Ignore Misleading Medicare Article In Today's Cape Cod Times

There is a very misleading article in today's Cape Cod Times written by some reporter from the New York Times. It includes a lot of bad information relative to seniors on Cape Cod (wouldn't you think the Cape Cod Times would have checked it out first?)

The article is written from a national perspective and Massachusetts -- even when it comes to Medicare -- is different from the rest of the United States.

The article says:

"Traditional Medicare covers hospital stays and outpatient visits on a fee-for-service basis, and you don't need to do anything if you're satisfied with your coverage."

Well to put it more accurately, you can't do anything now even if you are unsatisfied with your traditional (the correct term is Original) Medicare coverage. I suppose if you were unhappy with your Part B, you could go to Social Security and begin the process of opting out. That would take a while. But if you do not have Part B and want it, you have to wait until January 1, 2014 to sign up and it won't take effect until July 2014.

The article also says:

 "...if you buy an additional Medicare Part D prescription drug plan, or if you have chosen coverage through a private Medicare Advantage managed care plan, it's wise to pay close attention... The decisions you make in open enrollment can impact you for the entire year, or even longer.

As I've written on this blog, the first part of that paragraph is true but I cannot think of any decision that could impact you for longer than a year. And about half of us who buy Medicare ourselves -- as opposed to getting it from a former employer -- can change Medicare supplemental plans as often as every month if we want to and at least one other time during the year (find out about Extra Help/LIS and the Massachusetts Prescription Advantage -- see image -- program).

The article says 

"Medicare Advantage...  usually restrict care to a network of doctors, however."

In other words, they are typically HMOs.  Why the article presents this as some big detraction I don't know. All Obamacare insurance will and all Romneycare insurance did work the same way. On Medicare, we have a choice. But as I said here, make the choice because you like HMOs or do not like HMOs, not because of the Cape Cod Times' poorly written article.

All the stuff about average prices in the article does not mean anything in Massachusetts. They are averages. Guess what, this is Massachusetts. As with heating oil, electricity costs, education costs and just about everything else except fresh fish, we're the one that bring the averages up.

When the article refers to the "State Health Insurance Assistance Program," they mean SHINE here in Massachusetts. Call your senior center.

Oh the information at the end of the article about Medigap is all wrong too, factoring in Massachusetts rules

All in all a real disservice to seniors by the Cape Cod Times.