Medicare Plan Cuts In Puna

[MyManao]

Maybe some day our elected representatives will try to reign in medical malpractice claims or try to lower costs.

Maybe someday our elected representatives will try to reign in medical malpractice claims or try for profit greed to lower costs.

Face it.. it's the fact that there's a profit to be made off of people's suffering, and a federal government that works for those who make the profit and not the people they are suppose to serve, that is driving this entire scandal.

We're the only country in the entire first world with a profit motivated medical industry. We are a blight on humanity.

And yes, votes matter. This is all the result of those that voted for it... 

Civil Beat joined in today with Employers Face Double-Digit Increases In Health Insurance Rates

[Punatang]

"This comes amid federal Medicare cuts"

Here is what was cut.
Millions of older adults on Medicare prescription drug coverage could face steeper monthly costs in 2027, after the Trump administration concludes a temporary subsidy program that has helped offset premiums for the past two years.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services this week announced it would wrap up the program, which was initially implemented by the Biden administration in 2024 to lower patients’ Medicare Part D prescription drug costs in response to effects of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.

It was a temporary subsidy so maybe Biden should have made it permanent.

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I did a little research on the Star rating system.It 1st came about in 2007 and was just a rating system to measure that  performance of these plans.
The health reform act of 2010 tied the rating to bonus payments. I'm pretty sure Trump wasn't involved.

The Medicare Advantage star rating system was established in 2007 and first implemented by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in 2008 to help beneficiaries compare the quality of health and prescription drug plans.
Quality Bonus Payments: The 2010 health care reform law later tied these star ratings to financial incentives, authorizing CMS to issue quality bonus payments to plans earning 4 or more stars starting in 2012.

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The ratings are tied to performance and that can be measured by satisfaction surveys.
Do a search for HMSA here on Punaweb, there are 15 pages of people mostly complaining about HMSA.
Maybe Punatalk has lowered HMSA's ratings.

I feel sorry for all of the people caught up in this. Maybe some day our elected representatives will try to reign in medical malpractice claims or try to lower costs.

Now Obie, why let facts ruin perfectly good rage bait?  Your efforts to tether them to reality are obviously not appreciated.  They prefer to doom scroll and be consumed with hate.  It is way more fulfilling for them, to try to convince 16,000 people, who chose a product that they have to re-enroll in because of it's low star ratings, that the acts of a private company, operating in an old set of rules, is somehow The Orange He'e's fault. Makes perfect sense if that's what you're hoping for.  If the NYT suggests it, it must be true, and we should all remain forever divided instead of doing a tiny bit of research before posting divisive lies. If the lie unravels, they can always build a strawman to try to wiggle out of it.  The others won't notice.  Or care.  And so continues the division.

[Durian Fiend]

The ideological misinformation from The New York Times and this thread has eclipsed the point of being political garbage and entered the realm of harming our fellow Punatics with these lies...

Absolutely no misinformation in the NYT article.  It did not claim the Trump administration was responsible for the advantage plans being dropped.  What it did say in reference to those you are so adamant in defending: 

 "... The upheaval and confusion in some areas of the country are in sharp contrast to the Trump administration’s claims that the Medicare Advantage program is “stable” and that average premiums will be lower next year. Now that about 35 million older Americans are covered by Medicare’s private plans, many will face an enrollment period that is likely to be volatile, according to insurance brokers, industry analysts and experts..."


Here's the "claims" link above spelled out:   “CMS is fighting to keep high-quality care options affordable and accessible for the millions of beneficiaries who rely on Medicare Advantage and Part D prescription drug plans,” said CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. “By slashing handouts to big insurance companies, CMS is keeping premiums stable while ensuring that 97% of Medicare beneficiaries have access to 10 or more MA plans and that 93% of non-low-income beneficiaries can get an enhanced Part D plan for less than $6 a month.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

Is this how we want to treat our 95 year old Kupuna?  Fortunately for the woman in this story her son is a CPA.  Imagine other people in their 90’s having to navigate the labyrinthine healthcare system, which this thread has revealed is layered in complexity, confusion, and a great deal of misinformation.  Higher costs, losing doctors with which you are familiar, cobbling together multiple facets of coverage to include all of your health issues.  Shouldn’t life be simpler if you’ve lived to 95, not turned into a research project every October when Open Enrollment is dumped on all residents of Hawaii over 65 years old?

Marvin Mau’s mother, Leilani, 95, is among the 16,000 customers being disenrolled. Mau picked up the certified letter notifying the family of the change.

HMSA has about 30,000 Medicare clients in two individual plans. In the other plan, Akamai Advantage Complete, members received a notice of plan changes that informed them of a higher premium, but they will be renewed if they don’t leave the plan.

HMSA is continuing to offer Medicare Advantage plans, including a new option called Akamai Advantage Select Plus, an HMO plan with a $45 monthly premium. The plan has a smaller choice of doctors and facilities.

“I think for people who select the HMO, it’s a good possibility that they may need to look for a new primary care provider,” Khlopin said.

Mau said with the current shortage of providers that could be a challenge.

HMSA’s other Medicare Advantage plans include Queen’s and larger number of doctors, but come with higher premiums and copays.

Mau said he is looking to combine traditional Medicare for his mother with a supplemental gap plan and a separate drug plan. Khlopin said that approach could be the best option for people with multiple health issues who are losing their coverage.

“It might end up being cheaper, even if you have to pick up a separate drug plan, even if you have a premium monthly on the supplement, it might be less expensive than 20% out of pocket for something like radiation, MRIs, CT scans,” Khlopin said.

https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2026/10/17...hmsa-plan/

[HiloJulie]

Is this how we want to treat our 95 year old Kupuna?  Fortunately for the woman in this story her son is a CPA.  Imagine other people in their 90’s having to navigate the labyrinthine healthcare system, which this thread has revealed is layered in complexity, confusion, and a great deal of misinformation.  Higher costs, losing doctors with which you are familiar, cobbling together multiple facets of coverage to include all of your health issues.  Shouldn’t life be simpler if you’ve lived to 95, not turned into a research project every October when Open Enrollment is dumped on all residents of Hawaii over 65 years old?

Excellent points HOTPE. 

I find all this a bit ironic. Remember, back when the ACA was being debated, the expressed and implied fear was the establishment of "death panels?" 

Looks like they got that concept beat hands down.