Tag: Medicare

For My Fellow Seniors

AS an old fart I watch the doings in Moronic center, DC, for my fellow seniors need to stay informed on how the government will tackle their problems as they grow older….especially the marginal ones that will depend onMedicaid for the health issues.

Below are some of the more absurd excuses for throwing people off the Medicaid rolls…..

In their zeal to deliver a big win to President Donald Trump by passing his sweeping tax and spending bill, Republicans have been coming up with ridiculous ways to defend their plan to strip health care from an estimated 11 million low-income people.

Experts don’t matter. Prove you are worthy of health care. We’re all going to die anyway. Somehow, these are actual arguments GOP lawmakers and officials have been making as they try to gloss over the pain their bill would impose on poor people and families while handing big tax breaks to mostly rich people.

Here are five of the most absurd ways Republicans have tried to defend their so-called Big Beautiful Bill, which guts federal health and food assistance programs by nearly $1.3 trillion.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/medicaid-cuts-republican-bill_n_6842ebdde4b04a6fce05e8c5

Then there is the whole tax thingy in Donny’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ BS….

Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” will slash the household resources of the poorest Americans by about $1,600 while boosting the wealthiest households by roughly $12,000, the Congressional Budget Office said in a distributional analysis released Thursday.

What Happened: CBO analysts in their analysis released on Thursday found middle-income families would gain a more modest $500 to $1,000 a year, but the lowest decile would lose ground largely because the bill pares back Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits and adds 80-hour monthly “community-engagement” rules for able-bodied adults.

he package extends many 2017 tax cuts, creates temporary breaks on tips, overtime and car-loan interest, and raises the standard deduction for seniors, yet offsets part of the cost by shrinking safety-net programs.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned lawmakers on Thursday that failure to pass the measure could push the nation toward economic disaster, and Idaho Republican Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) argued “the solution to our debt crisis is not to tax Americans more, it is to spend less.” He goes on to say that extending “proven tax reform is critical for working families.”

https://www.benzinga.com/news/politics/25/06/45919604/trumps-big-beautiful-bill-pulls-1600-from-poorest-adds-12000-for-richest-annually-shows-cbo-analysi

Nothing about nay of this should surprise anyone for the GOP has been gunning for entitlements for decades and now they have the perfect storm to attack and destroy as much of these programs as possible.

If you are a senior or close to retirement you might want to pay better attention than you have in the past for your future is in their incapable hands.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Retirees And Their Money

As a retired old fart I keep my eyes on news that would impact new retirees and those near retirement….just my way to impart some FYI to help them navigate the complexities of retirement.

Regardless how attractive the ads are for some of these Medicare plans they are most likely a money trap that provides little in the way of help.

Plans like ‘Zero’ premiums and free dental, vision and hearing…..they are a trap and should be avoided….but here is why….

Choosing the right Medicare plan is one of the most important financial and health decisions older adults make. With so many plans promising lower premiums, free perks, and wide coverage, it’s easy to get drawn in by attractive marketing. But all too often, these plans hide critical limitations in the fine print, from unexpected out-of-pocket costs to restrictive provider networks. Knowing which plans to approach with caution can save retirees from serious financial and medical headaches. Here’s a look at 10 Medicare plans that seem helpful at first glance but often leave enrollees feeling misled.

https://www.savingadvice.com/articles/2025/06/03/10157823_10-medicare-plans-that-look-helpful-until-you-read-the-fine-print.html

It is common knowledge that I do not support these so called Medicare Advantage plans because to me they are a money trap and provide little…..but I am not alone….many retirees dump these plans once they see just how bogus they are….

Medicare coverage doesn’t just mean signing up for government insurance. In fact, more than half of Medicare recipients now get their coverage through a Medicare Advantage plan, or Medicare Part C plan, which is offered by a private insurer.

Advantage plans are an alternative to original Medicare, replacing Part A (hospital coverage), Part B (outpatient care coverage), and sometimes Part D (prescription drug coverage).

Enrollment in these plans is expected to grow to 60% of the eligible population by 2030, with many people drawn to them because they’re often marketed as “zero premium” plans with out-of-pocket limits, while Medicare Part B has uncapped spending and charges premiums. The Trump administration strongly favors the expansion of Medicare Advantage plans.

Yet, while Advantage Plans seem like a good alternative, a substantial number of older Americans who sign up for them don’t stick with them. In fact, among those who signed up between 2011 and 2022, around half left their plans within five years.

Recent research published in the journal Health Affairs helps demonstrate why so many are opting out of their Advantage Plan during open enrollment, either by switching to a different Part C plan or by returning to traditional Medicare instead. Since these Advantage plans are less likely to attract beneficiaries over the long term, the study warns that such plans will likely have less incentive to cater to participants with chronic conditions.

https://www.kiplinger.com/retirement/medicare/should-you-ditch-your-medicare-advantage-plan-most-people-do

Please do not fall for the BS do your research before you retire and do not be swayed by promises that will not be fulfilled.

The way things are going you will need all your retirement to just exist so do not fall for the BS that could eventually put you into the poor house.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

The ‘Advantage’ Con

This is post for all my senior readers.

Daily we are bombarded by ads telling us all the ‘advantages’ of having Medicare Advantage plans….the problem is as I keep pointing out they are full of crap and are little more than a con job.

These plans taunt that we can get special coverage for hearing, vision and dental with these plans…..so how true is that?

As the privatized form of Medicare, Medicare Advantage plans advertise dental, vision, and hearing benefits not covered by traditional Medicare, but a recent analysis found that Medicare Advantage beneficiaries do not typically receive more of these supplemental services than traditional Medicare beneficiaries. Additionally, out-of-pocket spending was similar for most supplemental services.

The research led by a team from Mass General Brigham is published in JAMA Network Open.

“Medicare Advantage plans receive more money per beneficiary than traditional Medicare plans, but our findings add to the evidence that this increased cost is not justified,” said first author Christopher L. Cai, MD, who conducted this work as a resident in the Department of Internal Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

For their study, Cai and his colleagues analyzed 2017–2021 data from two continuous surveys, the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey and the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey. In total, the investigators assessed information on 76,557 Medicare beneficiaries.

Only 54.2% of Medicare Advantage beneficiaries were aware of having Medicare Advantage while just 54.3% were aware of having vision coverage. Medicare Advantage enrollees were no more likely to receive eye examinations, hearing aids, or eyeglasses than traditional Medicare enrollees.

Out-of-pocket expenses for supplemental benefits were similar or modestly lower for Medicare Advantage. Medicare Advantage and traditional Medicare enrollees paid $205.86 and $226.12, respectively, for eyeglasses (9.0% less for Medicare Advantage); $226.82 and $249.98, respectively for dental visits (9.3% less for Medicare Advantage); and no differences for optometry visits or durable (a proxy for ), after adjusting for demographics.

Nationwide, Medicare Advantage plans’ annual spending on vision, dental services, and durable medical equipment totaled $3.9 billion, while enrollees spent $9.2 billion out-of-pocket for these services and other private insurers covered $2.8 billion.

In contrast, Medicare Advantage plans received $37.2 billion dollars annually more than taxpayers would have spent if beneficiaries had enrolled in traditional Medicare, a cost that is partially intended to fund supplemental benefit use.

“Supplemental benefits are a major draw to Medicare Advantage, but our findings show that people enrolled in Medicare Advantage have no better access to extra services than people in traditional Medicare, and that much of the cost comes out of their own pockets,” said senior author Lisa Simon, MD, DMD, assistant professor in the Division of General and Internal Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital

(medicalexpress.com)

These are profit generating cons…..yes I said ‘cons’….

The federal agency now headed by former television host Mehmet Oz announced Monday that it is substantially boosting payments to privately run Medicare Advantage plans, a boon for an industry notorious for overcharging taxpayers and denying patients necessary care.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) said it is jacking up payments to Medicare Advantage (MA) plans by more than 5% for 2026—an increase of over $25 billion. That’s more than double the increase proposed by the Biden administration.

Health insurance company stocks jumped in response to the news of the Trump administration’s payment hike, with shares of UnitedHealth Group—the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans—rising more than 6% following the CMS statement.

Oz, whom the Republican-controlled Senate confirmed in a party-line vote last week, previously reported holding tens of millions of dollars worth of stock in companies with interests before CMS, including UnitedHealth.

Social Security Works, a progressive advocacy group that campaigns against Medicare Advantage, said Monday that “privatized Medicare plans are denying patients the care they need, while defrauding the government of billions a year.”

“Trump is giving them even more taxpayer money,” the group wrote on social media. “Trump-Musk don’t care about ‘efficiency.’ They care about stealing our money.”

https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-medicare-advantage-payments

Please research these plans if you are considering taking one…..arm yourself with information before you talk to the fat cat behind the insurance desk.

Do not fall prey to these vultures……it will cost more of your money and provide little coverage…..you have been warned.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

This Is For My ‘Boomer’ Buddies

Many of my friends voted for Trump in the last election and many are retired and depend on Medicare for their health issues…..so I would like to let them know what their vote will do for the medical necessities….

As part of a flurry of executive actions on the first day of his second White House term, President Donald Trump on Monday rescinded an order signed by his predecessor that aimed to develop programs to lower prescription drug prices in the United States—where residents pay far more for medications than people in peer countries.

News of Trump’s rollback of Executive Order 14087—titled Lowering Prescription Drug Costs for Americans—was buried amid dozens of other rescissions the president ordered shortly following his inauguration.

The decision to scrap Executive Order 14087 brings to a halt several pilot programs undertaken by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, including an experiment that involved offering generic medications for a $2 copay to Medicare Part D recipients.

“This act is a good indication of how Trump will approach lower drug prices,” Social Security Works, a progressive advocacy group, wrote in response to Trump’s rescission of President Joe Biden’s executive order.

https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-drug-prices

There is more on this subject…..more screwing to come?

Donald Trump has rescinded yet another Biden-era executive order, and drug prices could skyrocket as a result.

The president recently tossed out executive order 14087, a measure taken by Biden in order to cap certain generic drug prices at $2 for Medicare recipients, improve access to expensive cell and gene therapies for Medicaid beneficiaries, and make new medical procedures more widely available by reducing the evidence gathering process required for drugs. The order was made to allow average Americans faster and more widespread access to affordable care.

While Trump didn’t personally raise the cost of prescription drugs, he did remove one of the barriers that prevents pharmaceutical companies from doing so. While Biden’s order has been rescinded, there are still numerous laws and regulations in place to prevent price gouging for drugs. Pharmaceutical companies do not have free rein over drug prices, yet, but some Democrats believe that the killed executive order is a harbinger of high drug costs to come.

“Donald Trump is already following through on his dangerous plans to jack up the costs of drugs to appease his billionaire backers” said Democratic National Committee rapid response director Alex Floyd in response to the decision. “He lied to the American people and doesn’t care about lowering costs—only what’s best for himself and his ultra-rich friends

According to Bloomberg, pharmaceutical companies are trying to bend the president’s ear. Drug manufacturer Eli Lilly & Co. has petitioned Trump to pause drug price negotiations. Biden’s policies currently allow the U.S. government to buy drugs at a lower cost in order to distribute them to Medicare recipients. While these policies have yet to be rescinded, some worry that it soon will be. California Attorney General Rob Bonta has petitioned the Trump administration not to overturn the policies, saying they grant everyday Americans “substantial benefits” and that repealing them would be a “grave mistake for our nation.”

https://www.themarysue.com/it-was-all-lies-trump-destroyed-for-selfishly-raising-prescription-drug-costs-reversing-cost-caps/

To be fair Trump did not personally raise the price of drugs but he did give big Pharma an opening so they can do as they like.

Now aren’t you glad he is building a wall and could care less about your medical issues.

Your vote was well placed you idiots.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

They Are Coming For Medicare

As promised a look at the Medicare situation taking shape in DC.

This post is for retirees and those close in on retirement…..

A benefit that many of us old farts depend on is soon to be under the knife…The Trump admin and the wretched GOP are looking at the program for cuts….

Beltway journalists reported Thursday on “confusion” spreading throughout the White House and the Republican caucus following U.S. President Donald Trump’s endorsement of a House plan that would slash Medicaid and comments from the administration that suggested Trump will not protect Medicare—but Democratic lawmakers and progressive advocates said the message was crystal clear.

” Donald Trump and Elon Musk want to cut taxes for billionaires like themselves—and pay for it by gutting Medicare and Medicaid,” Maurice Mitchell, national director of the Working Families Party, said in a statement. “They don’t care if families have to take on crushing debt to pay for care, as long as it makes them much, much richer.”

Mitchell offered the translation of contradictory statements from Trump that came Wednesday, with the president expressing support for a House resolution aimed at imposing his border and energy policies and extending his 2017 tax cuts that primarily benefited the wealthy.

The House resolution “implements my FULL America First Agenda, EVERYTHING, not just parts of it,” the president said, suggesting his opposition to a Senate proposal that would push for two separate bills.

Calling for $2 trillion in spending cuts in order to fill the $4.5 trillion hole the tax cuts would blow in the deficit, the proposal would include potential cuts of $880 billion to Medicaid, which have made some Republicans in Congress express doubt that they could support the package without angering millions of constituents who rely on the low-income healthcare program.

https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-on-medicaid

And after some lame campaign promise to guard the benefit….they LIED!

Howard Lutnick, Trump’s billionaire buddy turned commerce secretary, has confirmed that the administration was simply lying to MAGA supporters about not touching Social Security and Medicare.

“Back in October … I flew down to Texas, got Elon Musk to [set up DOGE], and here was our agreement: that Elon was gonna cut a trillion dollars of waste fraud and abuse,” Lutnick told Jesse Waters of Fox News Wednesday night. “We have almost $4 trillion of entitlements, and no one’s ever looked at it before. You know Social Security is wrong, you know Medicaid and Medicare are wrong. So he’s gonna cut a trillion and we’re gonna get rid of all these tax scams that hammer against America and we’re gonna raise a trillion dollars of revenue.”

Just last week, President Trump promised that “Social Security won’t be touched, other than if there’s fraud or something. It’s going to be strengthened. Medicare, Medicaid—none of that stuff is going to be touched.”

Fast forward a week, and he endorsed House Republicans’ budget plan, which is expected to make an $880 billion cut to Medicaid to pay for tax cuts for the rich.

This is a long cry from the party that was telling its voters—many of whom are elderly conservatives on government benefits—that they wouldn’t lay a finger on the programs they need most.

(newrepublic.com)

You were warned numerous times during the campaign and yet 40-50% of you voted for this….how stupid do you feel now?

Hatred makes one stupid and stupidity has found a home here in America.

And when one is stupid then Project 2025 can be used with full support.

I reiterate….You Were Warned!

Speaking of Medicare I start my next round of treatment today, 5 days a week for 6 weeks, I do not know how it will effect me or my writing…..hopefully I will continue my ‘crusade’.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Elmo Has Your Records

I read that Musk has now been given access to Medicare and Medicaid…..is this a good idea?

Elon Musk’s access to the operations of the federal government appears to be only accelerating. On the heels of his Department of Government Efficiency gaining access—though it may be only “read-only” access—to a sensitive Treasury Department payment system:

  • Medicare/Medicaid: Representatives from DOGE have gotten access to the payment and contracting systems for the agency that oversees Medicare and Medicaid, reports the Wall Street Journal. The reps are looking to identify fraud and waste at CMS—the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services—and study the agency’s structure and staffing.
  • Musk: “Yeah, this is where the big money fraud is happening,” Musk tweeted in response to another’s post about the development.
  • CDC: DOGE reps also visited the Centers for Disease Control and requested a list of employees who have been there less than a year or are within a two-year probationary period, reports the Washington Post.
  • Labor: The reps also visited the Labor Department to discuss access to sensitive data there, per the Post. Labor unions are seeking a restraining order to keep DOGE’s hands off department info, saying the non-government department’s work is “illegal” and has “already been catastrophic.” (Musk has successfully gutted the US Agency for International Development.)
  • VA: Democratic senators are worried about what might happen at the Department of Veterans Affairs. “Musk and his associates already have the personal financial information of every veteran receiving disability or education benefits because of their illegal data mining at the Department of Treasury,” tweeted Sen. Patty Murray. “Will they now look at private health records of veterans?” Sen. Richard Blumenthal raised a similar alarm, calling it “reprehensible an unelected billionaire can freely access veterans’ sensitive and personal information.”

I do not like the idea of this douche bag having access to my medical stuff.

Fraud?

What about the fraud and games the wealthy play with the stability of this country?  These ‘people’ will target individuals while allowing insurance companies and Pharma get a free ride.

At what point are you fuckers going to wake up?

You have a screwing coming and you just bend over and take it like a submissive alter boy.

Pay attention!

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”

A Look At Medicare For 2025

May I see a show of hands?

How many of you are retired and on Medicare?

Then this is a post you might want to pay attention to so you have an idea of what to expect with the incoming administration.

Trump’s choice to run our Medicare is none other than a quack, Oz…..

Dr. Mehmet Oz, whose unsuccessful 2022 Pennsylvania Senate bid included pitching voters on a plan to expand the privatized Medicare Advantage program, is now in a position to potentially actualize that plan.

President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday that Oz, also known by his TV personality name Dr. Oz, is his pick to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

“Dr. Oz—a massive investor in Pharma—told the voters of Pennsylvania his plans to privatize Medicare… and they rejected him. Now Trump is giving him the authority to see his industry-approved plan carried through,” wrote the progressive-leaning outlet The Lever, which covered Oz’s support for Medicare Advantage back in 2022.

Through Medicare Advantage, which has been promoted by Trump and other congressional Republicans, seniors can opt out of traditional government-run Medicare health plans and instead choose plans administered by private insurers, such as UnitedHealthcare and Cigna.

According to The Lever‘s 2022 reporting, Oz pushed Medicare Advantage plans on his show The Dr. Oz Show and co-wrote a 2020 column for Forbes with a former healthcare executive in which they argued that a “Medicare Advantage For All” plan can “save” our healthcare system. In the column, Oz and his co-author articulated a plan to expand Medicare Advantage by imposing a 20% payroll tax.

Oz “is not a good pick for a very powerful position in charge of a trillion dollars of healthcare spending,” wrote Matt Stoller of the American Economic Liberties Project on X, in reference to The Lever’s investigation.

https://www.commondreams.org/news/dr-oz-medicare-privatization

That’s right put a man that is heavily invested in big Pharma in charge of Medicare….and still believe that we will have the best interests of seniors in mind…..if you believe that then you may be on crack.

In case you may have missed my previous post on what to expect with healthcare in 2025….

To my fellow retirees….we are in for a possible rough ride in the next 4 years….maybe should have paid closer attention before the vote….Just a thought.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Trumpian Possibilities For Healthcare

A continuing look ahead at the possibilities for 2025 and a new president…..

I am an old fart so healthcare is a prime concern for me as I age…..I am not particularly impressed with some of the rhetoric around this issue coming from the Trump camp.

We could see major changes in a wealth of areas in the field….like ‘reform’ of the ACA, Medicare ‘reform’, changes in the CDC, and others…..let’s look at the overall picture…..

Donald Trump returned to the presidency last night, and the impacts for healthcare could be sweeping.

The 2024 election returns Republicans to the helm of health agencies, armed with plans to reshape federal health programs, reshape standards for healthcare, and push to lower prices. Trump said previously that he would allow some of his most outspoken campaign leaders, such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., to “go wild” on health, medicine, and food policy.

In addition to wanting to tackle rising costs, Trump has also said he wants to improve the performance of U.S. health agencies. The slogan “Make America Healthy Again” was a facet of his campaign. He touched on it again in his victory speech last night, also name-dropping Kennedy.

Trump will likely head into his second term with a supportive Congress, as the GOP has regained the Senate and the Associated Press has not yet called which party will lead the House.

Here are some of the healthcare priorities Trump mentioned on the campaign trail.

https://www.moneytalksnews.com/ways-president-elect-trump-plans-to-change-healthcare/

Medicare is a concern to this nation’s seniors and there is the possibility that major changes could be waiting in the wings…..

On the campaign trail, both former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are eager to portray themselves as guardians of Medicare. Each presidential candidate accuses the other of backing spending cuts and other policies that would damage the health insurance program for older Americans.

But the election’s outcome could alter the very nature of the nearly 60-year-old federal program. More than half of Medicare beneficiaries are already enrolled in plans, called Medicare Advantage, run by commercial insurers, and if Trump wins, that proportion is expected to grow — perhaps dramatically.

Trump and many congressional Republicans have already taken steps to aggressively promote Medicare Advantage. And Project 2025, a political wish list produced by the conservative Heritage Foundation for the next presidency, calls for making insurer-run plans the default enrollment option for Medicare.

Such a change would effectively privatize the program, because people tend to stick with the plans they’re initially enrolled in, health analysts say. Trump has repeatedly tried to distance himself from Project 2025, though the document’s authors include numerous people who worked in his first administration.

Conservatives say Medicare beneficiaries are better off in the popular Advantage plans, which offer more benefits than the traditional, government-run program. Critics say increasing insurers’ control of the program would trap consumers in health plans that are costlier to taxpayers and that can restrict their care, including by imposing onerous prior authorization requirements for some procedures.

“Traditional Medicare will wither on the vine,” said Robert Berenson, a former official in the Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton administrations who’s now a senior fellow at the Urban Institute, a left-leaning research group.

https://abcnews.go.com/Health/election-outcome-bring-big-medicare-experts/

None of this news strikes me as making the country “healthy again”….as was promised on the campaign trail.

But that is just me

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

A Drug Deal

I have written about one of my drugs prescribed cost me $536…..I almost had a stroke when told…..now the Biden admin has a deal with drug companies to do what they did for insulin…..slash the prices on certain drugs.

Seniors will save $1.5 billion in out-of-pocket costs for the 10 costliest prescription drugs under Medicare as a result of the Biden administration’s negotiations with drug companies, according to a Thursday announcement. Beginning in 2026, the costs of 10 popular medications will be reduced by between 38% and 79% from 2023 list prices, though “those figures overstate the actual savings that will be achieved, as drugmakers already negotiate behind-the-scenes discounts with private companies that run Medicare drug plans,” per Bloomberg. The government itself will save $6 billion, bringing total savings in the first year to $7.5 billion, per the outlet. The Congressional Budget Office suggests the program will slash $237 billion from the federal deficit over 10 years.

President Biden stressed that all Republicans voted against the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, which granted Medicare the authority to negotiate drug prices on behalf of its 66 million members, per the Guardian. Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, noted she cast the tie-breaking vote in favor of the IRA. “Without her vote, we wouldn’t be talking about having negotiated drug prices,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. Some drug companies don’t see this as a win, however, warning the IRA will harm the development of new drugs, restrict access to medicine for patients, and ultimately result in higher costs. Here are the 10 drugs and price changes based on a 30-day supply, courtesy of NBC News:

  • Eliquis, a blood thinner from Bristol Myers Squibb and Pfizer, falls from $521 to $231
  • Xarelto, a Johnson & Johnson blood thinner, falls from $517 to $197
  • Januvia, Merck & Co.’s diabetes drug, will cost $113, down from $527
  • Jardiance, Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly’s diabetes drug, moves from $573 to $197
  • Enbrel, an Amgen rheumatoid arthritis drug, will cost $2,355, down from $7,106
  • Imbruvica, an AbbVie and J&J drug for blood cancers, falls from $14,934 to $9,319
  • Farxiga, an AstraZeneca drug for diabetes, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease, falls from $556 to $178
  • Entresto, a Novartis heart failure drug, will cost $295, down from $628
  • Stelara, a J&J drug for psoriasis and Crohn’s disease, falls dramatically from $13,836 to $4,695
  • Fiasp and NovoLog, diabetes drugs from Novo Nordisk, will cost $119, down from $495

Medicare plans to target another 15 drugs in 2025 and 2026, per the Washington Post.

This is good news for Seniors…..check out the list and see if any drugs you take are on it.

My problem is this piecemeal approach to lower prices…15 here and 15 later…..these companies have already milked the public and now we give them a few months to milk it more.

But remember these prices will not drop until 2025-2026….so do not celebrate too much until they finally drop.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”