So-called “private plans” are bringing socialized medicine to America. Unless you read medical news, you might not know it.
Health plans are gobbling up doctors and hospitals. Hospitals are buying health plans. Care and coverage are merging. This is socialized medicine, American style. It’s dangerous for patients. With care and coverage under the same corporate roof, patients are at a disadvantage. They become financial burdens to the system, not patients in need of care and cure.
Some experts know this is a bad idea. Penn Health CEO Kevin Mahoney nails it: “Health systems should not be an insurance company.”
The history is important. In 1965, single-payer advocate U.S. Congressman John Dingle (D-MI) helped to enact Medicare. In 1973, U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy’s (D-MA) bill to create HMOs that merge delivery and financing of care was endorsed and signed by President Richard Nixon (R). In 1993, the Clintons pushed a national system of HMOs for all. In 2003, Republicans enacted Medicare Advantage—HMOs (now called health plans) for seniors. The Affordable Care Act (ACA), pushed by President Barack Obama, prohibited catastrophic (real) health insurance and required “qualified health plans” for all.
Today, 52% of Medicare recipients are enrolled in Medicare Advantage Organizations (MAOs) which, unlike Original Medicare, control all federal dollars through prior authorization and restricted networks. Due to Medicare enrollment restrictions, many MAO enrollees won’t be able to leave.
The remedy is simple. Let seniors opt out of Medicare without losing their Social Security benefits and restore real health insurance as an appealing option for all. These medical indemnity policies pay you cash directly, just like car and homeowners insurance. This will put you in charge of costs and decisions. In short, let the market work, increasing choices, reducing prices, and bringing full transparency.
We were on Capitol Hill in January pushing the Congressman Gary Palmer (R-AL) and the coming U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) Retirement Freedom Act (RFA)—which will let seniors opt out of Medicare—and a bill to restore real insurance. With your support, we will build a PARALLEL DELIVERY SYSTEM of real freedom, real affordability, and real confidentiality for all patients—starting with The Wedge, our online directory of cash-based practices.
Thank you for standing with us as we work to stop socialized medicine!
In liberty,
Twila Brase, RN, PHN
President and Co-founder
April is “Truth About HIPAA” Month!