy to engage Turning 65 leads and nurture relationships. Utilize email marketing campaigns, direct mailers, and personalized messages to demonstrate your commitment to their well-being. Provide educational resources, timely reminders about important Medicare enrollment deadlines, and updates on relevant health care information. By staying in touch and addressing their individual concerns, you can cultivate trust and loyalty. Providing Exceptional Customer Service: Exceptional customer service plays a vital role in converting Turning 65 leads into loyal customers. Train your staff to be knowledgeable, empathetic, and responsive to customer needs. Promptly address inquiries, provide clear explanations, and guide customers through the Medicare enrollment process. By delivering outstanding service, you not only increase customer satisfaction but also generate positive word-of-mouth recommendations, further enhancing your reputation.

Conclusion: Converting Turning 65 leads into loyal health care customers requires a well-crafted strategy focused on personalized communication, tailored offerings, trust-building, comprehensive solutions, exceptional customer service, and continual engagement. At Senior Source List, we are committed to helping you successfully navigate this process. By implementing these strategies, you can establish strong relationships with Turning 65 leads, ensuring their long-term loyalty and satisfaction as valued customers of Senior Source List.

[theliveleads]

Turning 65 Medicare leads are prospective customers who are approaching or have recently reached the age of 65 and are eligible to enroll in Medicare, the federal health insurance program for seniors in the United States.

These leads represent a valuable opportunity for insurance agents and brokers specializing in Medicare products to connect with individuals who are actively seeking health insurance coverage as they transition into retirement.

[heartwise65]

The Benefits of $0 Premium Medicare Advantage Plans

As seniors navigate the complex landscape of healthcare options, the concept of $0 premium Medicare Advantage plans has become an enticing prospect. These plans offer a unique proposition, providing comprehensive coverage without the burden of a monthly premium.

Let's delve into the advantages of these plans and understand why they are gaining popularity among Medicare beneficiaries.

One of the primary attractions of $0 premium Medicare Advantage plans lies in their affordability. Traditional Medicare plans often require beneficiaries to pay premiums for Part B coverage, but $0 premium Advantage plans eliminate this financial burden. This means seniors can access a wide range of medical services, including hospital stays, doctor visits, and preventive care, without a recurring monthly cost.

Moreover, $0 premium plans frequently include additional benefits not covered by Original Medicare. These may include prescription drug coverage, vision and dental care, wellness programs, and even fitness memberships. By bundling these services into a single plan, beneficiaries can enjoy a more holistic approach to their healthcare, promoting overall well-being.

For those on a fixed income, the predictability of $0 premium plans provides peace of mind. Knowing that essential healthcare services are covered without an extra financial strain allows seniors to focus on their health rather than worrying about the cost of medical care. This financial relief can be particularly beneficial for individuals living on a tight budget.

It's crucial for Medicare beneficiaries to carefully evaluate the specific details of $0 premium Medicare Advantage plans, as coverage can vary. While the absence of a monthly premium is undoubtedly appealing, understanding copayments, deductibles, and network restrictions is essential for making informed decisions about healthcare.

In conclusion,

$0 premium Medicare Advantage plans offer seniors an affordable and comprehensive alternative to traditional Medicare. As the healthcare landscape continues to evolve, exploring these plans may be a key step in securing accessible and cost-effective medical coverage for the aging population.

[accesshealthcarephysicians]

Understanding the Different Parts of Medicare: What you need to know before signing up

In this informative guide, we will provide essential information on the different parts of Medicare and guide you on when and how to sign up for this crucial healthcare program. Access Health Care Physicians, LLC is here to ensure you have all the knowledge necessary to make an informed decision regarding your Medicare enrollment.

Introduction: Navigating the Medicare Enrollment Process Medicare, a vital federal health insurance program in the United States, offers different parts providing coverage for various healthcare needs. Understanding these parts and knowing when and how to sign up is crucial to ensure you have the coverage you need at the right time.

Understanding the Different Parts of Medicare Medicare consists of four main parts:

Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance): Covers inpatient hospital stays, skilled nursing facility care, hospice care, and some home health care.

Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance): Covers outpatient care, doctor's visits, preventive services, and some home health care.

Medicare Part C (Medicare Advantage): An alternative to traditional Medicare, providing combined coverage of Part A and Part B, often with additional benefits.

Medicare Part D (Prescription Drug Coverage): Covers prescription medications, helping to reduce the cost of necessary drugs.

When to Sign Up for Medicare Before Turning 65 You are eligible for Medicare at age 65, and the Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) begins three months before your 65th birthday month, includes your birthday month, and extends for three months after. It's advisable to sign up during this time to avoid potential penalties.

When to Sign Up for Medicare if Still Working If you are still working and have employer-sponsored health coverage, you may delay enrolling in Medicare without penalties. Once your employment ends or your employer coverage ends, you have eight months to sign up for Medicare without penalties.

How to Sign Up for Medicare: A Step-by-Step Guide Gather Necessary Information: Collect your personal information, including birth certificate, Social Security card, and employment history.

Visit the Medicare Website: Go to the official Medicare website and navigate to the "Apply for Medicare" page.

Complete the Application: Fill out the online application, providing the required information accurately.

Review and Submit: Review your application and submit it. Ensure all details are correct before finalizing.

Await Confirmation: You will receive a confirmation of your Medicare enrollment, along with your Medicare card.

FAQs on Medicare Enrollment Q1: Can I enroll in Medicare online? Yes, you can conveniently enroll in Medicare online through the official Medicare website.

Q2: Are there penalties for not signing up at the right time? Yes, if you don't sign up for Medicare during your Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) and don't have other creditable coverage, you may face late enrollment penalties.

Q3: Can I sign up for Medicare after turning 65? Yes, you can sign up during the General Enrollment Period (GEP) from January 1 to March 31 each year, but you may face penalties and delayed coverage.

Conclusion: Securing Your Healthcare with Medicare Understanding the different parts of Medicare and knowing when and how to sign up is essential to ensure you have adequate healthcare coverage when you need it. Access Health Care Physicians, LLC is committed to providing the guidance and support you need to navigate the Medicare enrollment process successfully. Sign up for Medicare at the right time and secure your healthcare for a healthy and worry-free future.

[lookingforcactus]

A big cost and concern for many seniors in the U.S. is the price of prescription drugs and other healthcare expenses—and this year, thanks to The Inflation Reduction Act, their costs may go down dramatically, especially for patients fighting cancer or heart disease.

I learned about the new benefits because my ‘Medicare birthday’ is coming up in a couple months when I turn 65. I was shocked that there were so many positive changes being made, which I never heard about on the news.

Thousands of Americans on Medicare have been paying more than $14,000 a year for blood cancer drugs, more than $10,000 a year for ovarian cancer drugs, and more than $9,000 a year for breast cancer drugs, for instance.

That all changed beginning in 2023, after the Biden administration capped out-of-pocket prescriptions at $3,500—no matter what drugs were needed. And this year, in 2024, the cap for all Medicare out-of-pocket prescriptions went down to a maximum of $2,000.

“The American people won, and Big Pharma lost,” said President Biden in September 2022, after the legislation passed. “It’s going to be a godsend to many families.”

Another crucial medical necessity, the shingles vaccine, which many seniors skip because of the cost, is now free. Shingles is a painful rash with blisters, that can be followed by chronic pain, and other complications, for which there is no cure

In 2022, more than 2 million seniors paid between $100 and $200 for that vaccine, but starting last year, Medicare prescription drug plans dropped the cost for shots down to zero.

Another victory for consumers over Big Pharma affects anyone of any age who struggles with diabetes. The cost of life-saving insulin was capped at $35 a month [for people on Medicare].

Medicare is also lowering the costs of the premium for Part B—which covers outpatient visits to your doctors. 15 million Americans will save an average of $800 per year on health insurance costs, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Last year, for the first time in history, Medicare began using the leverage power of its large patient pool to negotiate fair prices for drugs. Medicare is no longer accepting whatever drug prices that pharmaceutical companies demand.

Negotiations began on ten of the most widely used and expensive drugs.

Among the ten drugs selected for Medicare drug price negotiation were Eliquis, used by 3.7 million Americans and Jardiance and Xarelto, each used by over a million people. The ten drugs account for the highest total spending in Medicare Part D prescription plans...

How are all these cost-savings being paid for?

The government is able to pay for these benefits by making sure the biggest corporations in America are paying their fair share of federal taxes.

In 2020, for instance, dozens of American companies on the Fortune 500 list who made $40 billion in profit paid zero in federal taxes.

Starting in 2023, U.S. corporations are required to pay a minimum corporate tax of 15 percent. The Inflation Reduction Act created the CAMT, which imposed the 15% minimum tax on the adjusted financial statement income of any corporation with average income that exceeds $1 billion.

For years, Americans have decried the rising costs of health care—but in the last three years, there are plenty of positive developments.

-via Good News Network, February 25, 2024

[kp777]

By Max Richtman

Common Dreams - Opinion

July 30, 2024

Even after nearly six decades of Medicare’s overall success, we must continually protect it from conservatives’ attempts to cut and privatize the program.

Before Medicare was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson 59 years ago today, nearly half of American seniors had no hospital insurance. Private insurance companies were reluctant to cover anyone over 65. Even fewer seniors had coverage for non-hospital services like doctor’s visits. Many of the elderly were forced to exhaust their retirement savings to pay for medical care; some fell into poverty because of it. All of that changed with Medicare.

In Medicare’s first year of coverage, poverty decreased by 66% among the senior population. From 1965, when Medicare was enacted, to 1994, life expectancy at age 65 increased nearly three full years. This was no coincidence. Access to Medicare coverage for those who were previously uninsured helped lift seniors out of poverty and extend their lives.

As with Social Security, workers would contribute with each paycheck toward their future Medicare benefits. Upon putting his signature on this new program, a keystone of the Great Society, President Johnson declared, “Every citizen will be able, in their productive years when they are earning, to insure themselves against the ravages of illness in old age.”

Project 2025, the right-wing blueprint for a second Trump presidency, would gut traditional Medicare by accelerating privatization and repealing drug price negotiation.

Medicare has been improved several times over the decades. In 1972, Americans with disabilities (under 65 years of age) became eligible for Medicare coverage—along with people suffering from chronic kidney disease needing dialysis or transplants. In 2003, prescription drug coverage was added to Medicare (though the program was prohibited from negotiating prices with drugmakers). The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 finally empowered Medicare to negotiate prices with Big Pharma—and lowered seniors’ costs by capping their out-of-pocket expenses for prescription drugs and insulin.

Nearly 60 years after it was enacted, Medicare is one of the most popular and efficient federal programs. Ninety-four percent of beneficiaries say they are “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with their quality of care. Unlike many other federal programs, Medicare spends less than 2% of its budget on administrative costs.

Medicare isn’t perfect. It should be expanded to cover dental, hearing, and vision care. More urgently, though, the privatized version of the program, Medicare Advantage (MA), is gobbling up a larger share of the program despite myriad problems, including MA insurers overbilling the government and denying care that’s always offered by traditional Medicare. The Biden-Harris administration has been working to hold those private plans more accountable, but much remains to be done to protect traditional Medicare from efforts toward privatization.

Even after 59 years of Medicare’s overall success, we must continually defend Medicare against conservatives’ attempts to cut and privatize the program. Our founder, Rep. James Roosevelt, Sr. (D-Calif.), son of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, knew that Medicare (along with Social Security) would need continuous advocacy to withstand assaults from antagonistic political forces. That’s why the word “preserve” is in our organization’s name.

Many conservatives opposed Medicare from the start, labeling it “socialism” and “socialized medicine.” In 1962, Ronald Reagan warned that if Medicare were to be enacted, “One of these days you and I are going to spend our sunset years telling our children, and our children’s children, what it once was like in America when men were free.”

Today, the onslaught continues. The House Republican Study Committee’s (RSC) 2025 budget proposes to cut Medicare by an estimated $1 trillion over the next decade. The RSC would replace Medicare’s current system with vouchers, and push seniors into private plans that can and do deny coverage. Project 2025, the right-wing blueprint for a second Trump presidency, would gut traditional Medicare by accelerating privatization and repealing drug price negotiation.

Democrats by and large support protecting and even expanding Medicare. President Joe Biden tried to add dental, vision, and hearing coverage in his Build Back Better Act, but encountered resistance from Republicans and centrist Democrats. It’s still a laudable goal.

Republicans, for the most part, advocate cutting Medicare benefits and privatization. We endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president, because she knows the importance of Medicare to America’s seniors and people with disabilities—and has vowed to protect them. Former President Donald Trump, on the other hand, has been rhetorically all over the map on this topic, telling CNBC he is “open” to “cutting entitlements” but claiming to support Medicare. (His budgets as president called for billions of dollars in Medicare cuts.)

The 59th anniversary of Medicare is both an occasion for celebrating the program’s enormous successes over the past six decades—and a time to defend Medicare in the marbled halls of Washington, D.C., and at the ballot box this November.

Max Richtman is president and CEO of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare. He is former staff director at the United States Senate Special Committee on Aging.

[askgildaseniors]

Social Security and Medicare are two programs that help support us as we age. Social Security provides financial support in retirement, while Medicare ensures access to healthcare services.

Social Security offers income for retirees or those unable to work due to health reasons. It also extends support to families who've lost loved ones, providing survivor benefits.

Meanwhile, Medicare steps in to offer health insurance for individuals aged 65 and older, as well as those with certain disabilities or illnesses.

When it comes to enrolling, the Social Security Administration (SSA) partners with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to guide older Americans through the process. SSA sends out enrollment packages before your Medicare enrollment period begins, typically three months before you turn 65.

If you're already receiving Social Security benefits at age 65, you'll likely be automatically enrolled in Medicare. But if not, you'll need to apply through the SSA website.

Now, on to payments. Once enrolled, most individuals pay monthly premiums for Medicare Part B, that covers outpatient treatments. Social Security simplifies this process by deducting Part B premiums directly from benefit payments. If you have Medicare Advantage or Part D plans, you can also set up deductions from your benefits.

[misfitwashere]

If You Don't Know Medicare Advantage Is a Scam, You're Not Paying Attention

We’re on the edge of the open enrollment period for Medicare, and the Advantage scammers will be carpet-bombing America with advertisements over the next few months. Don't be fooled about what it is—and who is profiting.

Thom Hartmann

Oct 07, 2023

Common Dreams

President George W. Bush and Republicans (and a handful of on-the-take Democrats) in Congress created the Medicare Advantage scam in 2003 as a way of routing hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars into the pockets of for-profit insurance companies.

Those companies, and their executives, then recycle some of that profit back into politicians’ pockets via the Citizens United legalized bribery loophole created by five corrupt Republicans on the Supreme Court.

Just the overcharges happening right now in that scam are costing Americans over $140 billion a year: more than the entire budget for the Medicare Part B or Part D programs. These ripoffs — that our federal government seems to have no interest in stopping — are draining the Medicare trust fund while ensnaring gullible seniors in private insurance programs where they’re often denied life-saving care.

Real Medicare pays bills when they’re presented. Medicare Advantage insurance companies, on the other hand, get a fixed dollar amount every year for each of the people enrolled in their programs, regardless of how much they spent on each customer.

As a result, Medicare Advantage programs make the greatest profits for their CEOs and shareholders when they actively refuse to pay for care, something that happens frequently. It’s a safe bet that nearly 100 percent of the people who sign up for Advantage programs don’t know this and don’t have any idea how badly screwed they could be if they get seriously ill.

Not only that, when people do figure out they’ve been duped and try to get back on real Medicare, the same insurance companies often punish them by refusing to write Medigap plans (that fill in the 20% hole in real Medicare). They can’t do that when you first sign up when you turn 65, but if you “leave” real Medicare for privatized Medicare Advantage, it can be damn hard to get back on it.

The doctors’ group Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP) just published a shocking report on the extent of the Medicare Advantage ripoffs — both to individual customers and to Medicare itself — that every American should know about.

The report, titled Our Payments, Their Profits, opens with this shocking exposé:

“By our estimate, and based on 2022 spending, Medicare Advantage overcharges taxpayers by a minimum of 22% or $88 billion per year, and potentially by up to 35% or $140 billion. By comparison, Part B premiums in 2022 totaled approximately $131 billion, and overall federal spending on Part D drug benefits cost approximately $126 billion. Either of these — or other crucial aspects of Medicare and Medicaid — could be funded entirely by eliminating overcharges in the Medicare Advantage program. “Medicare Advantage, also known as MA or Medicare Part C, is a privately administered insurance program that uses a capitated payment structure, as opposed to the fee-for-service (FFS) structure of Traditional Medicare or TM. Instead of paying directly for the health care of beneficiaries, the federal government gives a lump sum of money to a third party (generally a commercial insurer) to ‘manage’ patient care.”

With real Medicare and a Medigap plan, you talk with your physician or hospital and decide on your treatment, they bill Medicare, and you never see or hear about the bill. There is nobody between you and your physician or hospital and Medicare only goes after the payment they’ve made if they sniff out a fraud.

With Medicare Advantage, on the other hand, your insurance company gets a lump-sum payment from Medicare every year and keeps the difference between what they get and what they pay out. They then insert themselves between you and your doctor or hospital to avoid paying for whatever they can.

Whatever you decide on regarding treatment, many Advantage insurance company will regularly second-guess and do everything they can to intimidate you into paying yourself out-of-pocket. Often, they simply refuse payment and wait for you to file a complaint against them; for people seriously ill the cumbersome “appeals” process is often more than they can handle.

As a result, hospitals and doctor groups across the nation are beginning to refuse to take Medicare Advantage patients. California-based Scripps Health, for example, cares for around 30,000 people on Medicare Advantage and recently notified all of them that Scripps will no longer offer medical services to them unless they pay out-of-pocket or revert back to real Medicare.

They made this decision because over $75 million worth of services and procedures their physicians had recommended to their patients were turned down by Medicare Advantage insurance companies. In many cases, Scripps had already provided the care and is now stuck with the bills that the Advantage companies refuse to pay.

Scripps CEO Chris Van Gorder told MedPage Today:

“We are a patient care organization and not a patient denial organization and, in many ways, the model of managed care has always been about denying or delaying care – at least economically. That is why denials, [prior] authorizations and administrative processes have become a very big issue for physicians and hospitals...”

Similarly, the Mayo Clinic has warned its customers in Florida and Arizona that they won’t accept Medicare Advantage any more, either. Increasing numbers of physician groups and hospitals are simply over being ripped off by Advantage insurance companies.

Not only is the Medicare Advantage scam a screw job for healthcare providers and people who are on the programs and are unfortunate enough to get sick, it’s also preventing Americans from getting expanded benefits from real Medicare.

As the PNHP report notes, for real Medicare to provide comprehensive vision, dental, and hearing benefits to all Medicare recipients would cost the system around $84 billion a year, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

Instead, though, the Medicare system is burdened with at least that amount of money in over-payments to Medicare Advantage providers — over-payments that have no health benefit whatsoever and merely inflate the companies’ profits.

A hundred billion dollars in excess profits can be put to a lot of uses, and the health insurance industry is quite good at it. The former CEO of UnitedHealth, “Dollar” Bill McGuire, for example, made off with over $1.5 billion dollars for his efforts.

And, because five corrupt Republicans on the Supreme Court legalized political bribery with their Citizens United decision, some of these companies allocate millions every year (a mere drop in the bucket) to pay off loyal members of Congress and to dangle high-paying future jobs to high-level employees of CMS who have the power to keep the gravy train going and thwart prosecutions.

As PNHP noted:

“Medicare Advantage is just another example of the endless greed of the insurance industry poisoning American health care, siphoning money from vulnerable patients while delaying and denying necessary and often life-saving treatment. While there is obvious reason to fix these issues in MA and to expand Traditional Medicare for the sake of all beneficiaries, the deep structural problems with our health care system will only be fixed when we achieve improved Medicare for All.”

We’re on the edge of the open enrollment period for Medicare, and the Advantage scammers will be carpet-bombing America with advertisements over the next few months. Representatives Pocan, Khanna, and Schakowsky have introduced the “Save Medicare Act” that would ban Advantage companies from using the word Medicare in their advertising.

They made a video about it that’s well worth sharing with friends and family:

As Schakowsky, Khanna, and Pocan note, “Only Medicare is Medicare.” Don’t be fooled by the Medicare Advantage scam.

And now that you know, pass it on and save somebody else’s health!

[seniorsourcelist]

Medicare Supplement Leads | Senior Source List

Senior Source List has been assisting hundreds of insurance marketers in their search for the top senior prospects for Medicare supplements and Supplemental insurance since 1989. We can assist you whether you're seeking for customers who will soon turn 65 or people who are already actively looking for Medicare supplement insurance plans and products. Our Supplement insurance marketers can target leads using a wide range of configurable demographic choices. The state, county, city, zip code, or even a radius around your residence can be used to pull Medicare supplement leads. Call one of the providers on our list today if you want to start adding new people to your Medicare plan.

[medicarehealthshop01]

[theliveleads]

In the competitive landscape of the insurance industry, lead generation is essential for driving growth, acquiring new clients, and expanding market reach. Insurance agencies across the United States rely on effective lead generation strategies to identify and connect with potential customers interested in their insurance products and services. Let's explore the top lead generation techniques utilized by insurance agencies in the United States to generate quality leads and fuel business growth. The Live Lead Medicare Leads Turning 65

[uboat53]

Trump and Republicans are trying to paint Democrats as extreme left, but let's take a look at where things actually stand. In reality, the Democrats are fairly well within the bounds of the mainstream with regards to most domestic policy while it's Republicans who have gone off the map to the right. Time for a LONG RANT (TM).

SINGLE PAYER HEALTH CARE

Republicans love to harp on the idea of Medicare For All or Single Payer Health Care, referring to it as "socialized medicine" and implying that it runs contrary to American values, but does it really?

63% of Americans agree that the government is responsible for making sure all Americans have health coverage. 36% of Americans (and even 15% of Republicans) were willing to go so far as to say they believe a single national program would be preferable to retaining private health care. In other words, almost as many Americans would prefer to have single-payer government health care as think the government isn't responsible for Americans having health coverage at all. And that 36% who favor single-payer only are more than the 30% who favor Trump's current position of continuing Medicare and Medicaid while retaining private insurance as is [1].

In other words, even the most extreme Democratic position (most moderate Democrats prefer a government program that competes with private insurance in a marketplace) is more popular than the most moderate Republican position.

SCHOOLS

Republicans have declared banning universal free school lunches a priority in 2024 [2] and 14 states governed by the GOP turned down federal money this summer to feed low-income kids [3], largely bashing the idea as "socialist". Meanwhile, Democrats have made universal free meals for school-aged children a priority.

The American public, on the other hand, is very much on the Democrat's side here. 60% of Americans think public schools should provide free lunch to all students with an additional 29% saying they should provide it only to low-income students. Only 6% agreed with the Republican position that schools should not provide free lunch at all. The numbers are 57%, 30%, and 8%, respectively, for free breakfast [4].

School lunches aren't the only education issue where Americans overwhelmingly side with Democrats either. 69% of Americans think that public school teachers are not paid fairly, 63% of Americans (and 71% of K-12 parents) agree that teachers should be trusted to make decisions about classroom curriculum, 79% of Americans support teaching about the history of slavery, racism, and segregation in public schools, and 65% of Americans oppose banning books from classrooms and school libraries (vs. 21% in favor). Even 51% of Republicans oppose the book bans [5].

CHILD CARE

Republicans aren't as clearly against child-care as they are against other issues, but the reason they haven't been able to pass anything is that they are still firmly against government involvement. Meanwhile, 78% of Republicans (not just Americans, Republicans) support subsidized child-care for working families and 79% of them said they support tax credits to help pay for child care [6].

Even after acknowledging concerns about the deficit, 74% of voters say that "increasing funding for child care and early childhood education programs is an important priority and a good use of tax dollars." 82% of Americans support tax incentives for businesses to help their employees find child care, 80% support increasing funding to Head Start and Early Head Start, 78% support increasing the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit, 78% support increasing federal funding to states to help low-income children, and 74% support increasing the Child Tax Credit [7].

OTHERS

These issues aren't outliers, on issue after issue the Democratic Party is solidly in the mainstream and the Republican Party represents the fringe. 63% of Americans think abortion should be legal in most or all cases [8], 56% of Americans support stricter gun laws [9] with 83% supporting background checks for private and gun show sales, 72% in favor of both a national red flag law and a requirement for a gun license before purchase, and 61% in favor of banning high capacity magazines [10], and 63% of Americans support protecting transgender individuals from discrimination in jobs, housing, and public spaces [11].

Immigration is probably the only area where Republicans are close to the mainstream, but even there the Democrats are closer to the middle of public opinion than they are. 59% of voters say that undocumented immigrants currently in the US should be allowed to stay legally and 68%, including 54% of Republicans, say they are comfortable with people speaking languages other than English in public [12].

CONCLUSION

These are the kinds of programs for which Harris and her running mate Walz have been accused of being far-left and socialist, but they're all clearly well within the American mainstream. It is, instead, Republicans, who have pivoted further and further right and are increasingly finding themselves out on the ideological ledge. Some of their positions may have been mainstream decades ago, but they've failed to adjust to the times as the American population has changed.

One of the reasons that Walz's charge that Republicans are "weird" is sticking so effectively is that Republicans have strayed so far out of the mainstream of American public opinion in the policies they support. Accusing Democrats of extremism for backing reasonable ideas isn't going to cut it, eventually Republicans are going to have to grapple with the position they've placed themselves in.

[accesshealthcarephysicians]

Understanding the Basics: A Comprehensive Guide to Enrolling in Medicare at Age 65

Turning 65 marks a significant milestone, and one essential aspect of this phase is enrolling in Medicare. However, understanding the complexities of Medicare enrollment can be daunting. In this comprehensive guide, we team up with Access Health Care Physicians, LLC, to simplify the process and ensure you have the knowledge to make informed decisions regarding your healthcare coverage.

Section 1: The Basics of Medicare Medicare is a federal health insurance program primarily for individuals aged 65 and older. It is designed to provide access to essential medical services and help cover healthcare costs.

Section 2: Eligibility and Enrollment Period Turning 65 grants you eligibility for Medicare. The initial enrollment period begins three months before your 65th birthday and continues for three months after. This seven-month window ensures you can enroll in Medicare Parts A and B.

Section 3: Understanding Medicare Parts A, B, C, and D Medicare has several parts, each covering specific healthcare services. Medicare Part A covers hospital stays, Part B covers outpatient care, Part C combines Parts A and B, and Part D covers prescription drugs.

Section 4: Navigating Medicare Enrollment Access Health Care Physicians, LLC recommends starting the enrollment process early. Begin by deciding if you want Original Medicare (Parts A and B) or a Medicare Advantage plan (Part C) that often includes prescription drug coverage.

Section 5: Enrolling in Medicare You can enroll in Medicare through the Social Security Administration (SSA). Visit their website or a local SSA office to complete the enrollment process. Make sure to have all required documents and information handy.

Section 6: Consulting with Access Health Care Physicians, LLC Understanding the nuances of Medicare can be complex. Access Health Care Physicians, LLC is here to help. Reach out to their dedicated team for expert guidance and personalized advice tailored to your healthcare needs.

Section 7: The Importance of Supplemental Insurance Consider supplemental insurance, or Medigap, which helps cover costs not included in Original Medicare. Access Health Care Physicians, LLC can guide you in choosing the right supplemental plan to ensure comprehensive coverage.

Conclusion Enrolling in Medicare at age 65 is a critical step to secure your healthcare coverage as you enter this new phase of life. By understanding the basics, leveraging expert advice from Access Health Care Physicians, LLC, and taking the necessary steps, you can ensure a smooth enrollment process and access the healthcare you deserve as a Medicare beneficiary.

[worldofwardcraft]

Donny's debate disaster.

July 4, 2024

While the national new media have settled on their preferred narrative that last Thursday's debate was bad for President Joe Biden (because everything is), little notice has been given to just how awful Republican candidate Donald Trump's performance was. On the contrary, a fawning USA Today commented that, "during the debate, he remained calm and reserved." Adding that, by adhering to the debate rules (for a change), Trump appeared "presidential."

Did they watch the same debate as the rest of us? During CNN's pathetic reality show, Trump responded to nearly every question by alternating between bragging he was the greatest president in American history and accusing Biden of destroying the country by allowing millions of criminal, mentally ill immigrants into it. And throughout the entire proceeding, Trump was an unobstructed firehose of lies, untruths and statements NBC News chose to call "misleading." Here are just a few.

"Everybody" wanted Roe v. Wade overturned and the power to set abortion policy returned to the states. (A CNN poll in April found 65% of adults opposed the decision.)

When he was president, Iran "had no money for Hamas" and no money "for terror." (Trump's very own Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in 2020 that Iran was continuing to fund terror groups.)

His proposed 10% tariff on all imports will only "cost countries that have been ripping us off for years, like China, and many others.” (He still doesn't understand how tariffs work.)

Biden's promise to restore Roe v. Wade "means he can take the life of the baby in the ninth month and even after birth." (This is not an actual thing.)

Biden will "wipe out" Social Security and Medicare by putting migrants entering the US on the benefits. (Many undocumented immigrants work, which means they pay into the Social Security and Medicare trust funds.)

And, once again, Trump asserted that former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi turned down his offer of 10,000 National Guard troops during the January 6 attack by his MAGA thugs. (The House speaker is not responsible for Capitol security, nor did Trump make any such offer.)

How bad was that debate for Trump? Here's a YouGov/CBS poll taken just afterwards: Should Biden be the nominee? Yes, 55%-45%. Should Trump continue running? No, 54%-46%. President Biden's shaky performance prompted a clutch of so-called pundits to insist he exit the presidential contest. But maybe the one who should really drop out after his debate catastrophe is Trump.

[kp777]

By Thom Hartmann

Common Dreams

Oct. 7, 2023

President George W. Bush and Republicans (and a handful of on-the-take Democrats) in Congress created the Medicare Advantage scam in 2003 as a way of routing hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars into the pockets of for-profit insurance companies.

Those companies, and their executives, then recycle some of that profit back into politicians’ pockets via the Citizens United legalized bribery loophole created by five corrupt Republicans on the Supreme Court.

Just the overcharges happening right now in that scam are costing Americans over $140 billion a year: more than the entire budget for the Medicare Part B or Part D programs. These ripoffs — that our federal government seems to have no interest in stopping — are draining the Medicare trust fund while ensnaring gullible seniors in private insurance programs where they’re often denied life-saving care.

Real Medicare pays bills when they’re presented. Medicare Advantage insurance companies, on the other hand, get a fixed dollar amount every year for each of the people enrolled in their programs, regardless of how much they spent on each customer.

As a result, Medicare Advantage programs make the greatest profits for their CEOs and shareholders when they actively refuse to pay for care, something that happens frequently. It’s a safe bet that nearly 100 percent of the people who sign up for Advantage programs don’t know this and don’t have any idea how badly screwed they could be if they get seriously ill.

Not only that, when people do figure out they’ve been duped and try to get back on real Medicare, the same insurance companies often punish them by refusing to write Medigap plans (that fill in the 20% hole in real Medicare). They can’t do that when you first sign up when you turn 65, but if you “leave” real Medicare for privatized Medicare Advantage, it can be damn hard to get back on it.

The doctors’ group Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP) just published a shocking report on the extent of the Medicare Advantage ripoffs — both to individual customers and to Medicare itself — that every American should know about.

The report, titled Our Payments, Their Profits, opens with this shocking exposé:

“By our estimate, and based on 2022 spending, Medicare Advantage overcharges taxpayers by a minimum of 22% or $88 billion per year, and potentially by up to 35% or $140 billion. By comparison, Part B premiums in 2022 totaled approximately $131 billion, and overall federal spending on Part D drug benefits cost approximately $126 billion. Either of these — or other crucial aspects of Medicare and Medicaid — could be funded entirely by eliminating overcharges in the Medicare Advantage program. “Medicare Advantage, also known as MA or Medicare Part C, is a privately administered insurance program that uses a capitated payment structure, as opposed to the fee-for-service (FFS) structure of Traditional Medicare or TM. Instead of paying directly for the health care of beneficiaries, the federal government gives a lump sum of money to a third party (generally a commercial insurer) to ‘manage’ patient care.”

With real Medicare and a Medigap plan, you talk with your physician or hospital and decide on your treatment, they bill Medicare, and you never see or hear about the bill. There is nobody between you and your physician or hospital and Medicare only goes after the payment they’ve made if they sniff out a fraud.

With Medicare Advantage, on the other hand, your insurance company gets a lump-sum payment from Medicare every year and keeps the difference between what they get and what they pay out. They then insert themselves between you and your doctor or hospital to avoid paying for whatever they can.

Whatever you decide on regarding treatment, many Advantage insurance company will regularly second-guess and do everything they can to intimidate you into paying yourself out-of-pocket. Often, they simply refuse payment and wait for you to file a complaint against them; for people seriously ill the cumbersome “appeals” process is often more than they can handle.

As a result, hospitals and doctor groups across the nation are beginning to refuse to take Medicare Advantage patients. California-based Scripps Health, for example, cares for around 30,000 people on Medicare Advantage and recently notified all of them that Scripps will no longer offer medical services to them unless they pay out-of-pocket or revert back to real Medicare.

They made this decision because over $75 million worth of services and procedures their physicians had recommended to their patients were turned down by Medicare Advantage insurance companies. In many cases, Scripps had already provided the care and is now stuck with the bills that the Advantage companies refuse to pay.

Scripps CEO Chris Van Gorder told MedPage Today:

“We are a patient care organization and not a patient denial organization and, in many ways, the model of managed care has always been about denying or delaying care – at least economically. That is why denials, [prior] authorizations and administrative processes have become a very big issue for physicians and hospitals...”

Similarly, the Mayo Clinic has warned its customers in Florida and Arizona that they won’t accept Medicare Advantage any more, either. Increasing numbers of physician groups and hospitals are simply over being ripped off by Advantage insurance companies.

Not only is the Medicare Advantage scam a screw job for healthcare providers and people who are on the programs and are unfortunate enough to get sick, it’s also preventing Americans from getting expanded benefits from real Medicare.

As the PNHP report notes, for real Medicare to provide comprehensive vision, dental, and hearing benefits to all Medicare recipients would cost the system around $84 billion a year, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

Instead, though, the Medicare system is burdened with at least that amount of money in over-payments to Medicare Advantage providers — over-payments that have no health benefit whatsoever and merely inflate the companies’ profits.

A hundred billion dollars in excess profits can be put to a lot of uses, and the health insurance industry is quite good at it. The former CEO of UnitedHealth, “Dollar” Bill McGuire, for example, made off with over $1.5 billion dollars for his efforts.

And, because five corrupt Republicans on the Supreme Court legalized political bribery with their Citizens United decision, some of these companies allocate millions every year (a mere drop in the bucket) to pay off loyal members of Congress and to dangle high-paying future jobs to high-level employees of CMS who have the power to keep the gravy train going and thwart prosecutions.

As PNHP noted:

“Medicare Advantage is just another example of the endless greed of the insurance industry poisoning American health care, siphoning money from vulnerable patients while delaying and denying necessary and often life-saving treatment. While there is obvious reason to fix these issues in MA and to expand Traditional Medicare for the sake of all beneficiaries, the deep structural problems with our health care system will only be fixed when we achieve improved Medicare for All.”

We’re on the edge of the open enrollment period for Medicare, and the Advantage scammers will be carpet-bombing America with advertisements over the next few months. Representatives Pocan, Khanna, and Schakowsky have introduced the “Save Medicare Act” that would ban Advantage companies from using the word Medicare in their advertising.

They made a video about it that’s well worth sharing with friends and family:

As Schakowsky, Khanna, and Pocan note, “Only Medicare is Medicare.” Don’t be fooled by the Medicare Advantage scam.

And now that you know, pass it on and save somebody else’s health!