Medicare Plan Cuts In Puna

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

Medicare plan reductions, as part of the Big Beautiful Cruelty To Fixed Income Citizens Bill take affect soon.  NY Times interviews one of our neighbors in Pahoa, Emmy Award winning volcano photographer Mick Kalber:

In Pahoa, on the Big Island of Hawaii, Ann and Mick Kalber received a registered letter last week advising them their plan was being discontinued.

This year he was hospitalized twice in nearby Hilo. Together the couple is paying less than $300 in monthly premiums. Now they are bracing to pay hundreds more. A high priority for the couple is maintaining access to a Mayo Clinic surgeon in Florida who has operated on Mr. Kalber’s jaw.

Asked if they could afford any increase while living on a combination of Social Security income, an inheritance and savings from careers making videos of volcanic eruptions, Ms. Kalber said, “No — but we can’t afford not to.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/09/busin...-ios-share


For those who think this is just your government saving valuable tax dollars, here’s another look at what they’re willing to spend on a per person basis.  For educational purposes only, not as part of the Puna Medicare discussion:
archive.is/https://www.wsj.com/us-news/immigration-arrests-police-trump-f0ca5253

[MyManao]

NY Times interviews one of our neighbors in Pahoa..

For those without the proper NYTimes credentials.. here's an alternative URL on the wayback machine..

https://archive.is/YdQE0

[HiloJulie]

Anyone think this is in the best interests of legal jurisprudence, a social safety net and public health assistance program authorized under Title XIX of the Social Security Act, or to be as cruel, inhumane and outright mean as possible to some of the people most vulnerable?

I'm not yet at the point of calling this government sponsored genocide, but managed liquidation seems appropriate at this time.

[Obie]

"Medicare plan reductions, as part of the Big Beautiful Cruelty To Fixed Income Citizens Bill take affect soon."

This is HMSA eliminating 2 of their most popular Medicare Advantage Plans. It has nothing to do with Medicare or any of the gibberish you posted.

[loffelkopffl]

"Medicare plan reductions, as part of the Big Beautiful Cruelty To Fixed Income Citizens Bill take affect soon."

This is HMSA eliminating 2 of their most popular Medicare Advantage Plans. It has nothing to do with Medicare or any of the gibberish you posted.

my part D plan is increasing about 700% thanks to the orange cult

[HiloJulie]

OBIE SAYS WITH THE CONVICTIONS OF A 4-YEAR-OLD WAITING FOR SANTA CLAUS
It has nothing to do with Medicare or any of the gibberish you posted.

A suggested read Obie:

Medicare Advantage: How Is It Funded?

[ironyak]

During the 2018 eruption, the daily flights by Mick and Bruce were the main source of info as to where the flow had reached that day and what houses had been lost. They went out of their way to freely share what they had witnessed with accuracy and humility. The fact that Mick has to deal with the extra financial burdens, brought about through the political preferences of some his neighbors, on top of his medical challenges, is a nothing short of a tragedy.

Can only hope the NYT exposure helps Mick and the crew get their https://www.lavajunkies.com/ documentary out into the world, but seems like it would be more straight forward and sane to support policies that simply provide everyone with affordable healthcare.

[MyManao]

but seems like it would be more straight forward and sane to support policies that simply provide everyone with affordable healthcare.

This is another example of why a single payer healthcare system is preferable. Not that I know the ins and outs of Medicare Advantage, and why HMSA would do or don’t do blah blah blah, but I sure can sympathize with Mick and Ann. It seems, to me at least, that the obvious answer is a guaranteed healthcare for all system.. just add up the costs and pay ‘em already.. where the health of our citizens is paramount, and the private, corporate, profits of healthcare corporations are eliminated.

Of course, as has been the case all our lives, as long as the for corporate interest party keeps duking it out with the for the people party at the ballot box with slim enough margins to make any real change nigh on impossible congressionally, it’s been hard to get any kind of traction for anything like real sanity when it comes to our wellbeing. But hey, maybe the corporate interests have screwed the pooch so bad this time that the pendulum will swing far enough to the left that we can finally get rid of private insurers from our healthcare system once and for all.

Hopefully Americans are sick of capitalism infesting our governmental functions and we can get on with having a fair and equitable form of government that cares for the welfare of its citizens above all other things. It’s a shame folks like Mick and Ann have to be the poster children of the fact that government by corporate interests has failed us and it’s time to move on.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

It has nothing to do with Medicare or any of the gibberish you posted.

All of the consequences and inherent cruelty of The Big Beautiful Bill were spelled out as the votes were taken.  Before the votes were taken. This was a year and a half ago. The effect of the reductions rather than immediate were delayed until after the 2026 midterm elections.  For some reason.  To claim it is gibberish at this late date given the extensive news coverage, the lengthy time period in which we have had more than ample opportunity to read about the details and outcome, seems purposefully avoidant.

People received health care subsidies so they could afford health care.  Otherwise they don’t go to the doctor in Pahoa or Keaau.  Otherwise they are treated at the emergency room in Hilo which is billed at 10x a doctor’s office visit.  Then they don’t pay, and you and I pay.  It is cheaper for taxpayers to pay health care subsidies than it is to reimburse hospitals for their patients who can’t pay.  And our neighbors get healthcare and can schedule regular doctor’s appointments.

https://www.kff.org/affordable-care-act/...ured-rate/

[HiloJulie]

In as much as Medicare Advantage here in Hawaii IS funded by the federal government AND its subscriber's co-pays, let's see what HMSA thinks about their employees pay versus the CEO's pay. Another interesting read. For those who can read:

Hawaii's BCBS affiliate responds to executive pay criticisms - Becker's Payer Issues | Payer News