Given the massive reductions in Medicare Advantage and standalone Part D plans, CMS should allow Medicare beneficiaries a special enrollment period to make changes in 2025. It is the least the agency could do for hiding the extent of the problems.
About The Podcast:
Millions of Americans feel confused and frustrated in their search for quality healthcare coverage.
Between out-of-control costs, countless inefficiencies, a lack of affordable universal access, and little focus on wellness and prevention, the system is clearly in dire need of change.
Hosted by healthcare policy and technology expert Marc S. Ryan, the Healthcare Labyrinth Podcast offers accessible, incisive deep dives on the most pressing issues and events in American healthcare.
Marc seeks to help Americans become wiser consumers and navigate the healthcare maze with more confidence and certainty through The Healthcare Labyrinth website and his book of the same name.
Marc is an unconventional Republican who believes that affordable universal access is a wise and prudent investment. He recommends common-sense solutions to reform American healthcare.
Tune in every week as Marc examines the latest developments in the space, offering analysis, insights, and predictions on the changing state of healthcare in America.
About The Episode:
On this episode, Marc argues CMS should allow Medicare beneficiaries a special enrollment period to make changes in 2025 due to massive reductions in Medicare Advantage and standalone Part D plans. It is the least CMS could do for hiding the extent of the problems.
Key Takeaways:
For a number of reasons – some the fault of plans and some the fault of CMS – 2025 benefits in Medicare Advantage (MA) are facing major reductions.
Up to 2 million enrollees could be impacted in MA, when just 100,000 a year are normally impacted.
The Inflation Reduction Act made major changes that are creating surges in premiums and leading to benefit and plan choice reductions in standalone Part D plans as well. A special premium stabilization program helped some, but there are still major impacts.
Medicare beneficiaries will have to make changes and seniors and the disabled do not scrutinize plan changes or alternatives regularly.
CMS has refused to come clean on the extent of the problem and spun the 2025 benefits in a very positive light. It is very misleading. It was politically motivated due to the coming election.
Seniors and the disabled face major changes and likely will not make the right decisions during the enrollment seasons.
CMS must have a special enrollment period in 2025 (after Match 31) to help seniors and protect their health.
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Resources
The Healthcare Labyrinth: A Guide to Navigating Health Plans and Fixing American Health Insurance
