Hardball Health Insurance Reform
Humana Inc, one of the nations largest healthcare insurers is the new target of the United States Government employing political intimidation and hardball tactics on the private company in response to a letter they sent out to their customers enrolled in the Medicare Advantage program about looming changes coming their way through the new health care reform bill, currently being brokered by Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT). This is amazing by even Obama administration standards to go after a private company voicing its opposition to the Presidents plan. From WSJ.
Earlier this month, Humana sent a one-page letter to its customers enrolled in its Medicare Advantage plans, which offer private options to Medicare beneficiaries. Humana noted that, because of spending cuts proposed by Democrats, “millions of seniors and disabled individuals could lose many of the important benefits and services that make Medicare Advantage health plans so valuable.” The Kentucky-based company also urged its customers to contact their Representatives. Pretty tame stuff, as these things go.
Mr. Baucus took it as a declaration of war. He complained to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the federal health-care agency, which on Friday duly ordered Humana to cease and desist. CMS claimed the mailer was “misleading and confusing” and told the company it has opened an official probe as to whether the mailer violated laws about how the insurers that manage Advantage plans are allowed to communicate with their customers, as well as other federal statutes.
“Please be advised that we take this matter very seriously and, based upon the findings our investigation, will pursue compliance and enforcement actions,” CMS concluded, ominously. Humana could be fined or booted from Medicare Advantage altogether.
Ah yes, nothing like the government vendetta against a private company, who one might consider the expert on the subject of health insurance reform. Now I am sure all of the haters out there will tell us that the only reason Humana would dare send that type of letter out is because they are the big greedy corporation ready to kill off any and every person on their rolls if it can save them a dollar, its the typical scare tactic from marxist progressives. But check out the facts here, they can after all be stubborn things.
In fact, the Baucus draft legislation slashes $123 billion over the next decade from Medicare Advantage, which Democrats hate despite the fact that almost one-fourth of beneficiaries have chosen it over traditional fee-for-service Medicare. One reason seniors like it is because private insurers focus on quality and preventive care and try to manage benefits, as opposed to simply paying bills.
A new study from America’s Health Insurance Plans, the industry trade group, finds that seniors on Advantage in California spent 30% fewer days in hospitals over fee-for-service patients, based on federal data. Democrats say that insurers are “overpaid,” but the cuts—as Humana correctly noted—mean that seniors may lose this coverage.
Mr. Baucus doesn’t want seniors to be educated about these facts, and obviously he’s willing to use his enormous power to punish any private company that doesn’t affirm his, well, creative version of reality. Nearly half of Humana’s yearly revenue comes from Medicare Advantage, and the insurer says that it is complying in full with the CMS investigation. Yesterday, the agency also barred all Advantage insurers from providing similar information to their beneficiaries.
Where are the Republicans in Congress standing up to this sort of over the top tyrannical behavior on the part of Baucus and the CMS. This is clearly part of their overarching strategy of intimidation and stifling of dissent in this country. We have watched it happen with all of the brushing aside of the teaparty movements, the outcry at the townhalls this past summer and every other opposing view of the Presidents healthcare proposal. It seems that once again, powerful Congressman are being allowed to run amock, while their colleagues stand idly by and watch. If Humana broke the law in their communique to their customers, then so be it, prosecute them. But the writing is on the wall here that the plan is to spin around some vague interpretation of a law and make an example.
It is sickening behavior on the part of the Obama administration. It does however fit the character of this Chicago-thugocracy that currently resides in the White House. Its a non-violent crackdown on the part of the United States Government to silence dissent. Its un-Constitutional and needs to be called out. I am sure we won’t see it on the DNC’s Call em Out website though.
President Obama’s newest ally and friend is once again speaking out on his behalf.
