{"id":13790,"date":"2017-11-18T14:15:05","date_gmt":"2017-11-18T14:15:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.medicareadvocacy.org\/?p=13790"},"modified":"2018-05-02T14:23:28","modified_gmt":"2018-05-02T14:23:28","slug":"november-2017-medicare-enrollment-other-issues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/medicareadvocacy.org\/november-2017-medicare-enrollment-other-issues\/","title":{"rendered":"November 2017 – Medicare Enrollment & Other Issues"},"content":{"rendered":"
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  1. ENROLLMENT IN MEDICARE<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    CMS Steering to Medicare Advantage? <\/strong><\/p>\n

    The Medicare Annual Coordinated Election Period (ACEP), from October 15th<\/sup> through December 7th<\/sup>, allows Medicare beneficiaries to make certain changes to their Medicare coverage, effective the following January 1st<\/sup>.  Official Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Medicare Open Enrollment materials for 2018 tip the scales to encourage beneficiaries to choose a private Medicare plan over original Medicare coverage. This strategy is actually built into the CMS Office of Communications plan that states three objectives for Medicare Open Enrollment.<\/p>\n

    The first CMS communications objective is, “[i]nforming people with Medicare that Open Enrollment is the annual opportunity for them to review, compare and enroll in Medicare health and drug plans – with renewed emphasis on MA plans”. The second CMS communications objective is to, “[s]upport a competitive marketplace of privatized health plans by encouraging competition.” The third and final communications objective is to, “’[r]emind people with Medicare of the dates and deadline to review and compare: October 15 – December 7.”<\/p>\n

    The Key Messages of the CMS Communications Plan for 2018 Open Enrollment do not even address original Medicare. Further, the CMS Open Enrollment webpage makes no mention of original Medicare as a choice during Open Enrollment. https:\/\/www.cms.gov\/Outreach-and-Education\/Reach-Out\/Find-tools-to-help-you-help-others\/Medicare-Open-Enrollment.html<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    Original Medicare, as an enrollment option during the ACEP, is omitted or minimized in multiple materials issued by CMS, including: “Medicare Open Enrollment: Review, Compare, Enroll”; the Medicare & You 2018 Handbook; and enrollment materials available on the CMS website<\/p>\n

    https:\/\/www.cms.gov\/Outreach-and-Education\/Reach-Out\/Find-tools-to-help-you-help-others\/Open-Enrollment-Outreach-and-Media-Materials.html<\/a>).  <\/p>\n

    Original Medicare, which may be the best choice for most beneficiaries, is not being fairly represented by CMS and HHS during Open Enrollment. Beneficiary access to coverage, care, and true choice are in jeopardy as CMS strongly favors private insurers over the original Medicare program that serves so many, so well, and that continues to provide access to most health care providers nationwide.<\/p>\n