General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMedicare Tool Gives Seniors the Wrong Insurance Information
The $11 Million Dollar Medicare Tool That Gives Seniors the Wrong Insurance Information
The Trump administration redesigned the online Medicare Cost Finder for seniors to compare complex health insurance options. But consumer advocates have identified instances when the tool has malfunctioned and given inaccurate plan and price data.
By AKILAH JOHNSON,PROPUBLICA ( in Govexec.com)
The federal government recently redesigned a digital tool that helps seniors navigate complicated Medicare choices, but consumer advocates say its malfunctioning with alarming frequency, offering inaccurate cost estimates and creating chaos in some states during the open enrollment period.
Diane Omdahl, a Medicare consultant in Wisconsin, said she used the tool Friday to research three prescription drug plans for a client. The comparison page, which summarizes total costs, showed all but one of her clients medications would be covered. When Omdahl clicked on plan details to find out which medicine was left out, the plan finder then said all of them were covered.
So she started checking the plans websites, and it turns out there are two versions of the same high blood pressure medication. One is covered. The other is not. The difference in price: $2,700 a month.
In Nebraska, miscalculations offered through the new Medicare Plan Finder were so worrisome that the state in late October temporarily shut down a network of about 350 volunteer Medicare advisers for a day because without the tool, narrowing the numerous choices more than 4,000 Medicare plans are available nationwide down to three top selections would be nearly impossible.
Days later, EnvisionRxPlus, a prescription drug plan, sent an email to independent insurance brokers nationwide recommending they not use the Medicare Plan Finder because of incorrect estimates on drug prices and patient deductibles. (Its a warning they had yet to retract some two weeks later.)
Minnesotas Association of Area Agencies on Aging said in a news release on Nov. 14 that the Medicare Plan Finder continues to produce flawed results, including inaccurate premium estimates, incorrect prescription drug costs and inaccurate costs with extra help subsidies.
MORE:
https://www.govexec.com/technology/2019/11/11-million-dollar-medicare-tool-gives-seniors-wrong-insurance-information/161542/
Eliot Rosewater
(31,109 posts)LET ME KNOW when the REST OF YOU have HAD ENOUGH and maybe
THEN
we can meet in the streets where we will NOT be polite!
PSPS
(13,594 posts)1. "The federal government recently redesigned a digital tool that helps seniors navigate complicated Medicare choices"
"Recently redesigned" means it was performed at the direction of a trump crony (i.e., criminal)
2. The plans are intentionally designed to be overwhelmingly complicated to foster making the wrong selection so you can be ripped off. What you were intentionally misled to believe becomes apparent only after you've enrolled and wonder why you're paying more than their deceptive plan description led you to believe.
lunasun
(21,646 posts)Who would want that plan right?