Summary
WASHINGTON -- Insurance companies have used improper hard-sell tactics to persuade Medicare recipients to sign up for private health plans that cost the government far more than the traditional Medicare program, federal and state officials and consumer advocates say.
Insurance agents, spurred in some cases by incentives like trips to Las Vegas, have aggressively marketed the private plans, known as Medicare Advantage plans. Enrollment in them has skyrocketed in the past year, and Medicare officials foresee continued rapid growth in the next decade.See the full content of this document
Extract
Are Insurers Gouging Elderly?
In Mississippi, George R. Dale, the state insurance commissioner, said, "Abusive Medicare insurance sales practices are spreading rapidly throughout the state." State Sen. Terry C. Burton, a Republican, said, "My office is receiving calls daily from seniors who have been victims of unscrupulous salespeople."
Proponents of private plans say they are indisputably good for many older Americans because they coordinate care and may offer extra benefits, like discounts on eyeglasses, hearing aids and dental car...See the full content of this document
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