Gag Order for Company Fighting Against ObamaCare

Obama says only the bloat in Medicare will be cut, that the savings they propose will come from trimming fat and that care will not be cut to cover costs.

Humana is one of the largest private carriers serving seniors under a program called Medicare Advantage. About one-fourth of the elderly and disabled people covered under Medicare participate in the Advantage program, which offers a choice of private plans that usually deliver added benefits (1).

"While these programs need to be made more efficient, if the proposed funding cut levels become law, millions of seniors and disabled individuals could lose many of the important benefits and services that make Medicare Advantage health plans so valuable," it said. It urged seniors to sign up with Humana for regular updates on the health care legislation, and encouraged them to contact their lawmakers in Washington (2).

Senator Baucus (D-MT) has called the Humana letter a "scare tactic" meant to distort the current reforms under consideration. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) alleges that Humana's letter may have violated federal regulations (3).

Oops, somebody forgot to tell the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). On Tuesday, the Congressional Budget Office director told Mr. Baucus's committee that its plan to cut $123 billion from Medicare Advantage—the program that gives almost one-fourth of seniors private health-insurance options—will result in lower benefits and some 2.7 million people losing this coverage (4).

And we have a clear sense of double standards here when you take into account the AARP. The AARP Web site claims that it is a "myth" that "health care reform will hurt Medicare," while it is a "fact" that "none of the health care reform proposals being considered by Congress will cut Medicare benefits or increase your out-of-pocket costs." (5).

So Humana, by telling the truth is "misleading" people, but AARP, by lying, isn't?

Aaaagh!

And this from an administration that promised open debate? Yeah, right.

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1. Alonso-Zaldivar, Ricardo (2009, September 21). "Gov't investigates health insurance company mailer". Associated Press.
Retrieved September 24, 2009, from Associated Press

2. Alonso-Zaldivar, Ricardo (2009, September 21). "Gov't investigates health insurance company mailer". Associated Press.
Retrieved September 24, 2009, from Associated Press

3. Pergram, Chad (2009, September 23). "McConnell Blasts Government Over 'Gag Order' on Private Health Care Provider". Fox News.
Retrieved September 24, 2009, from Fox News

4. "Medicare and Gag Orders" (2009, September 24). Wall Street Journal.
Retrieved September 24, 2009, from Wall Street Journal

5. "Medicare and Gag Orders" (2009, September 24). Wall Street Journal.
Retrieved September 24, 2009, from Wall Street Journal