Day: January 22, 2025

The “DOGE”

That sounds like some creature from D&D….but it is a new term for the Trump admin of a couple of dudes that will suggest where to cut payrolls and what to keep…..a bit much in my opinion.

The group is lead by Musk and the V-Man, who was decided to bow out of DC to run for office….

The Department of Government Efficiency has already cut one position. Co-chief Vivek Ramaswamy has left President Trump’s startup, intended to reduce federal spending, to kick off a campaign next week for governor of Ohio, NBC News reports. A spokesperson for the initiative thanked him for his contribution in its first two months. “Vivek Ramaswamy played a critical role in helping us create DOGE,” Anna Kelly said in a statement Monday. “He intends to run for elected office soon, which requires him to remain outside of DOGE.” That leaves Elon Musk alone at the top. Just Monday morning, Ramaswamy had posted a photo of himself and Musk on X with the message, “A new dawn.”

With the V-Man gone that leaves Musk, the nazi saluting d/bag in charge of this office…..

What are the plans of this governmental agency?

While the U.S. Senate on Wednesday held confirmation hearings for several of President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees, the watchdog Public Citizen sounded the alarm about a new commission and its billionaire leaders, who don’t require congressional oversight but could significantly impact federal agencies, regulations, and spending.

Despite being called the Department of Government Efficiency, DOGE is not a government department. It is a presidential advisory commission that Trump announced after his November win. He has asked billionaires Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to co-lead it.

Public Citizen co-presidents Lisa Gilbert and Robert Weissman on Monday wrote to Trump’s transition team, asking to join DOGE. While their group has concerns about the commission’s “structure and mission,” including potential conflicts of interest regarding Musk and Ramaswamy’s financials, the watchdog leaders made the case that they could serve “as voices for the interests of consumers and the public who are the beneficiaries of federal regulatory and spending programs.”

The pair highlighted that their appointment “would be an important step towards compliance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act,” and outlined some ideas they have “to slash drug prices, end privatized Medicare, reduce the wasteful Pentagon budget.”

Weissman expanded on the group’s recommendations in a Wednesday report titled DOGE Delusions: A Real-World Plan to Reject Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy’s Misguided Agenda, Crack Down on Corporate Handouts, Tax the Rich, and Invest for the Future.

https://www.commondreams.org/news/doge

While I agree that there is way too much waste in DC….I am not convinced that Musk is the right person to lead the charge to curtail this waste.

This will be interesting to see what DOGE comes up with as policy…..I am not optimistic.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Medicare And Seniors

Since I am an old person I have been keeping a close eye on anything that might help inform my fellow retirees about Medicare…..

It is a new year and some new stuff around Medicare…..new for 2025….

Prescription drug costs for millions of Americans with Medicare coverage are getting a lot cheaper in 2025.

New cost-saving provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act took effect Wednesday for Medicare enrollees. Chief among them: Out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs are now capped at $2,000 through Medicare Part D, the optional prescription plan associated with the federal insurance program for people over 65 and younger Americans with disabilities.

“Before I took office, people with Medicare who took expensive drugs could face a crushing burden, paying $10,000 a year or more in copays for the drugs they need to stay alive,” President Joe Biden said in a statement Tuesday, touting the benefits of one of the largest legislative packages of his presidency. “This week, we take another step closer to an America where everyone can afford the quality health care they need.”

According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), about 66 million Americans are enrolled in Medicare, and about 52 million of them have Part D prescription coverage. Most enrollees spend far less than $2,000 a year on their prescriptions, but officials estimate the new cap will help 19 million people save an average of $400 a year.

https://money.com/medicare-prescription-cost-cap/

Let’s talk about the big scam that will get worse…Medicare Advantage….

Trump’s Medicare czar is going to be the quack Dr. Oz, who relishes the idea of everyone having to take out a Medicare Advantage plan….

He has even said the the uninsured do not deserve to live (paraphrase)….

Mehmet Oz, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, once said the uninsured “don’t have a right to health,” only the “right to access a chance to get that health.”

“Because they don’t have the right to health, but they have the right to access a chance to get that health,” he added.

This is the type of douchbags Trump wants in control of your life.

But I digress…..what about those scams , the Medicare Advantage plans?

I have tried to keep my fellow retirees informed about the scams that are targeting them…..

Medicare Advantage Plans

And the news just keeps coming and is as usual under-reported….

Donald Trump promises he will “not cut one penny” of Medicare, but like most elected Republicans he’s a strong proponent of Medicare privatization. During his first administration, Trump issued an executive order that said Medicare Advantage, the privatized version of Medicare, “delivers efficient and value-based care through choice and private competition.” Mehmet Oz, the TV doctor Trump nominated to run the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, disparages traditional Medicare and has called for massive expansion of Medicare Advantage. By remarkable coincidence, as of 2022 Oz owned a reported stake of $550,000 in UnitedHealth, Medicare Advantage’s largest participant.

There are many things the private sector does better than the federal government, among them enriching shareholders like Oz. But the private sector does not provide health care more efficiently than the public sector. That’s been demonstrated over and over, yet nobody wants to believe it. A report published Wednesday by The Wall Street Journal summarizing a year’s worth of its investigations indicates that where Medicare Advantage really excels is in the filing of fraudulent claims.

Congress created Medicare Advantage in 1997 to demonstrate for good and all, damn it, that the market economy could be more cost-effective at delivering doctor and hospital care. The privatization program succeeded in winning over the public: 54 percent of the Medicare-eligible population chooses Medicare Advantage.

Medicare Advantage looks to people over 65 like a better deal because it covers things traditional Medicare doesn’t, such as visits to the dentist or the eye doctor. Some plans even cover acupuncture! But if you get seriously ill and need to be referred to a specialist, Medicare Advantage isn’t so great. An April 2022 study by the Health and Human Services Department’s inspector general found that 13 percent of the referrals denied under Medicare Advantage would have been approved under traditional Medicare.

https://newrepublic.com/article/189804/privatizing-medicare-advantage-scam-claims-fraudulent

There is so much reporting that does not make the national news on these plans…..senior need to be aware of the pitfalls….

Medicare Advantage plans may seem like a good idea. Most of the time, it seems like you’ll be able to save money and may have additional benefits. However, these plans often come with significant downsides that can hinder you from getting the care you need. This could lead to a negative impact on your health and your finances. Below is a list of Medicare Advantage nightmares, some with real-life stories, to keep you in the know. Being aware of these hidden dangers could save you a lot of heartache.

https://www.savingadvice.com/articles/2025/01/06/10150855_the-dark-side-of-medicare-advantage-5-nightmares-that-could-happen-to-you.html

Please if you are considering one of these plans do some research other than listening to an agent who is only interested in how much he can make off you….

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”