What Are The Benefits Of Commercial Health Insurance
Commercial health insurance can be more stable than health plans offered by the government. A pay raise at work could complicate your qualifications for government programs, and lawmakers have the power to change government programs as they see fit. In contrast, commercial health insurance plans remain relatively consistent while you stay at the same job.
Medicare Commercials: Deciphering Fact From Fiction
Prepare yourself: we are about to enter the season of Medicare advertising. Soon you wont be able to escape the barrage of mail, television, and online commercials about Medicare.
Insurance companies know that the annual election period is when you get to review your Medicare options and switch to a new Medicare plan or company. So these companies are eager to grab your attention!
You probably wish you could ignore the distracting noise of these commercials. But at the same time, you worry you might miss something important. How can you sort through the mess and tell the difference between what is important and what you can ignore?
Lets start by talking about what IS important information, and move down through to messages you can ignore.
Joe Namath Misleads Seniors In Medicare Advantage Ad
ByLeague of FansOnDecember 2, 2020
When it comes to sales pitches to seniors about insurance to fill the gaps in Medicare coverage, there is a lot of incomplete and deceptive information involved. And sometimes, total misinformation.
Unfortunately, Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath is contributing to the confusing mess.
In a TV ad, Namath tells viewers to get everything youre entitled to. He then lists several extra benefits seniors can get by purchasing Medicare Advantage plans, all at no extra cost, according to Namath. He then urges people to call the number on your screen now. Its free.
Theres only one problem. The actual cost can be substantial. A couple who buys a Medicare Advantage plan could pay up to $13,400 a year before their new plan pays for anything.
According to Trudy Lieberman, a fellow at the Center for Advancing Health and a health, retirement and insurance writer for Consumer Reports and Columbia Journalism Review:
These are new benefits the government has allowed private insurers to sell in the hope of getting more seniors to leave traditional Medicare in favor of a privatized system. By transferring more costs to seniors, the government saves money.
The bottom line: Congress has allowed a complicated and chaotic marketplace for seniors to navigate.
Its just too complicated, says Bonnie Burns, a Medicare consumer advocate.
Namaths endorsement has only served to muddy the waters further for seniors.
Say it aint so Joe.
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Who Is The Black Girl In The Americas Best Commercial
Cyrina Fiallo is an American actress.
| Years active | 2007present |
Who is the black girl in the US cellular commercial? Her role models are Lucille Ball, Tracey Ullman, and Carol Burnett. Sullivan has also appeared in many commercials including Price Chopper supermarket chain and the Consumer Cellular wireless carrier.
| 1983present |
Who is the black woman in the CarShield commercial?
CarShield TV Spot, Car Breakdown Featuring Vivica Fox iSpot.tv. iSpot measures impressions and the performance of TV ads. As such, our content is blocked by ad blockers.
What else did Barbara Niven play in? She played and has appeared in many films such as Under Lock and Key , Forest Warrior , Foxfire , Breast Men , The Drone Virus , Chasing Ghosts , Redline and Summers Blood .
Why Is There So Many Medicine Commercials
Whats the big deal you might ask? The pharmaceutical companies argue that these advertisements create more educated consumers who are aware of the choices available. They help consumers become empowered to take control of their chronic conditions rather than become a victim.
Considering this, Who is the lady on the Dupixent commercial? The woman in the TV work is Jennifer, an actual Dupixent patient and brand ambassador, who shows what its like to live with uncontrolled moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis.
Why do medicine commercials have so many side effects? Thats why you see commercials extolling a drugs potential benefits and then slamming you with a laundry list of side effects.
Furthermore, What percentage of TV commercials are for drugs? In 2020, the pharmaceutical industry spent 4.58 billion U.S. dollars on advertising on national TV in the United States, unsurprisingly representing a big shift in spending compared to the 2019 pre-covid market. In 2020 TV ad spending of the pharma industry accounted for 75 percent of the total ad spend.
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Heres How Old School Investing May Just Protect Your Retirement
Based on my preliminary plan research, here are some important points not mentioned in the commercials:
- These benefits appear to be more common in health maintenance organization plans. Except for an emergency, the benefits are only available through a network of selected providers, which can limit the individuals choice.
- The plan likely will require prior approval or authorization. Before receiving care, the plan must review and approve the physicians order.
- There are limits on these benefits. For example, two meals a day for five days after hospitalization with a limit of four hospitalizations, and a private home aide four hours a day for no more than 31 days in a year.
- And, most important, the plans we researched require members to select only one benefit per calendar year.
In some of the commercials, there were two more benefits that require clarification.
Free preventive screenings
Medicare covers a long list of preventive and screening services. You dont need to enroll in one of these plans to get preventive services.
A 75% discount on prescription medications in the Coverage Gap
You see this and think, Wow! A big discount on drugs! Where do I sign? However, as with preventive services, this benefit is not unique to Medicare Advantage plans.
Second, the costs
All these benefits may be available at no additional cost to you.
Third, the call
A question
In fall 2019, the American Medical Association passed a resolution.
Things Celebrities Dont Tell You About Medicare Advantage
There are few things more annoying than a commercial interrupting your favorite television program. One commercial youre sure to see a lot of is Medicare advertisements starring celebrities who are advising you on cant-miss Medicare Advantage plans.
What do these celebrities really know about Medicare, Medicare Advantage, or whats right for you?
The fact of the matter is:
- TV ads with famous spokespeople can grab our attention, but most celebrities arent experts in Medicare.
- They paint a picture of the perfect plan thats ready for you to enroll, but private entities pay those same celebrities to advertise for them.
- Choosing the right Medicare plan requires understanding your unique healthcare needs as well as the specific details of each plan option available to you.
Here are some of the essential details that celebrities often dont provide on those commercials:
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No More Medicare Tv Commercials
Medicare commercials are no longer being shown for the time being. | Unsplash
ORGANIZATIONS IN THIS STORY
I cant speak for you, but isnt it nice to watch a television show without a commercial for Medicare? I get it more than the average consumer would, the motivation and the justification for the expense, but enough is enough!
First, the fall out. Many people were suckered into the thought of cash back. I did write one cash back application this year. It was for a gentleman in Bakersfield where the plan was appropriate. He is a vet using the VA exclusively. His new Medicare Advantage plan will pay him back $140 per month. In addition to this, he gets vision, dental and hearing benefits. Every six months, he gets a $250 credit for purchases like vitamins and other over-the-counter items, things the VA doesnt provide.
I understand that the ads on the television didnt offer this great a cash back benefit. Probably because they only deal with a limited number of health plans, and my office offers all plans available in Kern County that use agents.
How can a plan offer you all these benefits and cash back to boot? And these ads dont come cheap for national television. The answer is in what many dont consider. I am under the impression that the public feels that the money that you pay out of your Social Security funds the Medicare Advantage plans. It is partially true, but a very small partial.
Medicare Matterswhew The End Of Those Tv Commercials Not Quite Yet
The brief December respite from Medicare Advantage Plan TV commercials is over.
Starting January 1, Medicare Advantage insurance plans have until March 31 to convince current plan users to switch between Medicare Advantage Plan companies. For these first three months in 2021, Medicare Advantage plan users can switch either to another Medicare Advantage Plan, or return back to Original Medicare. If you return to Original Medicare, you need to also enroll in a Part D prescription plan.
MMAP Counselors can help you compare Advantage Plan and Original Medicare costs versus benefits. Some plans have higher annual medical out of pocket maximums, and charge office visit percentage- based copays instead of flat rate copays. Dont overpay! Let MMAP help you figure it all out.
Also, those who are eligible to enroll in Part A or Part B of Medicare, who didnt sign up when they were first eligible, may sign up during the annual General Enrollment Period, January 1-March 31. Coverage will begin July 1, and you may have to pay higher premiums enrollment after March. You may enroll through Social Security or their website. MMAP can screen your income to see if you might qualify for state assistance to help pay your Part A or Part B Premiums.
Your MMAP counselors can help you understand your coverage options at no charge to you! Call us at 1-800-803-7174.
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What Are The Benefits Of A Hmo
Based on my preliminary plan research, here are some important points not mentioned in the commercials: 1 These benefits appear to be more common in health maintenance organization plans . Except for an emergency, the benefits are only available through a network of selected providers, which can limit the individuals choice. 2 The plan likely will require prior approval or authorization. Before receiving care, the plan must review and approve the physicians order. 3 There are limits on these benefits. For example, two meals a day for five days after hospitalization with a limit of four hospitalizations, and a private home aide four hours a day for no more than 31 days in a year. 4 And, most important, the plans we researched require members to select only one benefit per calendar year.
How To Combat These Issues
First, if there is a contract offered to be in-network for one of these agencies, review it thoroughly and make sure the coverage criteria, rates and payment processing are acceptable. Ask to see details of how the plan matches Medicare in writing. If you do not have a contract and a customer comes to you for equipment, verify these details before processing the claim. If you cant accept what a payer offers for reimbursement, dont. At that point, try to negotiate a fair contract. If the insurance company wont accept it, inform the customer why you cant provide them with the items they need.
Second, tell your customers where they can obtain unbiased information on the differences between original Medicare and their MA plan. Some MA plan customers may be able to get a gym membership and eyeglasses, but they may not be able to obtain the wheelchair, hospital bed or oxygen they need. Educate your customers and let them know they can select a different Medicare plan if they find that the MA plan they chose isnt working.
Medicare-eligible seniors can call 633-4227 to speak an actual Medicare representative for accurate information about selecting the best plan for them. There are also people who specialize in helping seniors navigate the Medicare marketplace.
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Who Plays Martha On The Medicare Annual Enrollment
What are the negatives of a Medicare Advantage plan?
Medicare Advantage can become expensive if youre sick, due to uncovered copays. Additionally, a plan may offer only a limited network of doctors, which can interfere with a patients choice. Its not easy to change to another plan if you decide to switch to Medigap, there often are lifetime penalties.
What are the disadvantages of a Medicare Advantage plan? Cons of Medicare Advantage
- Restrictive plans can limit covered services and medical providers.
- May have higher copays, deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs.
- Beneficiaries required to pay the Part B deductible.
- Costs of health care are not always apparent up front.
- Type of plan availability varies by region.
Who is the largest Medicare Advantage provider? UnitedHealthcare is the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans and offers plans in nearly three-quarters of U.S. counties.
The Backstory Behind The Medicare Advantage Ads
Trudy Lieberman
Almost daily a solicitation arrives in my mailbox trying to entice me into buying a Medicare Advantage plan. Open enrollment is approaching Oct. 15. Advise, an outfit that claims they are health Plan Medicare experts, wants me to get the most from Medicare. Another outfit, eHealth Insurance Services, said new benefits were available in my county, and a third seller, Medicare Advocates in South Jordan, Utah, advised, You may experience changes to your Medicare Plan next year.
Another year! Another batch of solicitations. The Advantage plan sellers quest for new sign-ups is as predictable as red leaves in the fall. Just as predictable, many Hoosiers will be swayed by slick TV ads or sales pitches promising extra benefits like dental, vision and hearing, but whose fine print limiting actual coverage is usually not explained.
As I recall from my previous reporting over the years on consumer surveys, it is extremely unlikely any group surveyed is nearly 100% satisfied with what is being examined. I grew more suspicious when I discovered a significant study recently reported in the health policy journal Health Affairs that exposed a dark side of Medicare Advantage plans usually not mentioned in the sales pitches nor seen by the public.
Understanding the pitfalls of choosing Advantage plans is important particularly if you have a chronic illness and need to see a physician regularly.
React to this story:
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What Are The 3 Types Of Prescription
The most commonly used prescription drugs fall into three classes:
Is it legal to advertise prescription drugs? No.Federal law does not bar drug companies from advertising any kind of prescription drugs, even ones that can cause severe injury, addiction, or withdrawal effects. However, companies cannot use reminder ads for drugs with certain serious risks .
How much does it cost the drug manufacturer of a new drug to get it approved?
Developing a new prescription medicine that gains marketing approval is estimated to cost drugmakers $2.6 billion according to a recent study by Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development and published in the Journal of Health Economics.
What are pharmaceutical ads? What Is Direct-to-Consumer Drug Advertising? DTCPA can be defined as an effort made by a pharmaceutical company to promote its prescription products directly to patients. 4. The U.S. and New Zealand are the only countries that allow DTCPA that includes product claims. 4.
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Are Medicare Advantage Commercials Telling The Truth
The answer is that the Medicare advantage commercials are true, sort of. They only tell you part of the story.
Just like when you buy a new car, the salesman shows you all of the bells and whistles but leaves out the information about the poor gas mileage. These commercials do the same thing!
Medicare Advantage Plans do offer some very nice benefits and they often do not have premiums and copays. This is because they do have a network.
The truth is that nothing is ever free, things are just charged in a different way and sometimes called different words. Here is a look at some of the Medicare commercial claims about Medicare Advantage Plans and what they really mean:
- You Get Additional Benefits: The specific benefits of each plan are different and may or may not be better than the plan you currently have. This blanket statement doesnt apply to everyone and you should check to see which benefits are actually offered by any plan that you are considering. You may already have some of these benefits and not be aware of it. Check your summary of benefits to confirm your coverages.
- There Is No Copay: Only some Medicare Advantage Plans dont have a copay. Generally they are referencing a Primary care doctor visit copay. Again this depends on the specific plan. You will generally have copays for other services, like hospital visits, surgeries, specialist visits, ect.
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Benefytt Technologies Has Been Shaking Off Lawsuits And Regulators For Years Its Now Peddling Medicare Advantage Plans To Seniorswhere If Someone Picks A Subpar Plan The Results Can Be Disastrous
During his 2020 State of the Department speech, thenSecretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar made a curious reference to his TV viewing habits. If you watch a lot of cable news, he said, you may have seen frequent communications and commercials talking about how Medicare beneficiaries can call a 1-800 number to inquire about whether theyre eligible for new benefits. He continued: One particular ad looks a bit like something out of the 1990s with red, white, and blue graphics, and to complete the picture theres an NFL star from the 1960s involved. The helpline may not look or sound like the future of health care, Azar said, but he avowed that it represented real savings, real options for seniors.
The TV campaign, which first aired in 2018 and stars 78-year-old Joe Namath, is for the Medicare Coverage Helpline. With a crinkled smile, Namath lists a handful of health care benefitsfrom no co-pays to home-delivered mealsintended to attract callers on Medicare. The kitschy campaign reaches peak saturation each year during the annual open enrollment period, with newer ads featuring Star Treks William Shatner and Jimmie Walker from Good Times.
People are really operating in the dark, Archer said. They should be able to know that if they pick a plan, and they get heart disease or cancer or other costly conditions, they will be able to get the care they need. Thanks to muddling marketing, too many people cant be sure.
